How Omega Systems Puts the S (Security) in MSSP

Key Insights from CEO Mike Fuhrman on Omega’s Security-First Approach

When organizations turn to a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP), their top priority is ensuring their business is protected against today’s relentless cyber threats.

In a recent interview on Channel Insider: Partner POV, CEO Mike Fuhrman shared valuable insights into what it truly means to be an MSSP and how Omega Systems is raising the bar for security, compliance, and customer trust. Watch the full video below or keep reading for some of Fuhrman’s key takeaways.

From MSP to MSSP: Elevating Security Beyond the Basics

For many IT providers, security is an add-on. For Omega, it’s foundational. While we’ve long provided a managed security offering in Smart Secure – including managed firewalls, intrusion prevention, and strategic security consulting – we saw an opportunity to do more.

“Effective, but it was an opportunity to do something next level,” Fuhrman explained. “That’s where you start to separate your traditional MSP from an MSSP. It’s about detection and response, building a true 24×7 security operations center where we have people – what we call ‘eyes on glass’ – monitoring systems for active threats.”

Unlike many MSPs that resell third-party security services, Omega has built its own Security Operations Center (SOC). This allows us to proactively investigate threats, collaborate with customers and their cyber insurance providers during incident response events, and take immediate action to isolate and remediate attacks. This hands-on, fully managed approach to security is what defines a true MSSP.

Compliance: More Than a Checkbox

A major focus for Omega is serving highly regulated industries, including financial services, healthcare, legal, and industrial markets. Businesses in these sectors face increasingly complex compliance requirements, making security a necessity rather than an option.

“There’s been a shift from compliance being a ‘check-the-box’ exercise to companies realizing these standards exist for a real purpose – to protect their business and their customers,” Fuhrman said. “They need help understanding what they need to do, not just to pass an audit but to truly secure their operations.”

Omega’s Smart Comply service ensures IT compliance isn’t an annual scramble but a continuous, collaborative process. By continuously scanning devices, tracking compliance standards, and maintaining security postures year-round, Omega helps customers stay audit-ready every day.

Why SMBs Can No Longer Ignore Security

For years, many small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) assumed they weren’t big enough to be a security target. That’s no longer the case.

“Three to five years ago, SMBs could stick their heads in the sand and assume they wouldn’t be targeted,” Fuhrman said. “That has radically changed. No business is free to ignore the threat landscape anymore.”

Ransomware, phishing attacks, and advanced cyber threats are no longer concerns exclusively for large enterprises. The demand for managed security services is growing because businesses now understand that basic protections like firewalls and endpoint security are not enough. They need advanced detection and response capabilities to actively defend against evolving threats.

Entering Through the ‘Security Door’

Historically, IT providers gained customer trust by first managing infrastructure – servers, networks, and endpoints – before earning the privilege to handle security. But Omega is reversing that trend.

“We can enter through the security door and then win the rest of the managed IT business quite easily once we establish ourselves as a trusted security service provider,” Fuhrman said. “Customers now recognize that security is the priority.”

This shift demonstrates that businesses are actively seeking security-first providers who can not only monitor their environments but also respond effectively when incidents occur.

Educating Customers: Not All Security Providers Are Created Equal

As the cybersecurity industry grows, so does confusion around what an MSSP truly is.

“There’s a blurring of the lines in the industry,” Fuhrman noted. “MSPs know they need to offer security, so they resell SOC services from third-party vendors. But that can be confusing for customers, because on the surface, they all claim to offer the same capabilities.”

Fuhrman advises businesses to ask critical questions when evaluating security providers:

• Do you have your own security operations center?
• Is your SOC staffed 24×7?
• Where are your security teams located?
• Do you employ certified security professionals, such as CISSPs?
• How many security investigations have you conducted in the past year?
• Have you worked with cyber insurance carriers during real-world incidents?

Businesses that don’t ask these questions risk choosing a provider based on marketing rather than substance. Omega differentiates itself by offering fully in-house security services with a dedicated team of experts, ensuring customers receive comprehensive protection rather than a repackaged third-party service.