MSSP Research: Are You One of the 50% Not Using Dark Web Intelligence Yet?

How Are MSSPs Using Dark Web Intelligence?

We have been working closely with (Managed Security Service Providers) MSSPs for years and know that they were among the first organizations to identify the value of dark web intelligence as a source to identify threats emerging from the cybercriminal underworld.

However – to date – there has been no research to quantify exactly how many MSSPs are using dark web intelligence, what they are using it for, and how it benefits their customers. Today we’ve launched our report – A Guiding Light in the Dark: How MSSPs Are Using Dark Web Threat Intelligence – to rectify that. This research combines a survey of 501 MSSPs (251 in the US, and 250 in the UK) and contributions from the industry’s leading MSSPs to further the market’s understanding of dark web threat intelligence. It covers:

• The drivers behind the adoption of dark web intelligence;
• How MSSPs have integrated dark web intelligence into their business models to create new revenue streams;
• What’s holding back MSSPs who aren’t using dark web intelligence yet;
• And much more.

Key Findings From the Report

These are just some of the most noteworthy findings from the research:

• Customer demand for dark web intelligence is increasing – two-thirds of MSSPs said that their customers have asked for threat intelligence from the dark web.
• This demand is being driven by wanting to know more about their adversaries – 67 percent of MSSPs say that their clients want more information about threat groups.
• More than half of MSSPs have started to meet this demand – 56 percent say they are undertaking dark web monitoring.
• And those that are using dark web intelligence are unlocking new commercial opportunities – 40 percent listed the ability to create new products and services as a benefit of dark web intelligence.

Learning From MSSPs

We hope that this research will be insightful for the MSSPs that have already integrated dark web intelligence into their services and are keen to learn more from the experiences of their peers. For example, we found that MSSPs are often using data from the dark web to inform their one-off engagements – such as pentests, security audits, and incident response. However, fewer have integrated dark web intelligence into their Security Operations Centre (SOC), where they are missing an opportunity to use it in the ongoing defense of their customers.

However, I especially hope it will be useful to those who have not yet taken up the mantle of being the “guiding light” to the dark web for their customers. For these MSSPs, this research will be instructive in demonstrating not only how dark web intelligence can help protect their clients, but also the commercial opportunities it can unlock for the MSSP itself. With customer demand for dark web intelligence so high, MSSPs need to act fast to make sure that they maintain competitive advantage, and stay ahead of the pack.