It is well known that human error is the leading cause of data breaches. Last year, human error accounted for %; this year, the Data Breach Investigations Report indicates that, by the same criteria, the proportion of breaches due to human error has risen to %. The report states, "The proportion of breaches caused by errors is on the rise... In contrast, external actors exploit weak credentials through credential stuffing or brute force attacks."

However, catching people when they make mistakes is an extremely difficult task. It is almost insurmountable. So, how can we reduce errors? A better question might be: how can we prevent the consequences of these errors, namely data breaches? This might be a more answerable question. Managed security solutions leverage human expertise and technology-driven components to reduce the risk of errors by effectively detecting and responding to threats that exploit human weaknesses. While they cannot prevent errors from occurring, they can prevent errors from developing into costly vulnerabilities.

Criminals, mistakes, and violations, whether in cyberspace or anywhere else, are statistically impossible to eliminate. Despite this fact, errors are inevitable when deploying critical cybersecurity solutions, developing software, applying patches, and configuring security controls. It is equally predictable that enterprising threat actors will diligently search until they find these mistakes, exploit them, and steal the data they are meant to protect. This is an eternal game of security cat and mouse, and it is always ongoing.

Although past studies have shown that the rate of data breaches caused by errors can be as high as %, any percentage carries risk, as we typically do not know what mistakes we have made and therefore do not seek them out. As mentioned in [source], the types of human errors leading to data breaches include:

• Configuration Errors: This year, one in ten errors is caused by configuration mistakes. Over the past three years, the occurrence of configuration errors has been declining, but reports indicate that the decrease in numbers may be due to fewer researchers spending time looking for configuration errors, while more threat actors are taking advantage of these errors to steal data, leading to an increase in hacking incidents.
• Incorrect Delivery: Sending items to the wrong person is responsible for over % of all miscellaneous errors leading to violations. The increase in incorrect deliveries (as reported, "any old end user" could commit this error) corresponds with a significant decrease in system administrator errors, from % to %.
• End User: The end user is now responsible for % of errors, compared to just % last year. This sharp increase indicates the need for greater caution and the implementation of the "industry-wide error capture controls" recommended by .
• Other errors include classification errors, publication errors, and slips of the tongue (or verbal errors), each of which accounts for a similarly small proportion of the total, followed by disposal errors (or accidental discarding of valuable data), which make up only % of the total errors.

Managed Security: Expanding Error-Proof Controls The issue we face is not the errors themselves, but the damage they cause, which we are unable to prevent or contain. To control the consequences of inevitable human errors (in configuration, deployment, patching, or any of the countless security aspects), these two things are essential.

• Tools: Despite the prevalence of tooling software, or perhaps because of it, security teams are not fully leveraging the technology they have at their disposal, and underutilized software wastes time and resources, failing to provide potentially novel and useful solutions. Why is so much technology left unused? A study shows that % of security leaders say they are not using all the features of their security products, and % of security leaders are under-resourced in terms of practitioners, support staff, and deployment. Especially products, which may be "heavily relied upon, frequently underutilized, and often expensive to waste," ironically, they further contribute to environmental blindness.
• Talent: However, not all companies are fully equipped. The cybersecurity talent crisis continues, and while this is not new, the World Economic Forum does report that by [year], talent shortages could reach [number] million. This indicates that for many organizations, this remains a prescient issue. Managed security providers (MSPs) offer outsourced talent and experienced security professionals that resource-strapped companies cannot afford or access. This not only elevates the level of expertise the team can now access but also provides them with professionals who have already been technically trained; thereby saving significant costs and making enterprise-level security accessible to organizations that would otherwise face a myriad of errors leading to [percentage]% annual breaches.

By automating and integrating, organizations can prevent data breaches. Effective integration and utilization of security tools can significantly reduce the risk of corporate errors and prevent subsequent violations. When selecting from available tools provided by different vendors, organizations need to consider the following three factors:

1. Each tool employs automated threat detection methods.
2. How they integrate into the existing security ecosystem.
3. How they blend with each other.

To illustrate the above situation, let's consider two of the most common tools for providing detection and response: Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR). For example, the threat detection and response managed by the security expertise provided by MDR services helps prevent mistakes, but the integration and automation of security tools on any security layer provided by XDR also helps prevent mistakes. Therefore, it is important to consider each approach individually and compare these two methods.

Managed technology combines behavior-based threat hunting techniques with the expertise of practitioners skilled in using them. It can be highly effective in detecting low-and-slow attacks that infiltrate networks undetected through malicious links, exploits, or stolen credentials, thereby stealing data. Leveraging managed options can help address other misconfiguration issues, provide 24/7 support to security operations centers, and offer top-tier technology (tools) and expertise (talent). Sometimes, teams just need a little extra help.