The speed that technology is growing is rapid, and it's only getting quicker. But as well as the incredible opportunities it offers businesses, there's the other side of the coin to consider. Is your security strategy robust enough to keep up with the ever-changing barrage of threats?
How to stay ahead of the race
If you're a small or medium business (SMB) looking for a robust and cost-effective way to keep up to speed with your IT security, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can be a lifesaver. They can give you comprehensive solutions to protect your digital assets, leaving you to get on with running a business. In most cases, when weighing up what you can provide in-house versus what an MSP can offer, it's a no-brainer to go with the pros.
Here’s how an MSP can help you with your IT security.
- Monitoring – An MSP can offer continuous infrastructure monitoring and vulnerability detection, using advanced tools and technologies to identify potential issues.
- Patching – Server patching isn’t just crucial for maintaining stability and performance, it’s also the first line of defence for security. An MSP can apply updates, fixes, and enhancements to address known vulnerabilities, bugs, and compatibility problems before they become an issue.
- Comprehensive security strategies – MSPs also help you develop and implement robust security strategies tailored to your specific business requirements. This includes network security, data encryption and access controls.
- Incident Response Plans – If the worst happens, MSPs can support your planning, to help you respond quickly and effectively to any security breaches. A strong incident report procedure minimises the potential for damage and helps protect your business.
- Compliance Management – MSPs can help your business comply with all the rules and regulations that apply to your industry. The controls they use support the evidence businesses need for certifications. This helps you avoid serious legal consequences and fines that could be fatal for a smaller business.
- Managed Backups – With an MSP, you can get comprehensive services that cover the planning, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of secure backup solutions. They’ll create automated and scheduled backups of critical data, making sure it's protected and available in the event of data loss, system failures, or disasters.
As the MSP will take on the responsibility of managing backups, the business will be free to concentrate on core operations while having peace of mind that their data is always safe. - Physical Security – As well as digital security measures, cloud providers use physical security to protect their data centres. These include surveillance systems, access controls, biometric authentication, and 24/7 security personnel.
What do you get by partnering with an MSP?
With an MSP, you gain access to a team of cybersecurity experts who are dedicated to keeping your systems safe, reducing risks, and boosting your overall cybersecurity.
Picking the right MSP with the right services and team to support your business really matters, so make sure you ask the following...
Who am I working with on a daily business?
If you need a response quickly and for your issue to be dealt with, would you rather speak to a bot or a real person? Chances are, a dedicated team who really knows your business is more likely to give you the help you need and when you need it.
Where is my data being kept?
It’s important to understand where your data is physically located, how it’s being protected and which legislation you want it governed by.
Who's doing what and when?
MSPs can sometimes blur the lines between a fully managed solution and a semi-managed solution, so complete transparency is key. You don’t want to deploy a solution that still leaves you with the same issues you started with.
How will you migrate?
You’ll want a clear plan from your MSP that works for your business needs. You also need to keep in mind availability and security. With migrations, it's so important that your data is kept secure throughout the whole process. You need to be sure that the MSP you're using can handle whatever size migration you throw at them.
When your business needs change, can your cloud solution easily change too?
Scalability and flexibility are crucial to understand so you aren’t locked into a solution that might not work long term. You want an MSP that can guarantee they'll help you grow as your business does.
Looking for a secure, reliable MSP? You've found it!
Like any business transformation moving to the cloud can be daunting and working with the right people is critical. But with the right MSP, you’ll never look back.
With ProActive, we'll keep your data secure and online, monitoring your infrastructure 24/7. Plus, if you need help migrating, we've got the expertise to carry it out no matter how big or small.
Got questions or just want a chat? Our support team are here to help. Just give them a call on 0333 111 2000.
