MSP 1337 | Cybersecurity Education and Security Guidance

As MSPs you are all dealing with managing or providing support services that involve working with 3rd party vendors.  In this coversation Eric Hanson and I discuss the challenges of vendors where those who have authority to make decisions on critical infrastructure leave or are no longer in the role that would required them to manage that vendor relationship.  This is not a new topic but is often an avoided topic as it pertains to MSPs working with Internet, cell phone and other vendors in supporting their clients. 

Endless topics to discuss and yet we still find ourselves talking about many of the foundational things we should all be doing in our businesses.  We can only be accountable for our own actions regardless of the decisions of our vendors or our peers.  Who are the vendors I work with today and what happens if they are gone tomorrow? This and many other questions are discussed with Jim Harryman of Kinetic Technology Group.  As we evaluate our vendors and the services we offer we discuss having a predefined plan that takes into account levels of urgency.  In our case, we use the Defcon threat levels, and whatever model you use we are pretty confident that there really is a sit back and relax for any of the vendors we use for service delivery.

We all struggle with different areas of cybersecurity and there is no perfect solution.  That being said we shouldn't get paralysis analysis either, it isn't new and it isn't going away.  Most of us started implementing cybersecurity tools and services long before MSSPs existed and have in many cases satisfying controls of the different frameworks anywhere from 10% to 60% and didn't even know it.  Join Jim Harryman of Kinetic Technology Group as we navigate areas in which MSPs can continue to improve their cybersecurity maturity.

The conversations and requests coming from MSPs is still about how to get started.  Hopefully, this conversation will help you find your path.  Join me as Charles Love and I navigate the getting started in Cybersecurity.  Even if you have already started down the path of improving your cybersecurity posture there is always room to improve.

Whether it is a small municipality, a school district, or even your local fire department, there is always a need for 3rd party resources.  I sit down with Corey Munson of PCMatic to talk specifically about how MSPs can provide a huge benefit to small government entities.  We aren't talking about addressing the basic print or internet connectivity issues but more about the challenges we all face in cybersecurity.  Whether it is the mayor of a small town in rural Iowa or the one computer at city hall, we all need our devices maintained.  There are a lot of great resources referenced in this episode and whether you focus on local government or not they are still relevant to your business.

Thanks to MSP-Ignite for making this episode possible.

Last week was CompTIA's Communities and Councils Forums and I thought who better to bring on to the podcast than Wayne Selk the new VP of CompTIA's ISAO.  Join us as we break down the differences between ISACs and ISAOs and how MSPs can take advantage of what these different entities have to offer as we navigate cybersecurity.

I sit down with Stelios Valivonis of onShore Security to  talk about cybersecurity and the need for dedicated leadership.  People, Process, and Procedures are critical to any organizations quest to improve their cybersecurity posture.  Stel and I step through some scenarios that we have seen together and some ideas on how to succeed with client resistance to change.  

There is no shortage of questions coming from Cyber Insurance providers that put an MSP in a difficult position to answer the questions truthfully and the intent of the questions.  In this episode, I sit down with Aaron Frazier of American Technology Specialists to discuss how to approach this complex topic with clients and prospects to help satisfy specific questions through enabling technologies—as always, talking to Aaron with ATS is enlightening.

Cyber insurance questionnaires are a dime a dozen these days, yet our ability to correctly answer the questions can still be daunting.  A Yes/No question doesn't have a Yes/No Answer.  You want to answer truthfully, and you also want to ensure that you get the coverage you need.  Join me as I sit down with Jim Harryman of Kinetic Group to find some approaches to answering these questions that are both truthful and at the heart of the question's intent...

Over the years the role of an Account manager has evolved and taken on many different names (vcio, BSM, vCTO etc.). Today I sit down with Mike Stewart of Anchor Networks to discuss how much this role has changed.  Cybersecurity plays a big role in planning and identifying gaps within a prospect or existing client that it can be a daunting endeavor.  Join us as we provide some guidance for any vCIO to be successful in discussing cybersecurity with prospective and existing clients.