The ultimate defense is a myth. However, the growing anxiety about ransomware, phishing, and other cyberattacks is putting a lot of pressure on MSPs. How do you design the best protection packages for a wide array of clients? Given the shifting business and threat environments, that objective is becoming a bigger challenge every day, yet it is a task that every IT services firm must address.
The hard part for MSPs is striking a balance. How can you design, implement, and support a cost-effective portfolio to protect your clients from a rising list of threats? No two businesses, let alone industries, are the same today.
The difficulties of protecting those organizations, as well as your own – especially with the increasing risk of attacks on MSPs and their supply chain partners – seem to be escalating at break-neck speed. With all those increasingly complex challenges, how can an IT service firm ensure its portfolio is up to the task?
The first step is to instill a strong focus on cybersecurity across the spectrum. No system will ever be foolproof, especially when humans are involved. The threats are sure to morph into different and more powerful attacks, and no matter how great the protection, some are likely to break through one or more of the defenses. That’s the reality of the situation that MSPs are dealing with today.
Your efforts may not always be rewarded. However, developing an effective set of tools and practices is the only way to keep pace with cybercriminals and minimize the potential damage to the IT systems entrusted to your firm. Cybersecurity bundles are becoming an increasingly common solution.
If You Build it, Will They Come?
There is no surefire way to stop every attack, but that should still be the top goal for every MSP. Your clients want, need, and have the right to receive the best possible protection, though the latter point may be debatable if the businesses withhold payments or nickel and dime you to death. The challenge is to develop cybersecurity packages containing the applications and services that address the key requirements of all the businesses in your target audience (including prospects).
MSPs aiming to construct foolproof systems for each client will ultimately fail. Determined cybercriminals will find a way in and eventually breach even the most complex defense. The targets are shifting quickly as the dark side implements AI and other innovative methods to trick people or conquer the latest protection measures.
End-users are also increasingly susceptible to the deceptive methods being deployed by cybercriminals, forcing businesses and their IT services support teams to constantly develop more capable cyber defenses. While a “one size fits all” approach is not advisable for MSPs, building variable packages with a core cybersecurity offering helps to address different organizational needs and regulatory compliance requirements.
Bundling can enhance specific discipline areas or verticals or provide enhanced protection to clients with higher-value data or security needs (i.e., banks, financial institutions, or medical practices). The package approach simplifies sales and marketing activities and streamlines the discussions with less tech-savvy decision-makers.
Clients appreciate the benefits of bundling. Between all the moving pieces with technologies and support programs, and all the protection options, IT services and cybersecurity conversations can be quite taxing. Focusing on one or two potential bundles can improve the engagement and allow your team members to spend more time talking about upgrades in other areas of the client’s business.
The advantage of simplicity continues on the support side. Bundling reduces the available technology combinations, streamlining the troubleshooting and management processes for MSPs while reducing resolution times for your clients. Yes, easy is a mutual value proposition.
Cybersecurity Bundles for the Sales Win
A base and optional advanced protection package can simplify and speed your operations. The sales team can emphasize the benefits of each plan without droning on about the “speeds and feeds” of each specific piece of the technology. Bundling lets MSPs be creative, building a highly scalable offering or developing vertical or specialized packages that address each clients’ particular risks and budget situation.
For example, a basic offering may include a network security and vulnerability assessment, email security and encryption, anti-virus and malware applications, patch management, backup and data recovery, and an anti-ransomware solution like CryptoStopper. MSPs may add more extensive encryption measures, monitoring and device management and remote assistance to the core package or include it in their next level bundles.
Advanced packages might contain valuable measures like URL filtering, cybersecurity audits and forensics, continuous data protection solutions, and AI-based monitoring. The range of offerings can get quite sophisticated depending on the specific needs of the MSP’s clients.
No matter which packages you offer, your cybersecurity standards should never be compromised. Each bundle must include the bare minimum solutions required to effectively protect that particular client. For instance, an MSP may only offer the top-tier plan for businesses that allow remote work or operate in heavily regulated industries. Non-profits or companies with lesser cyber risks can start with a robust but cost-effective base package.
Bundling should never be complicated. When properly designed and managed, these comprehensive yet streamlined cybersecurity packages can make life simpler for everyone and provide your clients with an effective and affordable way to protect their businesses.
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