Amid the growing range of cybersecurity threats, companies are facing questions about how to secure their data center and application environments. A recent study by Courion found that 78 percent of IT security executives are worried about the possibility of a breach at their organization, with concerns that included loss of client data and negative publicity for the brand. At the same time, while 95 percent of IT security staff believed preventing breaches is a serious issue, they said they thought just 45 percent of employees share their concerns.

This discrepancy underscores the value of having clear governance practices and security standards in place. For companies looking to bring their security operations up to date, a managed services approach can be valuable. With a trusted managed services provider, companies can develop a clear information governance plan, laying out a strategy to keep files safe throughout their life in the company environment.

“In light of the constant changes in the IT environment, all enterprises should look to IT governance to secure information from the moment it is created to the time it is destroyed,” IT executive Dan Chenok wrote in an article that appeared on FCW.com. “That is why, in the past decade, IT governance has moved to the forefront of enterprise efforts to effectively manage and appropriately protect IT systems and assets, contributing to the success of risk-based security and supporting strategic decisions made by C-level executives across the public and private sectors.”

In addition to helping develop a plan for companies to have clear security policies and keep data locked down, a managed services provider can offer ongoing support in the form of managing regulatory compliance and compliance testing, as well as through services such as continuous network monitoring. A third-party provider can access state-of-the-art security technologies and round-the-clock staffing services that a company might not be able to purchase on its own through an economy of scale. And with the growing complexity of cybersecurity risks, companies can benefit from the expertise and knowledge of a specialized outside provider as well.