A truly secure network design is the goal of every MSP. Learn how to effectively manage your client networks with a layered security approach.
Companies that face concerns about the electronic information they compile, analyze,and share to drive their business need comprehensive solutions for improving network security. With concerns about network security running at an all-time high, along with the limited number of IT personnel capable of addressing them, an increasing number of companies are realizing how outsourcing to managed service providers (MSPs) can strengthen their security posture, reduce hassles and save money.
MSPs looking to cash in on these opportunities face their own challenges of how to provide premium offerings to the broadest markets and verticals without having to balance or customize offerings for each client’s unique service and compliance requirements. They also need a way to differentiate themselves from peers and competitors who are also trying to get a piece of this crowded and lucrative pie.
Outsourcing Network Management
The rise of new and more virulent cyber threats continues to raise concerns for companies — even those that already have varying levels of security controls already in place. In a recent survey of 300 IT decision makers, 81% were planning to increase their annual IT security budget in 2016, with 81% reporting that they believed outsourcing IT solutions would improve their network security and benefit their business.
In the same survey, 60% of IT decision makers said their businesses were more vulnerable to a cyberattack due to a lack of resources and security management abilities in the face of new complex threats emerging on a daily basis.
The key to improving network security is being prepared. However, many companies lack the financial resources and in-house expertise necessary to purchase, install and run all of the hardware and software required to achieve the desired level of network security. Joining forces with an MSP provides an affordable way for companies of all sizes and budgets to obtain cost-effective enterprise-grade security, along with the expertise to manage it all.
The Ideal Network Performance Management
Successful MSPs operate as an extension of their clients’ organization. To make this happen and become recognized as credible collaborators in their clients’ business operations, MSPs require the right tools for improving their clients’ network security.
The following checklist summarizes several key considerations that clients require from MSPs to raise their company’s network security posture.
- 24/7/365 network monitoring
- Up-to-date virus protection
- Regular patching of operating systems and applications
- Application monitoring and compliance
- Securing wired and wireless networks
- Scanning for vulnerabilities
- Monitoring and controlling web activity
- Securing downloads and web browsing
- Managing bandwidth usage
- Auditing networks, hardware and software
- Automated problem notifications
- Compliance reports
- Working with auditors and certified third parties to ensure client compliance with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)
- Certified network staff
On top of these requirements, clients want an MSP point of contact with whom they can coordinate security efforts, correct any issues and plan for future growth. Successful MSPs engage with clients to keep their network secure, streamlined and optimized every minute of every day.
Improving Network Security for Clients
The only certainty about IT management is that it is in a constant state of flux. This can make it hard for businesses to keep up with emerging threats, trends, and technologies. As your clients’ trusted advisor, they depend on you to ensure that their networks remain secure and available.
SolarWinds MSP (formerly LOGICnow) has an IT services pedigree, with a proven track record of delivering solid solutions for strengthening and improving network security for hundreds of thousands of MSPs and their clients worldwide. As experts in the field of security and compliance solutions, our collection of industry-leading cloud-based network security tools are designed to offer unprecedented business value to support and protect client networks, while offering you opportunities to accelerate your own business.
The following solutions from SolarWinds MSP put IT research into practice with state-of-the-art tools specifically suited for today’s network security challenges:
- MSP Remote Management
This platform consolidates every IT tool MSPs need into a multi-layered solution complete with the first-of-its-kind notification system using collective intelligence.
 - MSP Backup & Recovery
Features like continuous and bare metal recovery, virtual and physical server restores, VMware and Hyper-V backups and more provide valuable insurance against hardware failures, acts of nature and newly emerging malware. Features like file retention and data archiving allow you to retain and record files for long-term storage.
 - MSP Mail Protection
MSP Mail Protection protects companies against email-borne malware and other threats to ensure that clients retain the ability to send and receive emails at any time, even when the email server or service is offline.
- MSP Risk Intelligence
This big-data-centric tool combines patented scanning technology with advanced analytics to predict and avert data breaches.
Each of these SolarWinds MSP network management solutions provide unparalleled visibility and control of client infrastructures — from physical and virtual servers, computers, workstations, storage appliances, applications, mobile devices and more — all from a single, web-based dashboard that makes it easy for MSPs to deploy and manage network and data security.
5 Ways That SolarWinds MSP Solutions Enhance Network Security
- Complement current security policies
SolarWinds MSP solutions empower MSPs to offer high-value services that demonstrate to your clients that you know something about them and their situation, and that you can deliver the right level of support before, during and after the potential occurrence of a security incident.
 - Maintain client satisfaction and loyalty
One way to grow client relationships is by offering solutions that are proactive rather than reactive. Tools that operate in a reactive mode notify a client when a security incident occurs.
 - Help clients maintain compliance
Depending on their business, different companies face varying compliance mandates, with many required to align with multiple mandates at the same. For example, banks are mandated by GLBA to protect financial data, healthcare agencies are required by HIPAA to protect patient information, and retailers are obligated by PPCI to protect the personal information of their customers.
In addition, each regulation has varying requirements for threat monitoring, vulnerability remediation, data retention timelines and continuous reporting and documentation. Clients who are unsure about their compliance responsibilities often do not know what data to archive, the required time period to keep data active or in archives and the types of reports required to generate for inquiries by auditors and other third parties.
LOGICnow solutions enable MSPs to collect and archive data from client devices, locate records within archives quickly and easily and present the information in a suitable format for auditors. Reports are also available for measuring client compliance-related activities, enabling MSPs to offer guidance about which devices and data should be monitored based on a client’s specific regulatory requirements.
 - Deliver highly differentiated services
LOGICnow’s threat-management solutions are automated and work in concert to predict what threats will be an issue on client networks. Layered security allows threats that would otherwise go unnoticed to be identified and repelled in real time. Automating threat management solutions lowers MSP costs by reducing the human intervention typically needed to handle these threats. Automation also allows MSPs to focus on their core business and high-priority issues.
 - Support scalability and MSP growth
Successful MSPs look beyond their current portfolios and consider the need for future opportunities and growth. LOGICnow allows MSPs to add security management technologies into their current environment to create a seamless, well-integrated collection of services, without negatively impacting current product offerings.
Find out for yourself how SolarWinds MSP's suite of products help in improving network security and data management. Start a free trial of MSP Remote Management today and experience a comprehensive network management solution you can depend on.
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Source:
MSP Mentor: http://mspmentor.net/managed-security-services/3-reasons-outsource-it-security-msp
