FINAL WORD
Critical support partner
Whether a business is big or small , investing in its cybersecurity foundations is not optional – it ’ s business-critical , especially in today ’ s threat landscape . By identifying the gaps in their cyber needs or allowing an MSP to make these judgments , a strong infrastructure can be built upon the businesses existing setup . These solutions can be custom-built and tailored to each individual organisation , including email and endpoint protection , ongoing end-user training , as well as access services , such as ZTNA solutions .
With security breaches showing no signs of slowing down , MSPs must be constantly vigilant and develop cyber resilience approaches that go beyond deploying security solutions . This means having not only the market-leading technology available , but also the technical expertise to support business security plans and growth . MSPs must take a proactive role in understanding the current state of a customer ’ s ability to protect against , prevent and respond to modern cyberthreats when recommending the best approaches to true cyber resilience .
For example , MSPs who roll out Office365 to their client base are not tapping into their customers ’ needs for peace of mind when it comes to cybersecurity . Instead , they should add value to the partnership by emphasising good cybersecurity practices , providing the right tools and technologies , and looking at specialist vendors – rather than providing a one-size-fits-all solution . Channel partners can both capitalise and draw on the importance of demonstrating to customers the benefits they bring by continuing their role as trusted advisors – resulting in growing their revenue while ensuring their key partner status .
Investing in technology
An MSP ’ s portfolio should provide the correct tools and solutions businesses need to survive and thrive in the new normal . Businesses of all sizes prioritised their move to digital workspaces during COVID-19 , including remote teamwork , learning and critical cloud infrastructure , with Microsoft ’ s Chief Executive saying that they ’ ve seen two years ’ worth of Digital Transformation in two months . Innovative technologies can form the backbone of a workforce ’ s security foundations by adding layers of technology protection alongside employee tools and security awareness . Solutions can be embedded to prompt users to double-check their emails before a mistake is about to be made , for example , mitigating the risk of accidental data loss .
Additionally , security awareness training within businesses has become a security necessity . Without peer review or IT supervision , organisations need their users to be empowered to make good security decisions . Rather than a oncea-year cyber awareness course – often used to tick a compliance box – today ’ s businesses must invest in ongoing training , phishing simulations and solutions to help their employees make the right decisions – wherever they are working .
This is an important point for channel partners to take on board , as they have the power to ensure their customers ’ end users are sufficiently trained in the threat landscape . Have they engaged in phishing penetration testing ? Is sending an email to the wrong person an embarrassing mistake or a data breach ? These are just some of the key questions MSPs should be asking when they look to fulfil their trusted advisor role . This is an area where partners will see real growth as businesses have woken up to the idea that with the right solutions , they can switch their employees from IT risks to IT assets , and the channel needs to ensure they have the necessary training and tools in place to help their clients make these decisions .
Expanding threat vectors
Organisations cannot be expected to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and adapt to new threats on their own . Within the evolving cybersecurity landscape , it ’ s essential for businesses , especially SMBs , to find a partner that offers a varied portfolio of security offerings , as well as the knowledge and support , to keep their business data , workforces and networks secure .
By addressing pain points and providing assurance around the security of their working environments , channel partners can build and strengthen their existing relationship with their customers , while recognising the opportunity of additional revenue streams for their businesses . In turn , businesses can feel confident that they have the right technology , education and tools in place to combat the risk of cyberattacks and a trusted partnership they can rely on to keep them secure and agile . •
68