Back in the early days of managed cybersecurity services, MSPs only needed to offer things like endpoint protection and firewall management to keep clients safe. But as cybercriminals evolve their attacks, making them more virulent and targeted, they use a growing number of new vectors and tactics to increase the likelihood that their attacks will succeed. That means endpoint security alone isn’t enough anymore—to protect your clients from modern threats, you need integrated cybersecurity layers.
Over the last couple years, the annual Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report has consistently shown that user error is one of the most promising avenues of attack for cybercriminals. In fact, over 90% of successful attacks on businesses start with a phishing scam.1 No matter how effective your endpoint security is, it can’t prevent an unwitting end user from accidentally falling for a convincing fraud and leaving the network’s front door open.
Moreover, businesses are increasingly facing attacks based on outbound web traffic, which are often enabled by irresponsible browsing habits and could be prevented at the network level. Considering the growing sophistication of cyberattacks, not to mention trends in modern technology overall, your clients have more to lose and more to threats to worry about than ever. But, ultimately, this increasing demand for high-quality security creates major opportunities for MSPs to step in and provide integrated cybersecurity layers.
Which Layers Should you Consider?
As we all know, endpoint protection is 100% necessary. But what kinds of protection should you add to that? Below are some key layers to think about when building out a strong security stack.
Phishing Simulations and Security Awareness Training for End Users
With the high success rates of social engineering attacks, it’s clear untrained, under-aware employees can be a huge security risk for your clients. If you can address the root cause of these errors—such as user naiveté about online threats and risks—you can help your customers experience fewer threats and less infection-related downtime. And, considering the growing costs associated with a data breach, security awareness training pays for itself in terms of the fines avoided when users successfully dodge an attack.
Currently, a number of MSPs are offering security awareness training as an add-on paid service. Others now include user education as a standard component of their security bundles, alongside endpoint protection and patching services. In either model, MSPs can easily recoup savings from addressing fewer incidents, service calls, and remediation work after clients are enrolled in training courses and phishing simulations.
DNS Layer Protection
By placing protection directly at the DNS layer, small- to medium-sized businesses and the MSPs who serve them can control internet usage on corporate LAN and WiFi and guest WiFi networks, ensure compliance with HR and regulatory policies, and stop malware before it reaches the network, endpoints, and users.
As far as selling DNS protection as a service, MSPs can rely on more or less the same tactics as described in the training section above—either as a premium service or a time- and money-saving addition to their basic security package. Additionally, blocking internet destinations like streaming media and p2p downloading sites (torrents) helps to free up bandwidth so networks function more smoothly. Plus, blocking productivity drains like social media and gaming sites can help staff members become more efficient. Finally, eliminating access to inappropriate or harmful content can prevent human resources issues that would otherwise be expensive, time consuming, and could even lead to lawsuits or reputation damage for your clients. DNS-layer protection helps MSPs to save even more hours on infection-related support, while businesses become more productive and secure.
Conclusion
Online threats and malware tactics will never stop changing. Protecting endpoint devices from inbound malware alone is no longer enough to prevent costly infections. As criminals continue to exploit vulnerabilities at the user and network levels, it more important than ever for MSPs to offer effective, integrated security layers. But, as the task of providing operational cybersecurity grows in importance, so too do the opportunities to provide these essential services and grow revenue.
Click here to see how the Smarter Cybersecurity® experts at Webroot handle integrated MSP-friendly cybersecurity. With Webroot® Business Endpoint Protection, DNS Protection, and Webroot® Security Awareness Training—which integrate with Kaseya for efficient security management without compromise—you can give your clients effective protection across the endpoint, network, and user layers while your MSP profits soar.
About the Author
George Anderson, Director, Product Marketing, Webroot
George has spent the past 18 years in the IT Security industry, currently serving as Webroot’s Product Marketing Director for endpoint, web, and mobile security solutions. Prior to this, he founded the Wasey Campbell-Ewald Direct Marketing Agency and held senior executive roles at Ogilvy & Mather Direct and McCann-Erickson Direct.
Sources
1 Verizon. “2018 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report.” (April 2018)
