Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) are a serious alternative to hiring staff, building specialized infrastructure, and training the staff with specialized skills. Most MSSPs provides outsourced monitoring and management of security devices and systems. Services commonly include managed firewall, intrusion detection, virtual private network, vulnerability scanning and anti-viral services.

Many MSSPs use high-availability security operation centers (either from their own facilities or from other data center providers) to provide 24/7 services. Their services are intended to reduce the number of operational security personnel a customer needs to hire, train and retain to maintain an acceptable security posture.

MSSPs operate in a fairly specialized field, with many details that are either obscure or elusive to the average procurement group.