Atlanta IT Support Cybersecurity. Find out what your Managed Service Provider (MSP) should be doing and how you can tell.
Who Do You Look to When a Cyber Breach Happens?
When a cybersecurity attack happens, your Atlanta IT support provider is the first place to seek answers. The question is, what could they have prevented, and what was your responsibility? Most importantly, how can you recover quickly, and what steps should you take to mitigate future risks?
What is Your Atlanta IT Support Company Responsible For?
Onsight preventative maintenance helps prevent downtime and cyber-attacks from happening. Unfortunately, these tasks are time-consuming and non-billable, and many IT support companies or independent contractors prefer to do remote preventive maintenance or not at all.
Unfortunately, some tasks cannot be performed remotely, and the undone activities can wreak havoc on the network or allow cybercriminals access. Your IT support company needs to take responsibility for the following on your network:
- Documentation – keep all documentation on the network up to date.
- Backups – make sure your backups are working correctly.
- Updates & Patches – these should be performed on both applications and operating systems.
- Cable Checks –ensure cable and fiber are not degraded.
- Errors – review the logs and check for future hardware failure.
- Network Utilization – check devices for network utilization or any network communication errors.
- User Accounts – ensure employees who have left the company have been deleted and verify all administrator access on the network.
- Disk Usage – check drive space and recommend changes.
- Monitoring Tools – ensure daily reporting is working correctly.
- System Security – ensure your security settings and configuration are correct and working.
- Expiration– check and verify hardware warranties, DNS name registration, and vendor software agreements expirations.
- Password Policy– verify password complexity, and expiration is enabled on accounts.
What is Your Atlanta IT Support Company NOT Responsible For?
It’s easy to blame others when you discover you are the victim of a cyber-attack.
However, that is not realistic. You are also responsible for your network security. The following examples are mistakes often made by small- to medium-sized businesses that result in a successful cyberattack:
- End-User Mistakes– 80% of successful phishing attacks come through email. Therefore, the company has a responsibility to train all of its end-users to identify links or texts that could be dangerous. INSI has testing, training sessions, and documentation on phishing, smishing, and spear-fishing.
- If You Don’t Follow Advice– You are responsible for breaches and accountable for the outcome if you ignore your Managed Service Provider’s advice on hardware, software, or monitoring tools designed to protect you. Examples include firewalls, antivirus, spam filtering, desktop monitoring, remote monitoring, and management, to name a few.
- If Your Provider Does Not Do Regular “Onsite” Preventive Maintenance (PM) – Onsite PMs allow your provider to catch issues early, like unlocked server room doors, posted passwords, unused equipment lying around, unsecured backups, and more. All of which cannot be detected with remote preventive maintenance.
- New & Unknown Viruses – New viruses are discovered every day. Unfortunately, antivirus companies detect known viruses that have already been discovered, not new ones.
- Access or Data You Share with Others – Many industries rely on others to perform work, so they give them access to data or their network. When your partner gets hacked, it can result in a compromise of information or network. This type of hacking is called supply-chain hacking, and it entirely relies on the permissions or data you share with someone else.
It’s true that IT support companies should look after the health and security of the network and data. However, many Managed Service Providers skip the necessary steps. At INSI, our onsite preventive maintenance provides a comprehensive approach to IT support and cybersecurity.
About INSI: The Best MSP in Atlanta!
Innovative Network Systems, Inc. has a unique approach to integrating IT support and cybersecurity. Our month-to-month programs range from basic support to proactive support, managed support, and customized support. Each program is tailored to the client’s needs and internal IT strengths.
For more information about cybersecurity dangers and the preventative measures for your company, connect with the top MSP in Atlanta; Contact INSI: 770-387-2424, option 2 or click the link below. In addition, we offer 16 different cybersecurity programs to protect you and your data.
About the Author
Deborah Frazier is the author of IT Outsourcing Secrets – A Small Business Guide to Compare IT Support Companies. With nearly 20 years of experience consulting small and medium-sized businesses on their IT support needs, she brings a wealth of knowledge to INSI as Head of Marketing and Sales. If you like this article and want to be notified when a new article is posted, click here.
