The increased volume and sophistication of cyber threats, ever-expanding attack surfaces and a global shortage of security professionals contribute to an impossibly challenging cybersecurity environment. As a result, more and more organizations are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) for help.
MSPs provide access to the expertise and tools necessary to fill in the gaps in your security. Most provide a fairly standard package of services such as remote network monitoring and firewall management, and leading providers may offer more advanced services such as endpoint protection, threat detection and incident response.
Choosing the right partner can be a bit tricky, however. You obviously want to work with a provider with the relevant skills and experience as well as a proven methodology. When evaluating providers, look for one that employs these five best practices:
1. Vulnerability Assessments
Every application, cloud service and endpoint device represents a potential weak spot that could be exploited by malicious actors. According to the national Common Vulnerabilities and Exploits (CVE) database, there are nearly 200,000 known vulnerabilities in commonly used software and systems. An MSP should conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities and recommend strategies to mitigate those risks. This typically involves running internal and external network scans to identify specific attack vectors such as unpatched servers and applications, configuration flaws, weak user credentials and missing or weak encryption.
2. Continuous Threat Monitoring
Time is of the essence when it comes to detecting and mitigating threats — the more time a bad actor has access to your systems, the more damage they can cause. According to IBM, it takes companies an average of 197 days to identify a data breach and another 69 days to contain it. Providers with operations centers running around the clock can significantly reduce those times by continuously monitoring IT security tools and network traffic, analyzing logs and events, and scanning systems and applications for suspicious activity.
3. Patch Management
Up to 85 percent of all network intrusions exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. An MSP can mitigate risk with a patch management program for acquiring, testing and installing critical patches and updates. Leading providers may offer automated solutions that scan the network to identify which devices need patching and then automatically download needed patches from vendor sites and set a schedule for deploying patches in staggered intervals to minimize service interruptions.
4. Third-Party Risk Management
Almost all companies use hardware, software and services from dozens of third-party providers, and cybercriminals often exploit these relationships. According to one recent study, 54 percent of breaches originate with a third party. An MSP can reduce your exposure with a comprehensive review of all third-party security controls. Access management solutions also ensure providers can only access the data and systems relevant to their work.
5. Data Protection
A solid backup and disaster recovery strategy is essential for protecting your critical data and minimizing downtime, but research shows that more than a third of all backup jobs fail. MSPs can help you implement a highly stable and predictable backup and recovery plan that creates a clear recovery plan for all your data, whether in the cloud or on-premises. In addition, an MSP will test backups frequently to ensure they are working properly and readily available in the event of a ransomware attack, system failure or other business disruption.
How Verteks Can Help
As cybersecurity challenges continue to grow, partnering with an MSP has become an increasingly attractive option. Verteks can help your organizations implement a best-practice approach to security, and we can provide ongoing support and guidance to help mitigate risks as they arise. Contact us to learn more.
