Continuously managing, upgrading, and protecting your organization’s network can be a cumbersome—and increasingly more costly—endeavor. With IT networks and infrastructures becoming ever more complex, a managed service provider (MSP) can be your greatest ally in keeping them secure and operating at peak performance.

Lighten the Workload with an MSP

Today many SMBs aren’t adequately staffed to perform the 24-hour monitoring of network, systems infrastructure, and security activities like penetration testing and vulnerability scanning. A third-party MSP fills this gap, protecting your business’s network and infrastructure against cyberattacks or other compromises.

For a typical SMB, managed services can take the place of a permanent in-house IT department that can be expensive and eat up too many valuable resources. Instead of draining your company’s essential resources, managed service experts can save you time and money by assessing your system’s strengths and enhancing them by implementing up-to-date products and services.

How an MSP Is Your Ticket to Network Security

A secure IT network gives your organization what it needs for strategic planning, critical software upgrades, and other IT solution needs. Personalized IT managed services help SMBs leverage today’s technology to remain competitive. They also keep you from being overwhelmed as a result of limited IT resources by helping to identify threats and fix potential problems as warning signs appear. Here’s how.

Disaster Coverage

When it comes to systems going down, it’s more a matter of when than if. And when it goes down, you need to know critical data is securely backed up and a disaster recovery plan in place to get and keep your business running. An MSP ensures both are in place.

Proactive Not Reactive Care

For SMBs, IT networks are often out of sight, out of mind. As long as computers are up and running, all is good, right? Unfortunately, any number of potential disasters could be waiting to strike your software or hardware. The 24/7 proactive monitoring an MSP provides predicts and prevents minor issues from turning into major problems. You know the exact moment a breach occurs, and security measures are implemented quickly to avoid additional damage.

The Right Tools to Battle Cybercrime

MSPs know network security inside and out. And they know hackers target all types and sizes of businesses. Customer data like credit card numbers, Social Security information, and passwords are all up for grabs. A single unprotected computer can put your organization’s entire network at risk. MSPs have the latest tools and technologies to ensure your network is safe, from logins to laptops and more.

Industry Best Practices and Standards

Along with tools and technologies, MSPs stay current on security trends and follow industry leaders to ensure they’re continually at the forefront of the industry’s best practices and standards. As an SMB, you may be accustomed to doing it all yourself, but sometimes the best move you can make is calling in the experts to make sure your network is up to speed and securely locked down.

Communications Management

Your business uses email, phone systems, and live chat to deliver exceptional customer service. You need a secure system that allows employees to interact with customers without the fear of network breakdowns. Communications systems are often the most vulnerable part of a network, acting as the windows and doors into your entire IT network. An MSP puts digital barriers on those doors and windows so your communications remain secure.

MSPs eliminate the headaches that often accompany digital readiness. They:

• Keep important data backed up.
• Are there for you when data recovery is needed.
• Protect your network from external security threats.

They also ensure secure communications, help manage and plan for your organization’s future, and make sure your technology works for and provides you with the best possible return.