19 Ways to Vet Your MSP for Cybersecurity Best Practices‍

When you choose a managed service provider, you are putting a lot of trust in that company. You are trusting them to keep your systems up and running, and you are trusting them to keep your data safe. That's why it's so important to vet your potential managed service provider for their cybersecurity best practices. Here are 19 ways you can do just that.

Check their references

Ask their current and past clients about their experience with the company. How well do they 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 do their own security is a fairly good indication of how they will approach your security. What does their website look like overall? Is this the website of a company you would trust, or does it seem like it was put together quickly and carelessly?

Find out how they onboard new clients

Do they have a thorough on-boarding 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?

Check if they have an up-to-date security policy

In order to ensure that your managed service provider is following best practices for cybersecurity, you should first check to see if they have an updated security policy in place. This policy should outline the steps that 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 If the provider does not have a security policy, or if the policy is outdated, this could be a sign that the company is not taking cybersecurity seriously.

Ask about 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 an inevitability), which means that all companies, including managed service providers, must be prepared to deal with them.

Inquire about their employee training and awareness programs

Another important aspect of cybersecurity is employee training and awareness. Your managed service provider should have programs in place to educate employees on cybersecurity risks and best practices. Without this type of education, 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 an MSPs employees have because employee ignorance continues to constitute one of, if not the most pressing threats to cybersecurity.

Find out if they have 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.

If they do not, 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 their third-party security audits

In addition to having a dedicated security team, your managed service provider should also undergo regular third-party security audits. These audits help to ensure that the company is complying with security best practices and 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 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 third-party vendors and ensuring that they meet your company's security standards.

Determine if they have a 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 cyber insurance 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 for keeping 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 cyber security, it is also important to consider physical security. Your managed service provider 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 if they have a plan for dealing with DDoS attacks

DDoS attacks are a type of cyber attack that is 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 managed service provider 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 without the proper keys.

Determine if they have a plan for dealing with ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim's files and demands a ransom for the decryption key. This type of attack can be devastating, 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.

Ask if they have experience 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.

Find out if 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 managed service provider 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 if they have a business continuity plan

A business continuity plan is a plan for 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 be able to 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 a managed service provider for your company. By taking the time to vet your provider for cybersecurity best practices, you can help to ensure that your company's data is safe and secure.