Helping SME security teams take back their time in 2020

Now that we are well into the new year, many of us will either be boasting about our ongoing commitment to our resolutions or calling it quits.

For many organisations, a shared resolution in 2020 will likely be to free up their  security teams, so they can focus their attention where it truly matters. Just as we may appoint a friend to keep us accountable, these businesses would be wise to look to managed services to help them see their resolutions through.

Doing so will allow them to monitor and manage their networks, automate time-consuming routine tasks, and remediate security concerns — ideally, all from the comfort of an intuitive centralised dashboard.

Of course, many are already aware of the benefits of adopting managed services. In 2018, we spoke to over 340 decision makers — comprised of C-level management, directors, and proprietors — from UK SMEs for our The Evolving Landscape of the MSP Business Survey and we discovered that the leading drivers for managed services adoption were reduced capex and other costs (65 percent), increased efficiency (50 percent), and the desire to overcome internal skills shortages (47 percent).

When we ran the survey again in 2019, we found that managed services were readily being adopted to overcome skills (69 percent) and resource shortages (55 percent).

Finding the right managed services provider

For those not in the know, or on the fence about investing in managed services in 2020, doing so could be the answer to freeing up your IT team’s attention for where it’s needed most. If that is your goal, the following services are essential:

Security assessments: This will allow swift identification of vulnerabilities, complete with recommended solutions and services to quickly remediate the issue. For organisations protecting their client’s data, as well as their own, security assessment capabilities will ensure data is not falling into the wrong hands.

Task automation: This service automates repetitive tasks that previously demanded much of your IT team’s attention, allowing them to focus their efforts on mission critical activities.

Patch management: By automatically sourcing, testing, and applying patches across the network, patch management quickly and efficiently addresses potential security vulnerabilities.

Outside integrations: To make the most out of a managed services partnership, organisations should ensure that third-party integrations are available. If so, it will be easier to monitor, manage, and undertake common administrative tasks with other integrated applications.

Real-time surveillance: Around the clock monitoring and alerting capabilities will take the pressure off your IT professionals, safe in the knowledge that any alerts will be raised and addressed in real-time.

All of the above should be available through a simple, centralised dashboard that provides at-a-glance views of your environments and access information.

If you’re committed to breaking habits and leaving your concerns around time and efficiency firmly in 2019, speak to a trusted MSP about adopting these services and refocusing your IT team to where they are needed most.