Cybersecurity personnel are expensive to hire and difficult to find currently with one position in three going unfilled, according to Cyberseek.org. This means many businesses are turning to managed services providers (MSPs) and IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS) solutions. MSPs and ITaaS need to have best-of-breed security solutions in order to provide the best service to their clients. Here’s a list of some of the best cybersecurity tools for MSPs and ITaaS.
Benefits of Security Tools for MSPs
Security tools that are marketed toward MSPs typically offer remote management features, allowing security experts to monitor their clients’ systems without being in the clients’ offices. Remote management improves the productivity of an MSP because security personnel don’t spend as much time traveling to clients’ locations. At the same time, MSPs make their service offerings more scalable because they waste less time on office visits, and can acquire clients in a larger geographic area.
Additionally, MSP security tools are typically priced per user, rather than per device or location, making them more cost-effective for teams that serve multiple customers. MSPs can then pass these savings onto their customers, providing an affordable solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that can’t afford to hire their own in-house security team.
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Four Essential Security Tools for MSPs
MSPs offering security services should have the following cybersecurity tools in their arsenal.
Email Security
Adenike Cosgrove, cybersecurity strategist at Proofpoint, says, “Email remains the No. 1 channel for cybercriminals to steal data and siphon billions each year.” In fact, approximately 83% of businesses dealt with a successful phishing attack in 2021. Email security tools are essential for MSPs that want to protect their clients from phishing attacks because they can block the emails from ever reaching an inbox.
“Email remains the No. 1 channel for cybercriminals to steal data and siphon billons each year.”
Adenike Cosgrove, cybersecurity strategist at Proofpoint
Email security tools should include secure email gateways and phishing protection to monitor incoming emails for elements that match known malicious tactics, like spoofing commonly used links or delivering malware in attachments. MSPs can use these tools to fine-tune what the gateway allows and blocks, keeping their clients safe. Additionally, they can run phishing tests to help teach the client what to look out for.
Top Email Security Tools for MSPs
- Cofense Phishing Detection and Response
- Barracuda Total Email Protection
- Proofpoint Essentials
Endpoint Protection
As more companies adopt bring your own device (BYOD) and remote work policies, endpoint protection platforms (EPPs) are essential to keeping an organization secure. EPPs provide MSPs with a centralized management console that provides visibility into all of the devices on a client’s network. They can also automatically discover devices on a network to quickly identify any unauthorized access.
Endpoint security tools typically include antivirus software, as well as features for protection against other types of attacks, like distributed denial of service (DDoS) and advanced persistent threats (APTs). With these tools, MSPs can protect their clients from both known and zero-day threats. They can also automate device policies and remotely lock devices or delete data off of them in the event that they’re lost, stolen, or compromised.
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Best Endpoint Protection Tools for MSPs
- Sophos Intercept X with XDR
- CrowdStrike Falcon
- Syxsense Active Secure
SIEM Software
Security information and event monitoring (SIEM) software is typically used to aggregate threat data from all sources on a network, including endpoints, applications, and servers, to provide greater visibility into the environment. MSPs get real-time information about network traffic, allowing them to quickly identify anomalies or known threat signatures. They can also use SIEM software to identify and patch vulnerabilities before an attacker can exploit them.
SIEM software requires security experts to monitor it and regular maintenance to be effective, making it a perfect entry point for MSPs working with SMBs. Small businesses typically don’t have the in-house security staff they need to manage an SIEM solution. Instead, they can work with an MSP to get round-the-clock monitoring and protection.
Best SIEM Software for MSPs
Security Training
Unfortunately, human error is the largest cause of cybersecurity breaches, responsible for approximately 88% of successful attacks. MSPs should provide their clients with regular security awareness training to keep them updated on emerging threats and attack tactics. Security training tools can deliver lessons in a digestible format and allow MSPs to customize the training to fit their clients’ needs.
For example, a retail client may need information on phishing and DDoS attacks, while a manufacturer might need to worry more about backdoors into the network from their internet of things (IoT) devices. Security training tools deliver appropriate instructional materials based on the client’s situation. MSPs can then generate reports after the training is complete to identify areas that need more training or that might leave the organization vulnerable.
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Best Security Training Tools for MSPs
- Ninjio
- ESET
- KnowBe4
Choosing the Best Cybersecurity Tools for Your Business
As an MSP, you should be selecting best-of-breed security tools to keep your clients safe from threats, rather than integrated security suites. Standalone software ensures you get the best features in every category. When building your cybersecurity stack, consider your ideal clients and which types of threats they’ll be most likely to face. Then, you can choose the software that is best suited to tackle those threats.
And if you’re not sure where to start with your software search, check out our MSP Software Product Selection Tool. After answering a few questions about your business, you’ll get a customized list of MSP software recommendations. It’s free and takes as little as five minutes.
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