What is an MSP’s Role When It Comes to Cybersecurity for Your Business?

employees working together on laptops

With cyberattacks increasing 15% year over year, it’s more important than ever to have cybersecurity measures in place. But, how do you access the cybersecurity solutions you need if you can’t afford an in-house team? Or if your team is already slammed with other tasks?

By partnering with a managed service provider (MSP), you can pay a monthly fee and get access to a team of experts who specialize in cybersecurity. MSPs can offer a variety of services, such as network security monitoring, email protection, data backups, and more.

If you’ve been looking for ways to avoid the dangers of cyberattacks, an MSP is a great way to do it. Here is everything you need to make a decision about partnering with an MSP for better cybersecurity solutions.

What Is an MSP?

Just like you might outsource your accounting or marketing, you can outsource your cybersecurity. An MSP is a third-party provider that specializes in the technical aspects of running a business’s information technology (IT). This includes protecting against cyber threats, setting up firewalls, and encrypting data.

But their services can get much more advanced than that: they can develop custom IT solutions, provide remote technical assistance and troubleshooting, monitor network performance in real time, and more.

How Do Their Services Impact Your Cybersecurity?

An MSP can have a dramatic impact on your business’s cybersecurity. They can provide the latest antivirus and antimalware software, create firewalls, and manage secure data backups. They can also set up comprehensive access control systems to protect against insider threats.

And they don’t just provide a one-time service. MSPs continually monitor your systems to ensure they are up-to-date and secure, as well as respond quickly to any potential cyber threats or hacking attempts.

An MSP can also help you comply with industry regulations for data privacy and security, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Cybersecurity Solutions From an MSP

Here are some of the cybersecurity solutions you can get from an MSP:

  • Network security: firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access control systems
  • Data protection: data backups and encryption
  • Endpoint security: antivirus software and antimalware protections
  • Vulnerability management: scanning for potential weaknesses in the system
  • Compliance management: GDPR, PCI DSS, and other privacy regulations
  • Remote monitoring and management (RMM): 24/7 network performance monitoring
  • Cloud solutions: secure storage and 24/7 access in the cloud
  • Dark web monitoring: limit the damage of a data breach and protect you and your client’s information from being sold on the dark web
  • Phishing Training: educate your employees so that they can avoid falling victim to a phishing scam

As cyber threats become more advanced, your managed service provider should keep up. Find one that offers consistent employee training, especially for phishing attacks. About 90% of data breaches happen because of a phishing attack, so employee training and cloud-based email security are a must. 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are also vital for advanced security. Your MSP can use AI-powered software to identify threats like unauthorized access to mailboxes, admin changes, mass file downloads, and brute force attacks. 

Dark web monitoring and network monitoring will help you discover unauthorized access, cloud infrastructure attacks, third-party violations, and more. Your business has many entry points, which means constant monitoring is the only way to really get ahead of an attack. 

Advanced cybersecurity won’t just give you better protection against hackers—it will lower your cyber insurance costs, build brand loyalty, and help you in case of an audit or legal inquiry. 

The Value an MSP Can Bring to Your Business

With the average cost of a cyberattack ranging from $120,000 to $1.24 million, an MSP can protect you from a major financial loss. Instead of leaving your business up to chance, you can partner with security experts who will bring you peace of mind.

With better IT comes more employee productivity, decreased downtime, and more satisfied customers. Stronger security results in faster networks, which helps your customers. When you comply with security regulations, you avoid compliance fines. And by using the newest technology, your employees can do more with less.

For all of these reasons and more, an MSP is a great way to bolster your business’s cybersecurity defenses. By getting the right help, you can protect yourself—and your customers—from cyber threats.

Simplify Cybersecurity With Forum Info-Tech

For cybersecurity solutions that save you money and protect your data, trust Forum Info-Tech. Your business is a prime target for cybercrime, but that doesn’t mean you have to be worried about your data.

We specialize in comprehensive IT services that cover everything from cloud storage solutions to network security. Our team has decades of experience and helps small businesses like yours cut down on security costs and stay secure.
Schedule your free consultation today to see how cybersecurity from Forum Info-Tech can help your business.