19 Ways to Vet Your MSP for Cybersecurity Best Practices
When you choose a managed service provider (MSP), you are putting a lot of trust in their ability to keep your systems up and running and to keep your data safe. That’s why it’s so important to vet your potential managed service provider to make sure they are aware of and adhere to cybersecurity best practices. Here are 19 ways to make sure you are asking the right questions so you can do just that.
Check References
Ask for names and contact information for their current and past clients. Then, ask those contacts about their experience with the company. How well does the MSP respond to issues? Have they had any major security breaches? You can also do a thorough Google search to find out whether they have been implicated or mentioned in any data breaches. MSPs play an important cybersecurity role, and doing a background check should be part of your due diligence.
Look At Their Website
Is it secure? Do they have an SSL certificate? Are they using industry-standard security measures? How they handle their own security is a fairly good indication of how they will approach yours. What does their website look like overall? Is this the website of a company you would trust, or does it seem old, outdated and/or like it was put together quickly and carelessly?
Find Out How They Onboard new Clients
Do they have a thorough onboarding process that includes a security assessment? Do they require their clients to use certain security measures? What kind of guidance and support do they offer their clients when it comes to cybersecurity?
How Current is Their Security Policy?
To ensure that your potential managed service provider is following cybersecurity best practices, you should first check to see if they have an updated security policy in place. This policy should outline the steps the company takes to protect its systems and data from external threats. If the provider does not have a security policy or if the policy is outdated, this could be a sign that the company is not taking cybersecurity seriously.
What’s Their Incident Response Plan?
In the event of a security breach, it is important that your managed service provider has an incident response plan in place. This plan should outline the steps that the company will take to contain the breach, mitigate damages and protect customer data. We live in an era where cybersecurity threats and breaches are increasingly common (bordering on inevitable), which means that all companies, including managed service providers, must be prepared to deal with them.
Investigate Their Employee Training and Awareness Programs
Another important aspect of cybersecurity is employee training and security awareness programs. Your managed service provider should have programs in place to educate employees on cybersecurity risks and best practices. Without this type of education, an employees may be unknowingly putting your company’s systems and data at risk.
It is vitally important to understand what kind of training and awareness MSP employees have because human error and employee negligence one of the biggest threats to cybersecurity—if not the biggest threat.
Is There a Dedicated Security Team?
Ideally, your managed service provider will have a dedicated security team in place to oversee all aspects of cybersecurity. This team should be responsible for developing and implementing security policies, conducting risk assessments, overseeing employee training and more. If the provider does not have a dedicated security team, this could be a sign that cybersecurity is not given the attention it deserves. That said, it isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. Perhaps cybersecurity is handled by every employee instead of a dedicated team.
If they do not have a dedicated team, it is important to ask about how they do integrate cybersecurity throughout the company as a whole. This will give you an idea of just how seriously they take the issue.
Ask About Third-Party Security Audits
In addition to a dedicated security team, your MSP should also undergo regular third-party security audits. These audits help to ensure that the company is complying with security best practices and are in compliance with industry regulations. If the provider does not undergo regular security audits, this could be a sign that they are not as committed to cybersecurity as they should be.
Ask About Their Third-Party Vendor Security Policies
In today’s business world, it is common for companies to outsource certain services to third-party vendors. When doing so, it is important to ensure that these vendors also have adequate security measures in place to protect your company’s data. Your managed service provider should have policies and procedures in place for vetting their own third-party vendors and ensuring that they meet your company’s security standards.
Determine Their Plan for Dealing With Data Breaches
As we mentioned earlier, data breaches are becoming increasingly common. If a breach does occur, it is important that your managed service provider has a plan in place for dealing with it. This plan should include steps for containing the breach, notifying affected customers and taking measures to prevent future breaches.
It is also worthwhile to find out whether or not they are covered by any kind of cyberinsurance policy. You want to be sure that they are financially prepared to deal with a data breach, should one occur.
Ask About Their Security Monitoring and Logging Procedures
Another important aspect of cybersecurity is security monitoring and logging. Your managed service provider should have procedures in place for monitoring their systems for signs of intrusion and they should keep logs of all activity. This information can be invaluable in the event of a security breach, as it can help to identify the source of the breach and prevent future breaches.
Inquire About Their Physical Security Measures
In addition to cybersecurity, it is also important to consider physical security. Your MSP should have measures in place to secure their facilities, such as CCTV cameras, access control systems and more. This is important because if an intruder were to gain physical access to the provider’s premises, they would likely have access to your company’s data, as well.
Find Out How They Deal With DDoS Attacks
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are designed to disable a website or server by flooding it with requests. These attacks can be difficult to defend against, which is why it is important that your managed service provider has a plan in place for dealing with them. The provider should have procedures for identifying and mitigating DDoS attacks, as well as for keeping your company’s systems and data safe.
Ask About Their Encryption Policies
Encryption is a powerful tool for protecting data, and your MSP should have policies in place for encrypting data both at rest and in transit. This is important because it ensures that even if data is intercepted, it will be unreadable to attackers and/or cybercriminals without the proper decryption keys.
What’s the Plan For Dealing With Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands the victim pay a ransom for the decryption key. This type of attack can be devastating, both in terms of data loss and theft and the financial cost of paying the ransom, which is why it is important that your managed service provider has a plan in place for dealing with it. The provider should have procedures for backing up data, as well as for identifying and mitigating ransomware attacks.
Are They Experienced With Compliance Regulations?
Depending on your industry, there may be certain compliance regulations that you are required to adhere to. If this is the case, it is important that your managed service provider has experience with these regulations and can help you to ensure that your company is in compliance.
Do They Offer Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-factor authentication is an important security measure that your managed service provider should offer. This type of authentication requires two forms of identification, such as a password and a fingerprint in order to access data. This added layer of security makes it more difficult for intruders to gain access to your company’s systems and data.
Ask About Their Servers and Networking Infrastructure
Your MSP should have secure and reliable servers and networking infrastructure. This is important because it ensures that your company’s data is stored safely and is not vulnerable to attack.
For instance, your provider should have a firewall in place to protect your company’s network from external threats. They should also have procedures in place for monitoring and managing their servers and network infrastructure.
Determine the MSP’s Business Continuity Plan
A business continuity plan outlines how a company will continue to operate in the event of an outage or disaster. This is important because it ensures that your company will continue to function even if there is a problem with the managed service provider’s systems. The provider should have procedures in place for backing up data and for restoring service in the event of an outage.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of important factors to consider when choosing an MSP to handle your company’s cybersecurity needs. By taking the time to vet your managed service provider for cybersecurity best practices, you can help to ensure that your company’s data is safe and secure.
