Can you recommend any effective MSSP collaboration strategies? How do you work with the provider in a way that allows you to maintain control over your security operations but still benefit as much as possible from their enhanced detection and response capabilities?

Fully agree with Greg—co-managed solutions are often the most effective in my experience. 

Most of the customers that chose this solution ultimately did so because they had experienced things such as hiccups as an abundance of stalls or had breaches.

They offer broader coverage and ensure that both major and minor issues get the attention they deserve. The real win is in combining AI with experienced human oversight. New threats emerge constantly, and while AI can monitor 24/7, it takes a seasoned eye to catch what "doesn't quite look right"—or even what does look right and let it go when falsely stopped.

A hybrid AI + human model, especially one with a “quarantine-first” strategy, offers the strongest defense. And if the provider backs their service with real insurance that covers you under their umbrella if their protections fail—that’s the cherry on top.  Just make sure you read the fine print. Coverage that looks solid in a slide deck may not mean much when things actually go wrong.

Co-Managed solutions are the optimal way to work with the providers. Clients should always maintain the license and root/admin control to the shared platform, however the MDR/MSSP should be handling changes, documentation, direction, 24x7 monitoring and response actions. All of these actions are governed by or directed by the client of the MSSP/MDR.