Cybersecurity Awareness Month: 5 Key Considerations for Organizations with Co-Managed IT

If you haven’t evaluated your organization’s cybersecurity infrastructure in a while, now might be the time to do so because October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect time to review the security practices you currently have in place to identify strengths, as well as where there may be room for improvement. However, this process can seem daunting, especially if you’re not sure where to start or aren’t sure what changes you need to make to align with the current standards for good security.  

Luckily, partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) can alleviate some of that uncertainty, even if you already have an internal IT team that is capable of handling a majority of your IT and cybersecurity needs.  A partnership with an MSP unlocks the potential to take your cybersecurity and IT infrastructure to the next level, so if you’re thinking about a co-managed IT relationship as an option for your organization, here are five key security considerations that will ensure you and your IT partner are on the same page and working toward the same goal.  

1. Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities 

In any co-managed IT relationship, it’s important for everyone, both the people at your organization and at the MSP with which you partner, to have defined roles to avoid creating significant security gaps. Clearly outlining who is responsible for monitoring your network, threat detection, patch management, and response efforts ensures that there are no overlaps in coverage or missed tasks in the security lifecycle. This reduces the risk of unpatched vulnerabilities or missed security alerts, and ultimately strengthens your partnership with your MSP by guaranteeing you’re both working towards the common goal of ensuring your organization continues to run efficiently while remaining secure. 

2. Embrace a Zero Trust Security Framework 

When it comes to the threats of today, taking a “trust but verify” approach to your organization’s security doesn’t really apply anymore, especially when you’re attempting to manage security across multiple teams. In that case, it’s essential to adopt a Zero Trust model, which basically means that no one — not your internal staff, not your IT partner, no one — should be given access to any sensitive data, applications, or accounts by default. To do this, you and your partner MSP should take steps to implement strict identity and access management (IAM) protocols, requiring multi-factor authentication and least-privilege access policies across all business applications and accounts. This ensures that only authorized individuals have access to critical systems, reducing the risk of threats from malicious actors. 

3. Perform Routine Security Audits and Compliance Checks 

Regularly assessing your security practices and procedures to help identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with your industry’s regulations is another key consideration for organizations looking to strengthen their IT and cybersecurity infrastructure. And, if you’re partnered with an MSP, they can help you with that. Work with them to establish a regular schedule for security audits that evaluate your firewall settings, endpoint protection, and adherence to frameworks such as CIS Controls, NIST, or any other relevant industry standards. If your assessment reveals anything of concern, it’s essential to address those issues proactively, as this will ultimately strengthen your defenses and make sure you remain compliant, which is now often a requirement for organizations wanting to obtain an affordable but comprehensive cyber insurance plan.  

4. Implement Incident Response and Backup Disaster and Recovery Plans 

In the event of a cybersecurity incident, it is critical for your organization to have both a comprehensive incident response (IR) plan and backup disaster and recovery (BDR) plan in place. And, if you’re partnered with an MSP, both you and your IT partner need to understand what role to fill in in the event of a breach or other security disaster. As you develop an incident response plan, consider that a comprehensive one will ultimately include these steps:  

1. Identify critical assets 

2. Establish roles and responsibilities

NOTE: This step is especially important when your incident response team consists of staff from your organization, as well as from the MSP with which you partner. Make sure everyone is crystal clear on the aspect of the plan they are responsible for in the event of a breach to ensure the incident is handled accordingly.   

3. Create a communication plan 

However, once you’ve developed an incident response plan, the work doesn’t stop there; you’ll also need to make sure it’s regularly reviewed and updated, that it lists specific responsibilities for both your team members and your IT partner’s, and that it’s regularly tested with tabletop exercises and simulated incidents. If an incident or other security event were to occur, ensuring that both you and your IT partner can take immediate action and have a detailed plan to follow is essential for minimizing downtime and protecting your sensitive data.  

Read also: Ransomware Strikes: Protecting Your Organization from Cyber Extortion – SUCCESS Computer Consulting 

5. Provide Regular Security Awareness Trainings 

Emphasizing to the rest of your team that practicing good cybersecurity should always be top of mind is something a majority of organizations fail to consider, but it is another component that improves your overall security. After all, a strong security culture begins with awareness. While most organizations often focus on technical security measures, they don’t necessarily consider the element of human error, which is unfortunately one of the leading causes of data breaches. At SUCCESS, our experts offer in-depth, regular security awareness trainings that reinforce the dangers of common threats such as phishing, smishing, and vishing and emphasize to your team the key role they play in maintaining the ongoing protection of your organization’s sensitive data. Additionally, take measures to ensure that your team understands how to properly and securely engage with your IT partner to reduce the risk of compromise.  

Recognize Cybersecurity Awareness Month with Enhanced Security 

Implementing and enforcing good security practices should be one of your organization’s top priorities, especially during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but as we always say, you don’t have to do it alone. By partnering with an MSP like SUCCESS, you’re guaranteeing that your organization has the assistance and support needed to keep your data protected, your network secure, and your systems compliant. If you’re ready to take your cybersecurity measures to the next level, contact us today, we’ll work with you to determine how our team can best complement your staff of IT professionals.