It’s a cyberthreat perfect storm. Today’s cyberthreat climate, coupled with businesses’ digital transformation and the increase in the remote workforce, makes taking a ‘security-first’ approach crucial for MSPs to be efficient and effective in managing and securing customers’ networks, data, and employees.
A ‘security-first’ approach needs to begin with the fundamental MSP tool — remote monitoring and management (RMM). A security-centric RMM ensures that security is embedded with the services you’re providing to your customers, starting with understanding the customers’ security posture to applying remedy through different tools such as asset inventory, task automation, patch management, and many more.
You can’t get started with this soon enough —the statistics are alarming.
According to The MSP’s Guide to Strengthening Managed Security Services with Security-Centric RMM, 34 percent of SMB organizations reported that they were a target of a cyber incident in 2018. In 2019, that number grew to 52 percent. The good news is that they’re also ready to invest in protecting themselves proactively, with 62 percent of SMB’s indicating they want to increase their spending on cybersecurity initiatives, and 30 percent see security outsourcing as a top priority.
This bodes well for MSPs, as SMB’s are ready to do something. As your customer, they already trust you.
Taking a security-first approach
One third of SMBs report that they already use an MSP to support their IT network. By utilizing an RMM tool, you’ll have the administrative ability to monitor, manage, update, and safeguard customer’s desktops, laptops, servers, and even cloud-based systems. Beyond the standard visibility it provides, certain RMM tools include site security assessments that help identify vulnerabilities. They also offer automated patching capabilities to address these vulnerabilities, along with other support services that ensure your MSP is best positioned to protect its customers.
Your customers are ready to take the next step to ensure their business is as secure as it can be. What you need to do is show them you’re on board. You’re going to need to take a security first approach, which means incorporating a security mindset into every service you offer, beginning with your RMM tool.
The MSP’s Guide to Strengthening Managed Security Services with Security-Centric RMM, outlines three ways you can add in security services to your business. One of the first steps is to define your managed security service. Figure out what your security service offering looks like, what parts of your customer environment you will protect, and how to leverage your RMM solution.
Afterwards, find solutions that meet your service needs. Identify what software solutions you can use to deliver your service and decide how automation can be used across the board. Lastly, look for ways you can use automation to get the job done. One example of best utilizing built-in automation is by automating the patch management service in your RMM tool. Since most security related tasks don’t require regular human attention, the automation aspect of your RMM is ideal.
By leveraging an RMM tool that embraces security, you’re ensuring a solid and efficient way to deliver protection to your customer. SMB’s want to protect their reputation, and are willing to spend the money on it. They need an MSP that can deliver the security they require. By utilizing the right RMM tool you can assure them that you’re taking security seriously — and have the tools to do so.
Photo: frankie / Shutterstock
Security will only become more essential as time goes on, across all industries.
Security is going to become more and more essential with employees working remotely and feeling like they have the leisure to do things they normally wouldn’t in a professional working environment.
With most businesses allowing Work-from-home there is a need & opportunity to offer a full review of remote access tools and policies that are in place for your SMB clients. Their vulnerability surface area has just multiplied.
We’ve been hearing lately about the legal responsibilities and liabilities increasing against MSPs. MSPs would do well to focus on a security-first mindset to protect both themselves and their customers.
MSP’s are a larger threat to go after than just the clients they maintain. MSPs now need to be more vigilant than ever to be a security-first company to protect not only themselves but their entire client base.
If you aren’t focusing on Security, you are failing your customers because there are too many people trying to steal data
Just do it. The rewards outweigh inaction.
Patching, Patching, Patching… but what’s worse? Reacting cost much more than a few patches that makes our lives miserable for a short period of time compared to undisciplined and random patching that can lead to losses that makes our lives miserable for a long period of time. Vigilance is key and a key part of security is patching. RMM provides the tools.
Thank you for the info, always enjoy reading these articles here when I find the time in my busy day.