Cybersecurity Service Providers: How Do I Find the Right One for My Business?

Posted on December 2nd 2019

Work with an MSP and they’ll share the responsibility of your business’ IT security with you. By monitoring your network and checking for vulnerabilities, an MSP can drastically reduce the risk your business faces from external and internal threats. But, how do you know which of the many cybersecurity managed service providers is right for your business?

Choosing a Security Partner for Your Business

MSPs from all over the world will give you similar assurances when it comes to your cybersecurity. They’ll offer the same kind of services and know the consequences that a breach can have on your business.

It’s up to you to set them apart from each other and determine which provider is right for your business. There are a few different ways you can go about doing this and a good place to start is the approach they plan to take.

Do They Take the Time to Truly Understand the Security Solutions That Are Bespoke to You?

Your business faces specific challenges that are unique to you. Whether it’s because you rely on custom systems or the unique obstacles presented by a remote workforce – you need solutions that are right for you.

If a cybersecurity service provider is offering ‘off the shelf’ solutions that they’ve offered a hundred times, then that’s a red flag. Just because something worked for another of their clients, it doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Especially if they haven’t taken the time to understand exactly how you operate.

When carrying out initial enquiries into possible partners, see if they carry out detailed audits and analysis. You need to look for a provider that’s going to take the time to understand not only how you do things, but also why you do them. Only then are they able to find the right solution that’s going to resolve your specific issues.

Will They Monitor and Update Your Emails, Systems, Software and Everything Else?

Without the right measures in place, it only takes one phishing email or end of life system for someone to access all of your sensitive business information. If data is lost or held to ransom, then your business has to deal with severe consequences.

The reputational damage alone can take years to recover from. Why would customers trust your business with their data again after you’ve let them down in the past? This is why IT Managers have to be so careful when it comes to security – just one mistake can be devastating.

When choosing a security provider, they’ll know how significant a breach is and will assure you that working with them will reduce the risk. What’s important to check is how thorough their services are.

Hackers constantly have programs running that are checking to see just how robust your defences are. They look for exploits in every single system you’re currently using, even if it isn’t one you particularly use.

A cybersecurity partner should have solutions in place to monitor and update all aspects of your business to deny access at all points. This includes emails, software and any other avenue or entry point they might try.

What Security Standards are They Working To?

A good indicator of the security services an external partner offers are the standards they work to within their own business. How effectively do they manage their own network and what are the measures they have in place to ensure they’re protected from potential breaches?

Ask them about Cyber Essentials, not only to see if they can help your business achieve the certificates, but also whether or not they have the accreditation themselves.

If the MSP you’re considering is Cyber Essentials accredited, then you can rest easy knowing they’re committed to cybersecurity and they keep up-to-date with the latest breach methods.

This is valuable knowledge for your business to have. If they’ve already passed the certifications and they’ve helped other businesses like yours to also complete the process, then your own application should be straightforward. They’ll know what you need to improve to be successful and be able to spot gaps in your current security that would cause you to fail.

Security is just one area that a service provider can help you with. Their expertise and experience can assist you in countless other ways too, including infrastructure refreshes, system monitoring and out of hours IT support.

The Full Range of Benefits of Working With an MSP

Security improvements are just one of the many positive changes your business will experience if you outsource part or all of your IT to a Managed Service Provider.

For a better idea of what these benefits are and why outsourcing is the best course of action for your business, feel free to download our guide today. It features the different daily challenges you face and how a service provider can help.

There are also more tips on choosing the right MSP for your business and how to find a partner that will understand your specific requirements before offering bespoke solutions. Get your copy now by clicking on the link below.