There’s no shortage of cybersecurity consultants and managed security service providers (MSSPs) in the marketplace, so choosing the right cybersecurity partner requires a thorough look at the services and benefits each company can offer. By examining areas such as depth and breadth of security services, professional certifications and customer reviews, you can identify the partner who’s the best fit to help your business prevent and respond to modern-day cyber threats.
Before you begin looking for a provider, take the time to evaluate and understand your company’s cybersecurity needs. Conducting internal and external risk assessments can uncover hidden vulnerabilities, which is vital for determining which security solution is the best choice.
Once you’ve identified your needs, make a short list of cybersecurity providers that offer the services you’re looking for. Systematically evaluate each company by researching the technologies and techniques they use to deliver their services.
The best cybersecurity companies will boast a well-rounded security stack and provide direct evidence that demonstrates how they help businesses stay safe against malicious and unintended security risks.
Choosing a cybersecurity partner for your business is a task you should not take lightly. Given the advanced threats that could disrupt or harm your business’ operations, financial standing and reputation, it is imperative to ensure the company offers mission-critical services, including perimeter security, threat protection and incident response.
Think about the various levels of your IT infrastructure. Do you have security practices and controls in place to protect each one? Security services like network, endpoint and application security provide protection for your essential data and applications, encrypting information shared across and outside your networks to safeguard it against malicious threats.
Network security should include advanced firewall infrastructure to protect your environment from malicious access, including malware and ransomware threats. Ensure your cybersecurity vendor provides robust anti-virus and anti-spam capabilities as well as virtual private networking (VPN) access to further protect your network from unauthorized access or harm. When your perimeter infrastructure is secure, your company can confidently use its devices and applications.
Best practices also include safeguarding your company’s individual devices, including workstations, laptops and mobile devices. Mobile device management platforms and multi-factor authentication protocols are simple and cost-effective methods your security partner should employ to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Proactive threat protection, including security information and event management (SIEM) tools, are also extremely effective practices you should seek in a professional cybersecurity company. These types of managed security offerings proactively find and dismantle cyber threats before they reach your networks, giving you greater confidence that your company’s most critical assets and intellectual capital are safe.
When choosing a cybersecurity company, you also want to ensure they hold certifications and awards that validate their expertise. Seek out reputable publications, such as MSSP Alert, that award and rank top MSSPs, sometimes even within specific industries and sectors.
Be sure to also ask about their employees’ security experience. Some certificates may be specific to a vendor. In other cases, the company may have certifications and training from accredited institutions.
Some top IT security certifications include the following.
Regulatory compliance demands are increasing across many industries. If your company is subject to regulations or expects to be in the future, ensure your chosen company takes compliance seriously and has risk management experience.
For example, healthcare industry companies must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Government entities and law enforcement agencies must comply with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS). Perhaps your company works in the banking or financial industry. In that case, you’ll need to find a trusted cybersecurity company that complies with the regulations enforced by the FDIC, GLBA or SEC.
Whatever your industry compliance needs, Omega Systems can help. Our managed cybersecurity services are compliance-driven and designed to help businesses across all verticals meet growing regulatory needs while safely and securely managing and mitigating cybersecurity risks.
Before partnering with any company, check their references and testimonials. Reliable businesses should be eager to share these stories with you. Once you understand that the company can successfully correct problems, you can trust them to take care of your business.
If customer reviews trend positive, you can feel more comfortable working with a cybersecurity firm. Ask questions during consultations and meetings to determine which company is best for you. You can also ask around in your network to get a more complete idea of how each provider works with companies similar to yours.
Finally, look at reviews online or read case studies and ask for customer references from those who have experience with the company’s services. Omega Systems provides many customer reviews for those looking to use our award-winning cybersecurity services.
Lastly, find a cybersecurity company that offers comprehensive IT support. In addition to cybersecurity threat protection, look for an MSP or MSSP that provides well-rounded IT support, including round-the-clock help desk services. Not only will these solutions work hand-in-hand with their security offerings, but they’ll extend your business’ overall productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.
At Omega Systems, our managed IT support system monitors your network’s health throughout the workday. Whether you need help detecting technology issues or mitigating possible risks, we have the tools to help. We provide various IT services, including threat protection, anti-virus scanning, patching, maintenance, device reporting, network monitoring and remote support.
Omega Systems offers reliable IT support and comprehensive cybersecurity services to customers throughout the United States. As a managed security provider, our company works hard to enhance your business productivity and improve functionality and consistency — while protecting your most critical assets from today’s advanced security threats. With a professional team that stays abreast of current trends, regulations and technologies, we help you find the best solution to fit your company’s unique needs.
Contact us today to learn more about our fully managed security platform and complementary IT services, or call us at 610-678-7002.
