A Comprehensive Guide to Cybersecurity

Threats are arising inside and outside a company’s network, across all industries, making businesses more aware of their exposure to hacking attempts or ransomware events making the news daily. In our Comprehensive Guide to Cybersecurity, we cover crucial topics such as what hackers are really after, some examples of end-to-end security management services, how a cybersecurity provider can help your business and much more!

Your managed IT services provider can also be your managed security service provider (MSSP). In this capacity, they will provide outsourced monitoring and management of security for whatever you contract them to protect, such as devices and/or systems. Some of the more common services include managed firewall, intrusion detection, virtual private network, vulnerability scanning and anti-viral services.

Your security service provider should have technical expertise in cybersecurity, but should also understand your industry and the relevant security risks that may impact you. Many small business owners believe that only the big companies need to worry about security — you don’t have to be a Fortune 500 company or major global institution to have highly valuable information.

The task of executing effective security at an affordable price can be daunting, which is why many turn to the services of a managed IT service provider.

Your managed IT services provider can also be your managed security service provider (MSSP). In this capacity, they will provide outsourced monitoring and management of security for whatever you contract them to protect, such as devices and/or systems. Some of the more common services include: managed firewall, intrusion detection, virtual private network, vulnerability scanning and anti-viral services.

So, what’s included really depends on the needs of your business — IT security discussions usually center around:

Endpoint Security

Endpoint security involves protecting end-user devices, such as laptops and mobile devices.

Network Security

Network security includes protecting the network edge from intrusion using firewalls.

Data Protection

Data protection is preventing the loss of data.

Quite simply, hackers are after whatever they can access to meet their goals, which could be monetary, sabotage or some other angle. To help provide some perspective on these areas, we have outlined some of the big ones below:

Personal Information

Personal information can pertain to you, your employees or even your customers. It’s also important to note that hackers don’t discriminate against complete or partial data. The information that you have on your employees or customers can be added to other sources.

Company Information

Hackers may seek to obtain sensitive company financial information, bank account information and credit card information.

IT Resources

As crazy as this sounds, cyber fraudsters frequently hijack business computing assets in order to create large pools of computing resources for their own use.

If you haven’t outsourced IT to a managed IT services provider, you are probably wondering what the benefits of using a managed service provider for cybersecurity are for your business. Here are a couple:

• Cybersecurity services and solutions customized for your specific IT infrastructure
• Vendor agnostic integration services
• Software installation and upgrades, including software imaging
• Minimal disruption to business operations
• Project managed by a dedicated IT project manager
• Integrated solutions that work in your environment with what you already have
• Centralized management of configuration, integration and deployment
• Professional implementation performed by cybersecurity experts

Compliance Management:

Security Awareness Training:

Managed IT support providers can help your business by supporting your cybersecurity needs. Here’s how:

• Identify areas of risk and vulnerability
• Align security strategies with business goals, so the organization can effectively respond to regulatory and market pressures
• Design security solutions that minimize risk using industry best practices
• Meet industry specific compliance requirements with enterprise-wide security solutions
• Conduct an IT security audit
• Evaluate existing security measures and make recommendations for improvement
• Monitor and protect data in accordance with compliance requirements
• Develop solutions to protect against data breaches and fraud
• Obtain SSAE 18 and PCI compliant hosting services