Rob Lalumondier, vice president of the federal business at Sophos, said managed detection and response could work as an essential human-assisted service for government organizations given the massive amounts of sensitive data they process and need to protect.
In an interview with Information Security Media Group, he discussed the unique cybersecurity needs of the public sector, and highlighted five benefits of MDR to government and non-private institutions.
The public sector’s mission of providing national security and citizen services must be supported by strong cyber defenses, according to Lalumondier. Organizations in government and education that initiated digital transformation programs have increased their attack surface in the process.
He said that employing MDR services on top of in-house security systems can provide federal entities with additional protection against ransomware and cyberthreats.
“Maintaining your own 24/7 threat hunting team can be very expensive. To get that round-the-clock coverage, you’re going to need a number of cybersecurity staff members working at separate shifts around the clock,” Lalumondier explained.
“Using and MDR service provides economies of scale and comparative advantage as well, rather than trying to do it yourself.”