Most businesses, especially Small-Mid-size Businesses (SMB) outsource their IT to Managed Service Providers (MSP) to manage their network, servers, desktops, peripherals and A/V needs. Most SMBs expect the MSPs to provide security coverage along with IT Support.
Typically, MSPs manage hundreds of networks and provide two shifts of services and maintenance activities. IT Service providers have a trusted relationship with their customer and have access to administrative privileges to multiple customers’ network and servers. MSPs simplify the process and use standardized procedures for their customers, which becomes even more important with a higher employee turnover than average.
The cybercriminals see this trusted relationship as a good opportunity to navigate the MSPs standards and gain access to multiple customers’ network and servers. The cybercriminals exploit this relationship and are more successfulas opposed to attacking each SMB.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had recognized this global issue and has recommended MSPs and their customers to implement better defense strategies to protect their infrastructure assets and disrupt any threat activities.
APTs Targeting IT Service Provider Customers
How do MSPs differ from MSSPs?
The role of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) is somewhat new to many SMBs. As cyber-threats have become commonplace and affecting every size of business, it is important to recognize the role of MSSP in implementing, enhancing and supplementing your cybersecurity needs.
Comparing MSP to MSSP is analogous to comparing a city’s mayor to the chief of police. The former is an administrator while the latter focuses on the necessary comprehensive security measures and allow the administrator to safely accomplish his tasks.
MSPs make the information usable to the company, while the MSSPs make the information secured from abuses and unauthorized access.
MSPs have an operational focus – keeping the company data available and enable employees to operate. The day-to-day operations are managed through Network Operations Center (NOC) and provide basic security.
MSSPs are proactive-security focused – implementing advanced techniques in Threat detection, prevention and response techniques, and are coordinated via the Security Operations Center (SOC).
What should SMBs look for?
The customers should recognize the differences in roles of MSPs and MSSPs, recognize that both the roles are required for the business operations.
If security is a priority for a company, the executives must take a proactive approach towards addressing those concerns. The businesses should not expect their IT Service Provider to provide the in-depth security that theyneed; and instead engage the right skills, to keep the business operational and to keep the digital assets secured.
The IT Service Providers or MSPs should engage a Managed Security Service Provider to complement their services and provide an enhanced trust relationshipto their customers.
The second wave of coronavirus has crippled our lives as we strive to create a vaccine against this deadly pandemic.
In such a troubled time, bad actors remain busy in targeting the healthcare sector, which is already struggling with multiple challenges and issues.
On the one hand, hospitals have been inundated with an unprecedented spike of people being admitted en masse.
On the other hand, their systems have now become the latest preying ground for cybercriminals across the globe who want to capitalize on this precarious situation.In recent years, the number and severity of cyber-attacks against health and social care systems and hospitals have significantly gone up, compromising the health information of millions of people not just in the UK but worldwide.Read More : Heightened Cyber Threat to the UK Healthcare Sector
A major ransomware cyberattack that has taken down the Norsk Hydro’s entire worldwide network, affecting operations, worldwide production and their 35,000 employees.
Our entire worldwide network is down.
IT-systems in most business areas are impacted and the company has switched to manual operations where possible.
There have been no personnel safety-related issues.
The company will reinstall from their backup data and will not pay the ransom.
Hydro is working to contain and neutralize the attack, and is yet to know the full extent of the impact.
Read More: Ascent Infosec
A network security audit is the process that many managed security providers (MSSPs) offer to their customers.
In this process, in this procedure, the MSSP researches the client’s cybersecurity strategies and the advantages of the system to recognize any inadequacies that put the client in danger of a security break.
Although the specific network security audit method may change from one MSSP to the next, a few basic steps include: Visit: https://activict.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/network-security-audit-and-its-importance-in-organizations/
