Three Security Best Practices for MSPs

A malware attack can put a company out of business – if not permanently, at least for a day or two. Recent VIPRE Security research reveals the threat of a shutdown is very real, with two-thirds of IT managers (66%) saying their organizations could close for at least a day following a cyber attack. Forty-four percent said a shutdown would last 24 hours, while 22% believe their companies wouldn’t survive.

With this much at stake, MSPs in charge of security for their clients must make every effort to protect client data and prevent cyber breaches. This is no trivial undertaking, considering how dangerous the threat landscape has become. To complicate matters, clients aren’t always as diligent as they should be in implementing security protocols and drilling their users on safe computing practices.

That’s why MSPs must take a best-practices approach when discussing cybersecurity strategies with clients. Some MSPs actually will walk away when clients refuse to follow their security recommendations because they recognize implications of shoddy security practices. A client that gets infected can hurt the MSP not only by potentially infecting the provider but also by damaging the provider’s reputation. 

With that in mind, here are three security best practices every MSP should adopt: 

1. Centralized Management

MSPs have practical knowledge of how important it is to remotely manage client environments from a central console. The same principle applies to security. You want full visibility into the security environment from a single pane of glass, and have immediate access to any and all data pertaining to security vulnerabilities and threats at client sites. 

A cloud-based centralized console with remote monitoring and real-time alerts is a must-have for MSPs who take on the responsibility of protecting their clients’ environments.

2. Immediate Response Capability

Too many businesses lack the capability to respond promptly and decisively to cyber threats. The VIPRE Security study “Managing Cyberattacks” found that 55% of IT managers rely on manual processes to address an attack. This means fewer than half have no anytime/anywhere response capability, something that would change with access to a cloud-based security console.

MSPs using a cloud-based platform can respond to an incident within seconds. This is absolutely critical at a time when infections can spread at the blink of an eye. As such, MSPs that leverage cloud-based security platforms can make a compelling case to clients about their ability to immediately respond to a security incident.

3. Advanced Protection Tools

Zero-day attacks, certain ransomware variants and other previously unknown threats require advanced tools to protect against them. Robust defenses, therefore, demand sophisticated tools with machine learning capabilities, threat intelligence and behavior analysis.

In safeguarding client data against cyberattacks, MSPs need to keep up with the latest security technology and choose security platforms that provide advanced levels of protection. Anything less, and you’re probably not providing all the protection your clients deserve.

No business wants to suffer a shutdown. By following these best practices, MSPs minimize the chances of that happening to their clients.

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.