Technology streamlines business operations and makes your life easier, but managing it is anything but easy. Servers should adhere to your company’s requirements and backed up regularly. Computers and enterprise software should be proactively updated. Networks must be optimised for speed, and the entire IT infrastructure must have protection against the latest Cyber Threats. All this can be a stressful ordeal that takes time away from running your business, so what do you do?
Australian organisations outsource to Managed IT Services Providers (MSPs) because it’s more economical than in-house IT departments. However, not all MSPs are created equal. Most focus on Managed IT Services, while some have become industry leaders by adding Managed Cyber Security services. Here’s an explanation of what both services entail.
Managed IT Services: Support to maximise systems uptime
Managed IT Services Providers ensure systems are running optimally at all times for a fixed monthly subscription fee. They do this by monitoring your networks, servers, and devices, making sure everything is patched and configured properly. If any performance issues occur, support engineers promptly address them to prevent major problems down the line. They’ll maintain backups, so your critical assets remain intact in case of human error, natural disasters, and cyberattacks.
There’s a lot that goes into a managed IT contract, but there are usually six core features:
- Remote management and monitoring (RMM) – MSPs install RMM software on devices, networks, and servers, allowing them to oversee IT systems remotely. The software provides support engineers to track system health in real-time and remotely control endpoints to troubleshoot any issues.
- On-site assistance – This is a service whereby support engineers visit your business to troubleshoot specific issues or facilitate complicated projects like cloud migration.
- Help desk support – MSPs provide information and assistance relating to technical issues and IT solutions. Help desk queries can be via email, phone call, or the MSP’s website.
- Hardware procurement – MSPs help you find the best deals on computer hardware and licenses while accounting for your requirements and budgetary constraints.
- Access management – This refers to the administration of user accounts so that only authorised users have access to the tools they need to do their jobs. This covers password resets, access restrictions, and multifactor authentication (MFA).
- IT security – This service protects IT systems with automated patch management, firewalls, anti-malware software, and 24/7 network monitoring.
Managed Cyber Security: Services to mitigate data threats
While Managed IT Services focus on the operability of IT systems, Managed Cyber Security is about preventing unauthorised access to those systems. Managed Cyber Security services use a multilayered defence strategy to protect your business from every angle. This means they not only save you from external threats like malware and network intrusions but also security breaches caused accidentally or deliberately by employees.
Opting for Managed Cyber Security gives you access to:
- Advanced security solutions – include managed firewalls, anti-malware software, intrusion detection systems, web filtering, access management, MFA, and patch management.
- Security information and event management (SIEM) – SIEM tracks security-related incidents within your IT environment, such as failed logins or suspicious downloads. It then analyses the incident and generates comprehensive security reports.
- Dedicated security analysts – These professionals identify critical flaws in your infrastructure and recommend measures to reduce the likelihood of a security breach.
- Threat hunting – Security analysts proactively seek out and isolate threats that evade existing security solutions.
- Incident response and investigation – If a breach occurs, security professionals immediately remediate the threat, assess the damage, and trace the attack’s origins.
- Security training – This teaches your staff about online scams, password best practices, and good security hygiene with practical exercises and simulations.
- Compliance support – This aligns your business processes and security practices with compliance frameworks like the Privacy Act of 1988 and the Notifiable Data Breach scheme.
Getting the best service for your business
There are pros and cons to both IT service models. Managed IT alleviates the burden of dealing with technology alone. The level of protection you get from managed IT services may not be enough to counter modern cyberattacks. It would help if you had something more comprehensive than patch management and network monitoring.
Meanwhile, managed cyber security provides holistic protection and risk management tools to keep your business safe. A sharp focus on cyber security, however, can be expensive and may offer inadequate support for other technical issues.
At the end of the day, Managed IT Services and Managed Cyber Security doesn’t have to be an either-or decision. You should augment your infrastructure with managed IT Services and further safeguard it with a reliable Managed Cyber Security Service. Call us today to learn more.
