How to assess the impact of cyber security managed services

One of the biggest challenges for security leaders is aligning value with business priorities. From Celerity’s experience, organisations that succeed in this space start by agreeing on a shared definition of value between security teams and the board. That might mean fewer incidents, faster recovery times, improved audit outcomes, or increased stakeholder trust. 

The metrics should feel relevant not just to the SOC but to the wider organisation. Otherwise, managed services risk being seen as an expensive insurance policy, rather than a driver of resilience and growth. 

When evaluating cyber security managed services, organisations should track outcomes that go beyond traditional KPIs. Instead, focus on the impact on areas within your organisation that the board will recognise as business-critical: 

Your cyber security managed services should show demonstrable reductions in vulnerabilities and incidents. For example, how quickly are threats being identified and neutralised compared with last year? This will be a top priority for most boards, driven by the surge in high-profile cyber-attacks on organisations such as M&S, Harrods, and the NHS, each with severe consequences for both the organisations and their stakeholders. 

er security managed services should always be measured on their ability to keep the business running – no matter the circumstances or attack. Ask yourself: 

• Has downtime been reduced?  

• Are recovery times faster?  

• Are customers seeing fewer service interruptions? 

A breach avoided is considerable money saved. Compare your managed service costs against the potential financial impact of a serious incident, including regulatory fines and reputational damage. This gives you a full picture of the return on your investment.  

Managed cyber security services should streamline compliance. Fewer last-minute scrambles for audit evidence not only saves you time but also reassures regulators and stakeholders. When assessing the value of your cyber security managed services, consider whether they enable this seamlessly.  

This is perhaps the hardest to quantify, but arguably the most important. If your cyber security managed services are robust enough that leadership has tangible evidence that security is under control, it shifts the narrative from reactive firefighting to strategic management. If the board and wider organisation are confident in your cyber security, this is a powerful indicator of the significant impact of your managed services. If this isn’t the case, it may be time to re-evaluate your services or cyber security managed service provider.  

In 2025, cyber resilience has evolved from an item on a compliance checklist to a core requirement that’s essential for business survival. This begins with educating your people.  

If you’re unsure on where you currently stand in terms of where your knowledge/skills gaps are, take our cyber security assessment and get complete insight into your security posture.  

Too often, cyber security managed services are viewed purely as a defensive measure or even a cost centre. While threat protection is critical, the real value comes when these services are positioned as growth enablers. By freeing up internal teams, organisations can redirect scarce talent towards innovation. By ensuring compliance, they can move faster into new markets. By strengthening customer trust, they can win and retain business more effectively. 

The key is to establish clear, business-aligned metrics, which are revisited regularly to ensure they are up to date with industry and technology shifts. 

Instead of asking “what does it cost us to have managed services?”, leaders should be able to demonstrate “what would it cost us not to?”. If this isn’t possible with your current cyber security managed service offering, it may be time to re-evaluate or re-allocate.  

If you want to gain a complete understanding of the value of your cyber security investments, now is the time to act. 

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