Cybercrime runs rampant in Illinois. In fact, the state continues to be one of the hardest hit by malicious cyber activity. It ranked seventh in 2021 for most victim losses at almost $185 million and ranked fifth for most cybercrime victims with almost 18,000. That means if your business is operating in Chicago, you're very likely to experience a cyber attack.
Are you prepared for those attacks?
Traditional security measures like antivirus and firewalls aren't as effective as they used to be. Cyber threats have only grown more sophisticated through the years. If you want to keep up, you need to step up your cybersecurity, too.
Unfortunately, that has pushed the demand for federal-grade security services to increase in recent years. However, many small to medium businesses (SMBs) can't meet the cost of building their own advanced cybersecurity systems, and others just don't have the expertise to do it themselves.
Thankfully, you can outsource those responsibilities to a managed security services provider (MSSP). An MSSP can help your organization cover all the bases and bring enterprise-grade cybersecurity services at more affordable and scalable costs.
The challenge now is how to find the right one for your business. That's because battling cybercrime doesn't just rely on having the most advanced technology. You need a reliable team on your side, too. The most important thing is finding the right team that can meet your company's unique security needs, and we can help you with that.
Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS) is an MSSP that offers comprehensive managed services with advanced cybersecurity to businesses in Chicago. In this article, we'll help you find the best provider in the area, excluding us. We've compiled a list of the highest-rated MSSPs in the region and arranged them in alphabetical order.
Top 5 MSSPs Serving Chicago
The companies included in our list were selected using criteria such as years of service, awards and accolades, breadth of service, and more. Check out our top picks (in alphabetical order) below:
1. AHEAD
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Year Founded: 2007
Description:
AHEAD is an IT support company providing strategic IT consulting and managed services to customers in Chicago. The firm offers an Integrated Security service aimed at arming clients with prioritized and actionable cybersecurity strategies based on their specific needs and challenges. The service empowers its clients to be proactive with their cybersecurity posture, allowing them to focus on growth.
Notable Awards and Accolades:
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2020
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2021
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2022 (Ranked 112th)
- CRN Triple Crown Award 2022
Services Offered:
- Integrated Security
- Security Strategies
- Governance and Compliance
- Identity Access Management
- Zero Trust Network
Main Office Address: 401 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 3400, Chicago, IL
Service Locations: Greater Chicago Area
2. Ascend Technologies
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Year Founded: 2020
Description:
Ascend Technologies is a relatively new company born from a merger of two firms, West Monroe Managed Services and Gratia, Inc. The company has made waves and garnered multiple awards since. They offer a full lineup of cybersecurity services to protect, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
Built for organizations of every size, Ascend provides solutions that complement their clients' business initiatives and allow them to keep their security in check — without the complicated and costly efforts to design it all in-house.
Notable Awards and Accolades:
- Elite 150 of CRN MSP 500 for 2022
- Channel Futures MSP 501 2022
- Inc. 5000 List America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2022 (Ranked 91st)
Services Offered:
- Perimeter Security
- Email Security
- Vulnerability Management
- Endpoint Security
- Detection and Response
- Cybersecurity Consulting
Main Office Address: 200 W. Adams St., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL
Service Locations: Greater Chicago Area
3. Entara
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Year Founded: 2001
Description:
Entara, formerly known as YJT Solutions, was founded in 2001. The firm defines itself as an eXtended Service Provider (XSP) as they specialize in providing clients with both managed technology and managed cybersecurity services. That integration of services allows the firm to deliver holistic, strategic, and future-facing solutions to its clients.
Awards and Accolades:
- CRN MSP 500 for 2022
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2022 (Ranked 225th)
Services Offered:
- Managed Detection and Response
- Cloud Security
- Network Micro-Segmentation
- Email Security
- Endpoint Security
- Penetration Testing and Assessments
- Identity Security
- Zero Trust Network
Main Office Address: 227 W Monroe St, Suite 2100, Chicago, IL
Service Locations: Greater Chicago Area
4. Motorola Solutions
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Year Founded: 1928
Description:
Motorola Solutions offer various tools and services for businesses nationwide. The company also offers cost-effective managed security services aligned to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. The service is designed to help their clients detect, prevent, and respond to cyber-attacks.
Notable Awards and Accolades:
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2022 (Ranked 43rd)
- Channel Futures MSP 501 2021
Services Offered:
- Managed Detection and Response
- Penetration Testing and Technical Assessments
- Risk and Gap Assessments
- Strategy and Compliance
- Endpoint Detection and Response
- Security Monitoring
- Cloud Security
- Cybersecurity Training
- Security Patching
- Incident Response and System Recovery
Main Office Address: 500 W Monroe St, Ste 4400, Chicago, IL
Service Locations: Nationwide
5. onShore Security
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Year Founded: 1991
Description:
onShore Security is an MSSP established in 1991. The firm offers a service they call the Panoptic Cyberdefense® Security Operations Center (SOC), which is a 24/7 SOC-as-a-Service with Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Network Detection & Response (NDR), and Security Orchestration to augment their clients’ teams.
They specialize in providing end-to-end security for banks and large regional institutions, but they also extend their service to other businesses. onShore Security provides cybersecurity leadership consulting and managed security solutions as well.
Notable Awards and Accolades:
- MSSP Alert Top 250 MSSPs 2022 (Ranked at 190th place)
Services Offered:
- Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
- Network Detection and Response (NDR)
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Managed Next-Gen Firewalls
- Email Security
- Risk Assessments
- Dark Web Monitoring
- Governance, Risk and Compliance Consulting
- Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) Outsourcing
Main Office Address: 216 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL
Service Locations: Greater Chicago Area
Ready to Choose the Best MSSP in the Greater Chicago Area?
Finding a reliable MSSP in Chicago is essential to protect your business from the rising cyber threats in the region. Partnering with one can help prevent you from becoming another statistic for the FBI. That's because a reliable MSSP will be able to protect you from security incidents or help you recover from them in a timely manner. However, that's only true if you find the right firm that can meet your needs.
Thankfully, there are a lot of reliable providers serving the Greater Chicago Area who are ready to meet your expectations, including us. ITS has been providing clients with enterprise-level cybersecurity and managed services for over a decade. We've even ranked in the top 50 of MSSP Alert's Top 250 MSSPs in the world.
If you'd like to learn more about our services and what sets ITS apart as an MSSP in Chicago, visit our Managed Cybersecurity page. But if you want to continue your journey to finding the best provider for you, these resources will help you with your research:
- 6 Qualities to Look for in a Managed Service Provider
- 3 Types of Cybersecurity Solutions Your Business Must Have
