In-Sourcing Vs. Out-Sourcing Cybersecurity

Research shows that IT teams are struggling to keep up with the rapid, ever-changing landscape of the gaming industry due to limited staff, ever-evolving expertise, trends, and budget.  
 
Today, the average cost of an IT resource is skyrocketing, and the turnover rate among IT roles is at an all-time high. Recruiting and retaining IT talent is now significantly harder. Even if you can recruit experienced IT talent, we’re approaching an inflection point where the cost of IT resources is so expensive that insourcing cybersecurity is beginning to make less and less sense — even for large businesses. The cost and difficulty of recruiting IT resources, combined with the inevitable gaps in security posture created by a forced adjustment to hybrid work, leave gaming organizations vulnerable at a time when cyberattacks are increasingly frequent.²

In gaming, the leadership team may ask for IT projects to be completed in a short period of time, especially if there’s a regulatory requirement that must be deployed. With that, IT teams may not have the expertise in-house to complete the projects within realistic time frames due to capacity and capability challenges. On top of that, IT teams are often caught in the middle of addressing fire drills, switching from one project to the next, managing the day to day, etc., thus adopting a more reactionary posture to systemic challenges that leave greater gaps and vulnerabilities.  
  
I’ve been asked by many IT leads how they can get their leadership’s buy-in for leveraging a security partner to assist with the IT or security strategy and projects they are asked to champion.  Outsourcing to a skilled provider often makes better financial and operational sense for these projects, as it can be more cost-effective and timelier than if produced in-house. For example, using outside expertise to conduct security posture assessments provides an external and unbiased perspective.

Often, it may be difficult for internal IT or security teams to see every problem because they are focused on running day-to-day operations. Third-party experts have extensive knowledge and experience as they are up to date with the latest cyberattack tactics and trends, leveraging innovative technologies. Security assessments help organizations evaluate their security posture, identify risks, and then map out a solution to mitigate risks.  In addition, access to historical data can help organizations see how their security posture has improved over time, allowing more mature views of how operations can be improved and optimized to increase revenue and efficiency.  Having written documentation on the project’s expected ROI along with identifying risks and associated costs is invaluable to gaining leadership buy-in. 
 
Trying to decide which part of your IT team to divest can be challenging.  IT is paramount for any business, no matter what industry. Failing to stay up to date on all things IT leaves companies at risk of a security breach and, more importantly, unable to complete the myriad of internal projects. Whether you have decided to in-source or out-source your IT team, selecting the right partner is critical to success.  To better understand the best option for your gaming organization, it’s important to review the drawbacks and advantages. Make sure you are getting what you need while protecting your assets, customers, and data.