Cybersecurity is a very hot topic in today’s technological climate. But many people don’t really know what it is. I thought I would define it before moving forward according to the official government definition as defined by NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology). (2) NIST per “NISTIR 8170” defines Cybersecurity as the ability to protect or defend the use of cyberspace from cyber attacks. Now, this definition is extremely broad, but this is the overall premise.
NIST defines Cybersecurity as the ability to protect or defend the use of cyberspace from cyber attacks
How MSPS a critical component to a safer cyberspace for small businesses?
- Centralized Visibility into your infrastructure.
- Many MSPs offer complete concierge backup and restoration.
- Advanced layered filtering at the edge, core, and endpoint.
- Security updates pushed regularly via our remote management tools.
- They’re usually subscribed to “threat lists” and offer unique visibility into emergent threats not necessarily available to the general public.
- Education. MSPs usually have very knowledgeable staff onboard. Leverage them.
The three pillars of cybersecurity resistance
- Technology
- Leverage Firewalls, Endpoint Detection and Response, Group Policies, Antivirus, good cyber hygiene
- Leverage Advanced Threat Protection in email server platforms. (say no to free email!!!)
- Update Firmware (Firmware updates are a critical aspect of the cybersecurity breakdown for both large and small businesses)
- Utilize Zero Trust and VPN technologies for remote workers
- People
- Educate your people. Educate your people. Educate your people. (1) Research shows email is the weakest link in the technological chain in any organization. By educating your people on how to identify fraudulent emails, you can mitigate a great deal of risk. Research shows, more than a third of malicious email gets through default security layers.
- Processes
- Identify weak areas in both people and technology and devise solutions to compensate for those defects.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of companies that are using scare tactics in order to scare folks into buying their services because they make them feel that’s the only way. The truth is, good cybersecurity hygiene can be achieved without expensive cybersecurity programs.
I hope that this short post has explained that indeed, a good MSP is a pillar proponent of good cybersecurity. More often than not, we’re the gatekeeper for many businesses.
Cited:
1.) Courtesy of Avanan
2.) NISTIR 8170