As a business owner, you know technology is critical to your success and here are questions you must ask your managed IT services provider.
This will ensure you have a clear understanding of your organization’s IT network, computers, and security.
Below are seven questions that are essential to ensure everything is updated and running smoothly.
1: How Are My Network Passwords Stored?
Your managed IT services provider has the keys to your network. Managed IT providers have become prime targets for hackers and cybercriminals. What secure systems do they use to secure and control access to your critical passwords and network information? What safeguards prevent former employee or cybercriminals from stealing your passwords and data?
2: Who Validates Your managed IT services provider security?
Successful managed IT services providers work hard to stay on top of rapidly evolving cybersecurity measures. Your IT provider likely has many suggestions to improve your security but how is their security? Who is validating their cyber security measures? Is your managed IT services provider externally audited (SOC2), satisfy Canada’s minimum standards (Cybersecure Certification), and whether they employ third-party security services, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning.
3: Where does your cloud Infrastructure exist?
You should know if your managed IT services provider partner uses their own cloud or where it is located. This is a vital piece of information, so you are aware of their security standards. If they do host on their own cloud, you can ask what control over security they have as well as what standards they follow.
4: What kind of Remote Monitoring and Management do they use?
Not having Remote Monitoring and Management software has pitfalls such as disastrous security threats. Even thou your managed IT services provider has a Remote Monitoring and Management software, you need to ensure it is not freeware or use consumer grade software. This will give your organization a layer of protection with network proactive monitoring services. These services must be secure and managed also to avoid something like the SolarWinds Monitoring and Management software hack.
5: What is Your Business Disaster Protection Plan?
A managed IT services provider should have confidence that they will have your organization protected from cybersecurity threats. They will have a policy and procedure. This well-developed plan should be available and able to break down for you upon request. It should also be uniquely tailored to your organizations needs and specific industry cyber threats.
6: What type of tech support help desk support do they offer?
When your team has tech support issue, how and who will your team have access to? Is it a single tech support person or an entire team based on the level of tech support issue? The managed IT services support team should offer live help desk support for any technical problem. This would lower downtime or lost productivity since they would handle the situation quickly. For example, if you have a cyberattack incident, you should not have to wait on hold while your data is stolen, or your network is compromised.
7: What proactive security measures are they providing you?
The only way to increase your odds for safety from cyber criminals is to ensure your network is being proactively managed. A proactive approach from your managed IT services provider means they will continually be looking for optimized solutions against cyber threats. They will provide you with the best outcome that saves you money in the long run versus waiting for a disaster to happen.
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