Managed IT For Your Cybersecurity Strategy

I have written many times about Managed IT Services (check out 3 Ways to Know if Managed Services is Right for You) and why it is a good move for many businesses to “tame the IT monster”, regardless of their size and staffing. But, recently the conversation has morphed into an argument for managed IT as an effective cybersecurity strategy.

The aha moment came to me when we were discussing cybersecurity threats at a recent industry conference. The conversation started out with an almost desperate wish to do whatever we can to protect our clients from all the bad things out there. As that concept became increasingly elusive, one of the scariest speakers (scary because of his demonstration of how to get into networks and cause trouble) changed the vantage point by proclaiming that there is no ultimate protection, and chances are, you’ll likely experience a successful cyberattack on your business.

Our job then is not to ensure that you are a hundred percent safe – let’s face it, no one can do that! Our job is to minimize the impact of these cyberattacks on your business. That includes downtime, loss of data and disruption for your employees and clients. It directly translates into dollars and the difficulty for you to re-build the business you have today. Of course, you still need the baselines of defense, such as firewalls, AV, etc. But, having an expert partner by your side when the storm hits, takes your cybersecurity strategy to the next level. The tools are important and need to do their job, but when things fall apart, the speed of recovery is more likely determined by processes, standard protocols, and a very well trained team that knows your business and can bring it back. Here is where managed service customers have a clear advantage in a crisis:

• Proven Protocols. Any firefighter will tell you that it is all about having standard procedures and protocols when disaster strikes, so you do not waste valuable time trying to figure out what needs to be done. Managed IT Services provide standards and processes by which your IT is deployed, monitored and maintained, so when things get serious, there is a set of plans.
• We know you inside and out. Do you know where all the recovery discs are for your various applications? Passwords, user settings, security rules, etc.? With Managed IT Services that is all in our hands. We know the network, so we can get to work right away.
• Peace of Mind. With a fully managed network, it is on your IT provider to worry. Because your network is patched and monitored, issues can often be detected and resolved very early, before you even notice anything wrong.

Managed IT Services help bring predictability and stability to your IT – the same rings true when it comes to cybersecurity risks. The key is to not only have defenses in line, but also to have a plan in place for when disaster hits and someone who executes that plan with confidence.