Healthcare organizations staffed with proficient in-house IT teams are often able to handle more day-to-day cloud infrastructure needs. Still, they may not be fully equipped to take on a DIY SaaS approach for their CSPM healthcare cloud solution. Even well-resourced IT teams have good reasons to engage managed services. Here are the key considerations when choosing between DIY SaaS and managed services for healthcare cloud security posture management (CSPM) solutions:
- Budget constraints: Consider both short-term and long-term financial implications. Beyond software expenses, there’s an ongoing need for full-time staff dedicated to cloud security and management. If financial limitations are a concern, organizations should cautiously weigh the option of a DIY CSPM healthcare cloud SaaS solution — provided, of course, that you have the right team in place to manage it effectively.
- Resources and expertise: Your existing staff’s capabilities are a linchpin in determining the best path forward. Evaluate their expertise — not only in general IT but also in the specialized areas of cloud security and compliance. Determine whether they possess the necessary skills to efficiently implement and manage a CSPM solution. Furthermore, consider whether your team has the bandwidth to accommodate the demands of continuous cloud infrastructure management, including round-the-clock monitoring and remediation.
- Cloud maturity: Gauge your organization’s level of familiarity with cloud technology, as it significantly influences your approach. If your organization has an established presence in the cloud, a DIY solution may align with your experience.
- Scalability: Think about your organization’s growth trajectory. For smaller startup companies aiming to expedite their entry into the cloud, a DIY solution may be a viable option. Depending solely on your in-house team, even if they are skilled, can pose challenges. They may struggle with 24/7 cloud monitoring, potentially leading to delayed responses to vulnerabilities. As the company grows, you’ll need to grapple with tough decisions about where to allocate resources. Do you prioritize your tech stack, ensuring it can support your growth effectively? Or do you lean more into business expansion? Regulations often mandate a focus on the tech stack, which adds another layer of complexity to the equation.
- Compliance requirements: Cyber attacks strike relentlessly, 24/7/365, making round-the-clock monitoring a critical necessity. A DIY SaaS solution can facilitate continuous compliance using automation and remediation, though human expertise is still an invaluable asset. The complexity of healthcare regulatory requirements demands a careful evaluation of whether your in-house team possesses the expertise necessary to navigate these intricacies.
- Risk tolerance: In the healthcare industry, safeguarding sensitive data and patient trust is paramount. Before making any decisions, it’s important for healthcare organizations to carefully evaluate their risk tolerance—particularly considering the impact that data breaches can have on brand reputation and patient trust and safety. Managed services can function as an extension of your team, shouldering responsibilities such as deployment, maintenance, monitoring and response to security threats. However, if your in-house team possesses the necessary capabilities to independently manage potential security risks, a DIY solution can streamline security processes.
After carefully considering these six factors, you should assess whether your organization is well-positioned to manage your cloud strategy in-house or if you should consider support from managed services. Even if you are equipped to DIY, using a platform built for healthcare organizations will optimize your internal team, enabling them to do more with less.
Still unsure which path is right for you? Talk to us — we can help you make the right choice. And be sure to check out our software and services package options.
