NTT Data begins rolling out new MDR service

Outsourcing offering being launched in Japan before a wider global release in 2024

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IT services provider NTT Data has announced the launch of its new managed detection and response (MDR) service for security management.

The offering will be rolled out in Japan this month, while a broader global release is expected before the end of March 2024, the company said.

With the new service, advanced security engineers will provide support to clients that either don’t have the in-house talent to manage a security function or simply find it easier or more cost-efficient to pay for a managed service.

NTT Data said these engineers will act on behalf of clients by executing a “comprehensive set of measures” to identify the cause of an incident, implement emergency response measures, maximise recovery efforts, and work to prevent a recurrence.

“To support client companies that find it difficult to manage security on their own, NTT Data will start providing MDR services utilising the design, construction, and operational know-how cultivated through its global zero trust security service, along with the experience for more than 20 years and expertise of NTTDATA-CERT, its advanced security specialist organisation,” the company said in an announcement.

The service will provide businesses with fully integrated, cross-sectional, and multilingual support. It will start with the introduction of an incident response framework, through to detection, response, and recovery in an incident – as well as continual elevation and improvement of the introduced framework, the firm said.

To help develop talent that can drive its MDR services, NTT Data will also launch a new talent development program for advanced security engineers.

The firm said it aims to expand the structure from the current level of 100 engineers to 500 globally by the end of March 2026.

The programme is based on the expertise of NTT Data’s incident response organisation and has been built to incorporate knowledge from NTT locations around the world, while its curriculum has been developed in collaboration with NTT Data Intellilink Corporation. Upon completion of the online programme, engineers will be certified as MDR services specialists.

MDR market

MDR services provide customers with modern security operations centre (SOC) functionality to help detect and disrupt security threats. The security as a service model allows organizations to outsource their security operations to overcome hurdles such as staff shortages and skills gaps.

According to a recent report from market data provider ReportLinker, the global MDR market is currently valued at approximately $3.3 billion in 2023 – and is projected to grow to around $9.5 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 23.3%.

Factors helping to drive the market’s expansion are said to include an uptick in business e-mail compromise, ransomware, as well as cryptojacking threats. Adoption of MDR services has also been fueled by the industry’s cyber security skills gap.

With the positive forecast for the market over the coming years, NTT said it’s aiming to take its annual global sales from security management to over 200 billion Japanese Yen (€1.2 billion) by March 2026, mainly in zero trust services.

Ⓒ Future Publishing

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