Based in Toronto, Tuor Networks is an IT managed services provider (MSP) serving customers nationally across Canada. The company provides comprehensive solutions in IT infrastructure, cloud, and outsourced IT managed services to small, medium and large businesses across a variety of verticals.
Customers need help against phishing attacks
Tuor Networks’ customers were experiencing sophisticated phishing attacks, which required the MSP’s attention and was time-consuming for both parties. The MSP was able to address this challenge by rolling out an email security service offering Barracuda Essentials, which includes email encryption, spam filtering, cloud-based backup, and archiving. This made a significant difference in reducing malicious emails coming into its customers’ inboxes.
However, in order to deliver more comprehensive email security protection needed to thwart social engineering attacks that used compromised business email accounts, they needed to add additional layers of security.
“One of our customer’s financial officers received an email appearing to come from the CEO stating, ‘I’m going to be out of the office for a while, and I need you to wire $100,000 to my bank account right away,’” says Albert Trinh, Executive Vice President, Tuor Networks. “If the target takes the bait, it bypasses all the security technology.”
A.I. and phishing training add additional protection
To combat these more sophisticated cyberattacks, Tuor once again turned to Barracuda MSP for assistance, adding Barracuda Sentinel to its security stack. “Sentinel incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), which can learn users’ communication patterns and spot anomalies that humans may miss,” says Albert. Unlike other security solutions that have to play catch-up as external threats evolve, an AI-based system like Sentinel will grow and adapt to new threats as they emerge.
The MSP added another vital layer to its security offering — security awareness training. “We use Barracuda’s Managed PhishLine service to send simulated phishing emails to clients as part of ongoing security campaigns. If a customer falls for it, we’re notified immediately and can use the opportunity to train the employee so they can be more aware in the future,” explained Trinh.
Business benefits in a time of need
Based on data from his PSA tool, Albert says after customers sign up for the Managed PhishLine service and receive training, their phishing-related support calls typically drop by as much as 20 percent. “And because Barracuda’s services are all offered as a subscription, it’s an easy add-on for our SMB clients,” he says. “Currently, 70 percent of our customers are on a managed services program, and we’re projecting that number will grow to 80 percent to 90 percent over the next year.”
Migrating to a subscription-based business model doesn’t just benefit Tuor’s customers; it also helps the MSP. “Without such a high percentage of our customers being on a managed services plan, we would have had to lay off employees during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic,” he says. “Even though we lost revenue from some customers that had to shut down, other customers thrived and added on additional IT services, which not only offset the losses but led to 20 percent projected growth for this year. Working with vendors like Barracuda that have the right kinds of products and take our recommendations to heart plays a critical role in our success.”
Photo: REDPIXEL.PL / Shutterstock
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