As businesses continue to rely on cloud services for all sorts of applications, computing, and storage services, each with its APIs, they dramatically increase their attack surface. It’s a situation that results in prime breeding grounds for cyber threats and, therefore, drives the need for managed detection and response (MDR) services.

Consider the software-as-a-service (SaaS) market. It has grown steadily from a $31.4 billion market in 2015 to $232.3 billion in 2024, according to Techopedia. Every connection to a SaaS provider requires a potentially vulnerable API, and the SaaS service requires protection.

Most companies use several SaaS services - from HR to CRM to financials, AI, and more. At the same time, they’re increasingly turning to cloud providers for computing and storage capacity, creating a classic case of cloud sprawl. And that’s just the services IT knows about; there are also phantom IT services to consider, which have long been a security concern.

Consider further that more and more companies are adopting a DevOps approach to rapid software development. As they continue to develop and deploy software more rapidly before deploying it in cloud-based platforms, it raises questions about how thoroughly the software is vetted for security vulnerabilities.

Indeed, in 2022, 45% of company security breaches happened in the cloud, Techopedia reports. Of course, all these threats are on top of the more traditional threats to endpoints, networks, and on-premises systems that companies have been dealing with for decades.

They all serve to further stress already overburdened security teams as they struggle to keep up with the latest threats and deal with the onslaught of alerts their security tools generate around the clock. At some point, alerts representing credible threats are bound to sneak past even the most dedicated teams, leading to potential data breaches, ransomware threats, and the like.

Managed Detection and Response: A Solution for Cloud Sprawl

A sound managed detection and response service provider can help companies deal with the threats resulting from cloud sprawl. With MDR, the service provider takes on job of vetting alerts that EDR, SIEM, and other tools generate, on a 24x7 basis.

These trained security professionals have the proper tools and procedures to quickly ferret out the serious alerts from the deluge of false positives, whether they come from myriad cloud services or on-premises systems. Some providers also have adjacent services such as digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) to help companies respond effectively when the provider uncovers a credible threat.

Vulnerability testing and penetration testing services are also important for uncovering software-based threats before any bad actors do. Vulnerability testing, in particular, is important for those companies using DevOps to continually deploy new and updated software to make sure that software is safe.

Trustwave is a managed security services provider that can help you deal with the threats resulting from cloud sprawl with its MDR, DFIR, vulnerability testing, and pen testing offerings. They all benefit from the original threat research conducted by the Trustwave SpiderLabs team, which is constantly on the hunt for the latest threats – and making sure all customers are finding them.

Cloud services are a crucial component of a modern IT strategy, but they come with no shortage of security concerns. To learn more, download the Gartner 2023 Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response and the role MDR, which explains how MDR helps in rapidly detecting, analyzing, investigating, and actively responding to threats. The report also outlines the importance of choosing an MDR service provider that can supply remotely delivered, human-led SOC functions.

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