The current pandemic is affecting businesses on a global level. In this time of uncertainty, however, there’s still a lot your company can do to weather this storm and come out the other side.
Among downtime and lacking business continuity plans, one of the biggest threats facing businesses right now is cyber attacks. Data breaches cost an average of $8.19 million, so suffering from a cyber attack right now could put a company out of business given the fragile state of the economy. For many businesses, managed services are a great resource to help them protect against these threats.
Here’s how a Managed Service Provider can help your company survive the coronavirus outbreak:
MSPs Can Develop Comprehensive Cybersecurity for Remote Networks
A Clark School study at the University of Maryland has quantified that “a hacker attack is occurring every 39 seconds, affecting one in three Americans.” That statistic is certainly alarming, and one not to take likely when it comes to protecting a business.
Cyberattacks are becoming even more frequent right now, as threat actors are taking advantage of the fact that many companies are being forced to switch to remote networks that may expose new vulnerabilities in their systems.
A Managed Service Provider can be an invaluable partner in helping ensure your business’s remote network is set up properly and that weaknesses exposed in the transition to remote working are patched. As far as technology investments go, investing in secure remote network services should be at the top of the list. Keeping your data safe is crucial, and you could be at serious risk by not having the right support in place.
MSPs Can Set Up Secure VPNs to Access Workplace Servers from Home
Even though some businesses have gone remote, others may have had to put several operations on hold because they rely on in-house servers to access data. In fact, the inability to continue working has led to unemployment claims to surpass the sixteen million mark.
However, there are solutions for businesses who may think they cannot work offsite. A Managed Service Provider can set up a VPN, or virtual private network, which allows your staff to remotely access data from in-house servers without compromising security. Rather than shut down operations, lay off workers, and potentially go under, a VPN can allow your company to continue work almost like normal.
MSPs Can Offer Continual Remote IT Support
Many Managed Service Providers also offer round-the-clock IT support to clients through their online ticketing systems and on-site emergency support when it’s needed. This can be effective when your workforce are in different locations and IT problems can’t be as easily resolved.
Many MSPs even offer 24/7 remote system monitoring to protect your systems at all times from new threats or weakness that may appear in your systems. This helps make sure that your business is secure from cyber attacks and that any downtime in monitoring such a fragile time is kept to a minimum.
MSPs Can Perform Regular Data Backups and File Encryption
Data shows that 6% of all PCs will suffer an episode of data loss in any given year. While many may feel that data backups and file encryptions are not a high priority item at the moment, data loss can be highly expensive, and in a time when the economy is fragile, most businesses can’t afford to lose data.
Managed Service Providers protect you against data loss by performing regular data backups, file encryption, and more to limit access to certain files and protect sensitive information. Data backups also allow you to continue to access files even if network connections go down or a crisis occurs, ensuring you always have secure copies of your files.
MSPs Can Be Highly Cost-Effective
With Managed Service Providers, you get a team of experts that are dedicated to providing your company with the support and security that your infrastructure needs at the cost of just one salaried employee. This can end up saving you thousands of dollars at a time when you need it the most.
Further, Managed Service Providers are dedicated to understanding your unique technology needs, meaning they won’t suggest hardware or software that will only cost you money instead of truly benefitting your business. Instead, they’ll look for ways to improve your bottom line by seeking out cost-effective software and equipment and increasing uptime levels. By paying a monthly fee for these services instead of being billed each time as with a break/fix provider, you end up saving thousands in the long run.
As you assess the current needs of your company, it can be wise to turn to managed IT services to protect your business against growing cyber threats and save you money. If you’re struggling in today’s current pandemic crisis or need greater business continuity services, an MSP may be the solution for your business to see this thing through to the very end.
