If you own one of the many SMBs around the country, you know that technology is a key factor for most businesses today. With BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) on the rise, employees are using multiple devices “on-the-go” and need internet access both inside and outside of the office.
These devices and your networks need to be protected so your sensitive company information isn’t compromised by cybercriminals. But, are all these devices up-to-date and secure? Do you have an appropriate firewall in place?
Are your employees accessing public Wi-Fi? Is the perimeter of your network protected? Do you have the right security services in place? the owner of a Small to Medium-Sized Business (SMB) these are all really important questions you should be asking yourself.
This all sounds a bit dramatic right? Although these questions seem a little overwhelming, managed security is no longer an option but a must-have in your business operations. For enterprise level companies no expense is too large when it comes to security, but what about SMBs where budgetary constraints may be limited?
Through their technology services, IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) will take the majority of this technical responsibility away from you. They will make sure all of your IT needs are met so you will have the time to focus on what matters the most, your business. They will also help you save money by helping you avoid a break fix model.
Technical Team
Each and every SMB has their own specific business and technical needs. Cybercriminals have the ability to compromise systems within seconds and with each attack, they become more sophisticated. All users are vulnerable to phishing/spoofing schemes, as these threats live within their email.
The inability of standard firewalls to inspect network-packet data and identify legitimate business applications versus attacks, forces those devices to accept or reject all traffic in a very unintelligent manner. Your employees are your weakest link and educating your employees on these types of attacks is crucial.
Many SMBs only have a single internal technology person or a staff member with “IT” as an add-on to their title, and they may only be able to provide more reactive solutions to issues that can be and should be handled proactively.
They probably do not have the bandwidth to provide educational programming, such as Security Awareness Training, to guard against these attacks. In many cases, this is due to the fact that you IT employee is busy putting out fires or handling another job function and does not have the time to focus on the strategic development of your IT operations.
Whatever reason may be, the combination of these factors can lead to a mismanaged cyber environment and an overload for your single IT employee. At the end of the day, no one person is going to be able to provide as much support as a full technology team would.
Updates and Upgrades
Can you imagine one person needing to set up hardware and install software for every person in your company? Partnering with an MSP assures that your software will be updated and patched daily. Technicians monitor your network to make sure you have the latest software, and if there are any issues with the software your support team will patch the software or work directly with the software company until a resolution is reached.
This cycle often happens without you even knowing. Your support team discovers an issue, contacts the partnered company, resolves the issue and has you up and running before any of your end users are affected.
It may seem unnecessary to upgrade your hardware. Everything turns on, and tends to work 90% of the time. Aside from reasons such as high maintenance costs, decreased productivity, and limited performance, the security risk you expose yourself and your business to can be quite extensive without maintaining these updates. Old devices running on old operating systems are far more susceptible to file hacks, viruses, and other sophisticated security threats.
With an MSP you have first-hand access to their procurement department who have direct access to vendors and the expertise to provide guidance in hardware upgrades. In addition, you have a team of professionals who are proactively monitoring your environment and making recommendations to your environment to ensure your business is secure. This saves you time and money. The cost of one hour of downtime for an SMB starts at $20,000 and for at least 20% of SMBs this fee can hike up to $100,000.
Cybersecurity
Most SMBs don’t think they are at risk of cyber-attacks but in actuality it makes them the perfect target because many are not always properly prepared and end up learning the hard way. The thought of partnering with an MSP usually does not occur until they experience a breach.
That’s why it’s imperative for businesses that haven’t experienced those attacks to put a system in place. When outsourcing your business and technical needs to an IT Consulting Services Company, you pay a fixed monthly cost for proactive support that includes 24×7 monitoring and management.
There is no recruiting, training, vacation, sick days, turnover, performance reviews and other management issues as it relates to hiring internal IT staff. You work collaboratively with your MSP to develop a layered approach to security and will realize a cost savings that impacts your bottom line.
Your MSP takes the success of your business personally.Find out now how working with our MSP will provide the strategic guidance necessary to allow you to meet your business objectives. Contact The TNS Group today for more information.
Categories: Managed Service Provider, MSP Blogs
