About the Managed Security Service category
What belongs in this category
The Managed Security Service category covers services in which a provider takes over the running of a client's security. Typical entries monitor and manage firewalls, endpoint protection, email security and other tools, handle patches and changes, watch for threats, and report to the client, often under service-level agreements. Cyber defense services, whose own category was retired, can enter here or Managed Detection and Response (MDR).
This is the broad managed services category. A specialist service starts in its own category and can enter Managed Security Service as well. Examples are Managed Detection and Response (MDR) for round-the-clock detection and response, SOC-as-a-Service for a security operations center (SOC) run for the client, Managed SASE for networking and security delivered from the cloud, and Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CSaaS) for bundled security by subscription. MSSP of the Year, which no longer exists, is replaced by this category for the service and by Best Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) for the provider.
Related categories to enter
Each category is judged separately, so you can enter a service in every category that matches what it delivers, with a separate nomination for each. Tailor each nomination to that category's focus. The provider behind the service can also be recognized in Cybersecurity Service Provider of the Year or Best Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP).
How entries are judged
An independent jury of security practitioners, analysts and CISOs scores each nomination on leadership, innovation and impact. Each nomination competes in its category against providers of similar size and region, so a small regional provider is not ranked against a global firm. Your entry package, any sponsorship and public votes do not affect the jury's scores.
Strong entries in this category show:
- Leadership — the services the provider runs: clients and devices managed, tools and platforms supported, and the size and skills of its operations team.
- Innovation — a managed service problem solved in a new way, such as new clients onboarded in days, one view of security across every tool a client owns, or changes and patches handled automatically across many clients' tools.
- Impact — results for clients: threats stopped, more service-level targets met, client renewal rate, time to handle client requests cut. Give figures from clients, anonymized if needed.
The jury awards Gold, Silver or Bronze, or a Finalist badge, and results are published on this site and announced to the 600,000+ member Cybersecurity Insiders community. Every approved nomination also enters the separate Community Choice award, decided by public votes.
How to enter
A provider can enter its own service, and a PR agency can enter it on the provider's behalf. The nomination form has a confidential field for detail that is shared with the judges and not published, such as client names, contract figures or service levels. Deadlines, pricing and entry steps are on the How it Works page.
