The MSP’s Blueprint for Cyber Resilience
Collectively, delivering effective data protection and data security requires service providers to:
- Support creation and protection of backups.
- Implement a comprehensive patching program covering all client endpoints.
- Select tools and applications that provide automation wherever possible.
- Adopt an integrated cyber protection platform that minimizes the headache of configuration and maintenance.
Adapt to the New Normal
Old-school, tool-based security strategies no longer cut it when protecting clients with a massively distributed workforce working from home–especially those with BYOD policies.
To secure your clients in a remote-first world with evolving IT standards, master these essential capabilities:
- Gain as comprehensive an understanding as possible of your client’s entire environment (range of endpoints, devices, etc. that require protection).
- Select a strategy to protect all endpoints while minimizing the risk of lateral attacks from within their network.
- Wherever possible, implement a zero-trust approach that limits access to confidential or sensitive data.
Don’t Forget the Cloud
Perhaps the biggest mistake most organizations make in migrating to the cloud is assuming that SaaS app providers handle security. In fact, the risks increase as your clients migrate more and more to cloud-based platforms and their cloud posture becomes more complex.
Most SMBs aren’t aware of the security hazards inherent to cloud-based apps, even Google or Microsoft’s productivity and collaboration tools. As a service provider, your role is to:
- Educate clients about the risks associated with common SaaS applications, especially email tools, due to the rise in social engineering/phishing attacks.
- Enable multi-factor authentication for all SaaS apps wherever this isn’t done automatically.
Plan for Disaster
While both data protection and data security are essential, neither fully prepares you for what needs to be done when disaster does strike. For that eventuality, you need to provide comprehensive plans for backup, recovery and remediation:
- Prepare a range of recovery methods, including offline backups or disaster recovery solutions that are inaccessible to attackers.
- Create a plan for a graceful shutdown in the event of a breach or disaster.
- Test incident plans with clients regularly.
- Ensure that your recovery offering includes–once the situation is resolved or remediated–a plan to assess resilience, derive lessons learned and implement changes accordingly.
In theory, working with an MSP can help resource-strapped SMBs level the playing field, letting them outsource some or all of their IT management and security needs. But not all MSPs are equally qualified to play this role. Any provider hoping to find success must deliver a broader range of offerings to help them stand out from the crowd and establish their expertise in the key domain of security.
Kris Schulze is the Disaster Recovery Program Manager at Acronis. A writer and marketing professional, she has published pieces on a wide variety of topics in B2B technology, including disaster recovery, data privacy, and ransomware.
This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.
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