Study: ISG Provider Lens™ 2021

Sustained demand for Cybersecurity services – with Swisscom leading the field

As companies remain under constant pressure from possible attacks, Cybersecurity services are in high demand. So says the ISG Provider Lens™ study, which analysed Swiss IT security providers. There are many reasons Swisscom was named the leading provider of Managed Security Services in Switzerland.

Text: Andreas Heer, image: Adobe Stock, 21 July 2021

In the first half of 2021, the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC) registered around 25 percent more reports than in the previous six months. And the trend was already rising even then. Not only are the attacks becoming more numerous, their severity is also increasing. With extortion attempts involving threatened DDoS attacks or ransomware, which not only encrypts data but also publishes it if the ransom is not paid, CIOs and CISOs have plenty to keep them occupied.

Ensuring that the IT security measures remain up to date and able to deal with all forms of attack is a never-ending task. A process which, according to the ISG Provider Lens™: Cyber Security – Solutions & Services study, is made more difficult by the struggle to secure scarce investment budgets.

Managed Security Services are the answer

The security arms race is a rather uneven playing field. While cyber attackers are able to invest all of their energies in their criminal activities, corporate IT security managers are facing ever increasing obstacles. According to the authors of the study, they are hampered not only by tight budgets but also by the shortage of skilled staff and a lack of expertise.

This situation favours the outsourcing of IT security tasks to providers of Cybersecurity services. After all, Managed Security Services (MSS) are budgetable and do not require high investment in IT security equipment or the hunt for scarce specialists.

Swisscom’s standing in the MSS field

In its current Provider Lens Study on the subject of “Cybersecurity – Solutions & Services”, the international technological research and consulting company Information Services Group (ISG) compared various providers in Switzerland. The criteria included market relevance, breadth and depth of portfolio, strategy and vision, and degree of innovation.

“With its extensive range and its distinctive ‘Swissness’, Swisscom is the leading provider of Managed Security Services in Switzerland.”

ISG Provider Lens™ 2021

And, as in last year’s study, the authors ranked Swisscom as the leading provider of Managed Security Services in Switzerland. As well as Swisscom’s extensive range of services, the study also highlights the advantageous combination of manpower and automation and its ability, as a network operator, to detect security-related incidents at an early stage. As a further point in its favour, the study mentions the company’s proximity to customers with its Security Operations Center in Switzerland, and support provided in the national languages.

Graphic: Cyber Security Solutions & Services 2021

Alongside the extensive Managed Security Services, the study also investigated technical services such as integration and maintenance, and strategic consulting services. This took into account providers that do not focus only on their own products and offer “best of breed” solutions, with the authors giving Swisscom credit for their comprehensive range of products and services including robust technological partnerships and an in-depth understanding of the needs of Swiss companies. These factors also explain why the study also ranks Swisscom the Swiss market leader for Strategic Security Services and Technical Security Services.

Moreover, the Swisscom subsidiary United Security Providers (USP) also secured a lead position in Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Managed Security Services. In IAM, according to the study, it was the ‘Swissness’ of the USP solution that stood out in particular.

Switzerland-based SOC an advantage

Because of data protection regulations such as the GDPR or the forthcoming revised Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA), the location of a Security Operation Center (SOC) is increasingly important. This is because compliance with the statutory requirements must be guaranteed. However, it is not only large companies subject to local regulations that benefit from the SOC being based in Switzerland. According to the study, medium-sized companies also attach importance to having local security services – and are increasingly using them.

To deal with the quantity and complexity of attacks, says the study, the MSS providers must also remain innovative. And they must take proactive measures. Machine learning and artificial intelligence help to identify attacks at an early stage – and also to remain armed and ready for whatever cybercriminals come up with.