The Dangers of Not Having a Managed Service Provider

According to a recent Health System Management Article (9/2016), ransomware incidents have increased 128% in the past year. And mobile malware has grown 151% in that same time period.

According to CRN.com (7/2016), this year also saw some of the biggest data breaches ever – and the number is likely to grow exponentially as we move into 2017. These breaches hit well-known companies like Verizon, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, 21st Century Oncology (a national cancer care provider out of Fort Myers, Florida), LinkedIn and Seagate (a national data storage company), to name a few. These breaches affected millions of consumers, patients and customers, making their personal information – from social security numbers to W-2 forms, encrypted passwords, cancer diagnosis and treatment data, salaries and insurance information – immediately available to those with malicious intent.

And while the lost time and revenue that results from these attacks is monumental at large corporations like these, the companies can typically survive them. Small-to-Midsize companies are another story, however. A data breach, malware or ransomware attack can easily bring a smaller company to its knees, with many having to close their doors over something that could have easily been avoided.

Managed Services Providers (MSPs) provide a relatively inexpensive way for any company to ensure these attacks never happen. MSPs manage information technology (IT) services for other companies and without them, businesses are at serious risk in today’s dynamic IT environment.

MSPs like Valeo Networks provide managed services – secure, unlimited cloud storage for data backups – that are just as cost-effective as a public cloud, but with the additional security and reliability of a private one.

And utilizing an MSP actually can save you significant money over time. We’ve found that nearly 50% of our users have reduced their annual IT expenditures by 25% or more as a result of shifting to managed services.

When looking for a Managed Services Provider, ensure they are agile enough to be responsive to your companies needs. Larger MSPs may have much longer wait times for repairs and fixes. Make sure your MSP provides monthly IT health reports, enterprise-class monitoring and customized IT health dashboards. You’ll also want to make sure that the MSP’s primary partners are recognizable and trustworthy. At Valeo Networks, we partner with more than 30 trusted vendors, including Dell, HP and Microsoft.

Daily monitoring of your IT systems will ensure that unauthorized behavior and malicious attacks are dealt with before they affect your business, reducing downtime from weeks to hours. And if your business deals with medical records, ensure your MSP is HIPAA certified.

At Valeo Networks, highly-advanced software allows our Network Operations Center the ability to monitor your desktop/servicers 24 hours a day. This service includes robust Antivirus and Malware Protection software, in addition to support for all mobile devices. And you can access your network operations at any time, day or night.

Monthly reports from your MSP should be comprehensive, showing historical data tied to breaches and other issues – how and when they were resolved – enabling you to track the history and trends of your company’s IT network.

One of the biggest benefits of having a dedicated, proactive Managed Services Provider is that, in today’s ever-changing IT landscape, MSPs go through continuous training and are able to respond to rapidly changing technologies and methods. It can be difficult for internal IT departments to have the time – amongst their other responsibilities – to stay current on these technologies.

A good MSP will provide reliable service, minimal wait times and knowledge of increasing regulatory requirements. And for companies that handle sensitive information daily – personal details, medical records, financial info – managed services ensure that your private data is protected at all times.

Another benefit to having an MSP is budget predictability. IT costs can vary widely each month, yet with an outsourced support model, companies pay a fixed fee regardless of how much support they utilize. And the best part – when something goes wrong – you won’t get stuck paying sky-high emergency support rates.

MSPs can easily become a welcome extension to your existing IT department, taking care of routine infrastructure monitoring and maintenance around the clock.

Learn more about the benefits of utilizing a Managed Services Provider. Contact Valeo Networks at 800-584-6844 anytime for a free consultation.