It's more important than ever to ensure that your small business is protected from cyber attack, including ransomware, email viruses, phishing attacks and other threats.

Is your managed service provider really providing you with the security your small business needs? Are you getting the support you need to ensure that you are as secure as possible?

In this article we'll discuss some of the security risks faced by small businesses. We'll also provide a checklist on what security features should be included in a managed service plan for smaller businesses.

What You Need To Know About Cyber Security

There are a lot of different elements of cyber security that you need to consider. Some of the more important ones are as follows:

- intrusion detection systems (IDS) - this will look for any sort of entry into your network infrastructure, whether it's via the internet or an employee who clicks on something he shouldn't have. Your managed service provider should be able to set up IDS in order for you not only monitor attacks, but to also block them in real time before they impact your business.

- endpoint security - this is software specifically designed to protect all the devices used by employees in your small business, whether it's computers or printers.

- security information and event management (SIEM) - this involves the collection of performance and quality metrics from all security devices within a network to create an overall security picture so that you can identify any potential issues before they have time to become serious problems.

- antivirus protection - formerly the final word in cyber security, antivirus protection is still an important component in keeping your network safe.

These are examples where having a managed service provider really comes in handy because, while there are solutions you could install on your own, it would be very time consuming for someone who doesn't have expertise in cyber security. That's where a managed service provider comes into play.

Did You Check Ahead Of Time?

The first thing any small business owner should do before purchasing or renewing their managed services contract is ask about security policies/measures at every managed service provider they interview. After all, they'll be responsible for security of your business data and network infrastructure.

While managed service providers vary, all should have a security policy in place to protect your company from security breaches that could lead to loss or theft of sensitive information such as customer names, addresses and credit card numbers. This is necessary for compliance with GDPR and government regulations in particular, but it's also good security practice.

Malware Protection

What about protecting your business from malware and viruses? What about ransomware attacks, or phishing attacks that can lead to such security breaches and identity theft? Do they perform security audits on a regular basis, including vulnerability scans on your systems/software?

Ask what kind of support services are available when things go wrong. Can remote monitoring detect a ransomware attack and and engage support quickly? What kinds of tools does the managed service provider use to clean up malware infections in real time before they spread?

Third Party Certification

Look for managed service providers who can demonstrate that they have performed an environment and data security analysis with a third-party security consultant and the relevant certification bodies. This is a foundation of the UK government's Cyber Essentials Plus certification, which you may have read about here.

Once you receive Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification, your customers will know as well, because you'll have the proper icon to insert into your marketing materials. It can only help!

Backup, Remote Access, Everything Your Small Business Needs To Modernize

Do they back up your data? You may think that's common sense, but many MSPs forget to mention security in the event of a disaster. Without strong data backup services in play, your company is rolling the dice as to whether you'll even be in business next year.

There are more examples. How do their security policies protect remote access like online banking through mobile devices or tablets? Can employees work remotely if needed without creating any risk of security breaches for your business by connecting via public wi-fi networks? Can they act quickly to stop hackers trying to break into servers?

Do their managed service providers offer infrastructure maintenance, such as patch management and warranty tracking, for all your business's supported devices, applications, databases and so on, as part of an ongoing basis to protect against cyber attacks?

Remote Support

Remote support has quickly become the go-to service model for small businesses. When a technician can log directly into a user's computer and quickly have a look at a problem, it's more convenient for the customer and for the technician as well.

The Final Word

Finally, have you had a word about your business goals with your provider? Will your business processes work within their structural framework? Do their services offer a compatible subscription model for your budget?

Will your proprietary or third-party applications be supported? As a customer, are you comfortable with having one vendor support your company with the infrastructure management it needs even if your company utilizes products from many different supporting application service providers?

There's A Lot To Take In

These are among the many important matters to take into account when searching for a managed service provider. Information technology is complicated, both to set up and maintain. You'll want a managed service provider with the proper capabilities to maintain your supported equipment and safeguard your data.

If you don't ask about security when interviewing potential providers, it might be too late after something happens to that data. It's important to make sure what security measures your managed services provider has in place before signing or renewing a contract!

What Are They Protecting Your Business From?

Cyber criminals continue to innovate and develop new ways to attack small businesses that lack basic security protocols. At least 60% of malware attacks include ransomware in the mix, so it's important to have a strong security that protects your business from getting hacked or infiltrated by viruses.

You'll also need security software that can detect if you are being targeted for a phishing attack, a form of cyber attack where cyber criminals attempt to get users of an organization to voluntarily disclose sensitive information via email.

Is Your Managed Service Provider Really Providing You With All That You Need?

Many businesses rely on managed service providers for all their security needs - after all, these companies specialize in security software and know what it takes keep small business operations safe while they're online.

Security doesn't stop with preventing threats from getting into your network. It can happen that a previously undiscovered security flaw can expose your network, or that a particularly skilled hacker may target your business for unknown reasons. It could also happen that human error is the cause.

What If A Breach Happens?

If the unthinkable happens and your network suffers a security breach, you need to make sure that your business can continue to run seamlessly. The concept of Business Continuity includes things like making sure there are back up servers in place, and having a disaster recovery plan, if the infrastructure of your company happened to be compromised.

Offsite cloud backup is an important security measure that your managed service provider should be taking. First and foremost, security is about protecting your most valuable assets – the data of your company.

Business Continuity

An offsite cloud backup solution can protect your business against ransomware attacks and other threats by keeping a copy of all your files in the event they are deleted or changed without authorization. Compromised files can be restored after the threat has been addressed, and your business won't have to cave to the ransom demands.

Offsite backups will also help ensure business continuity because you now have multiple copies of important documents stored safely away. Further, with features like version control, retention policies and native support for Windows file server security, you can rest easy that your data is safe and secure.

Some More Examples

Some more examples of security-specific features you'll want are anti-spam reporting to alert you when an email has been sent containing a virus or ransomware in the body of the message so it can be removed before anyone opens it. These important security updates will allow your business to continue operating even if there's a security breach with one component of your system.

Managed security service providers should include monitoring around the clock with experts to detect security threats immediately and work to prevent them before they can affect your business or cause any damage. They should be able to provide you with training on how best to manage cyber security issues yourself in order for you become better educated about what steps you can take proactively.

It Doesn't Cost As Much As You Think

While this may seem like an expense that only larger companies could afford, it's actually affordable even for very small businesses who don't have dedicated information technology staff members already on hand. In fact, a small company can utilize a managed service provider to completely eliminate the need for a dedicated staff member focusing on information technology (who would likely not be a specialist in all forms of information technology support a company needs).

More Skills Please!

There are a lot of skills required to keep a business not only operational, but secure, from an information technology perspective. Large organisations have the luxury of having a lot of work to do, and for them it makes sense to hire dedicated support staff for niche roles such as security or breakfix. However, for small businesses, utilizing a managed service provider for support can save them money while getting better security and service than they otherwise would be able to afford.

In Summary

At the end of the day, it generally makes sense for a small business to utilize a managed service provider to handle their technical support needs, including security. This demonstrates itself in a number of ways - for example, a single information technology support individual could not be possibly expected to handle a complete range of system maintenance, monitoring and solution implementation tasks even with a loosely defined set of responsibilities.

What This All Means

The good news is this - with the advent of managed service providers, neither the end user nor the company itself have to be completely responsible for all of its own supported services.

Empower your employees to be proactive in cybersecurity. Learn five practical steps they can take to enhance their online security and protect your business from cyber threats. Click here!

Curious about cloud computing and how it can benefit your small business? Explore the advantages, challenges, and considerations of moving your business to the cloud. Click here!

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