Astoria puts Cyber-Security First
It was a dark and stormy night. The dark clouds hovered over the ground like a shadow. The clouds weighed heavily with rain and hail, and the air was thick and warm with the anticipation of rain.
James hurried quickly up the sidewalk clutching his umbrella over his head. The rain had not begun yet, but he knew it would start at any moment. He quickly approached his home, eager to get inside the safety of the house. He punched his code into the door keypad. The satisfying click of the door filled him with relief as he turned the handle and stepped inside.
Inside the air was cool and welcoming. James flipped the lights on and set his umbrella in its place behind the door. He got settled inside and began his routine for the evening. The storm began raging outside, pelting the rooftop with rain and small pellets of ice. James was thankful for the security that his house brought. Soon he moved to his bedroom and after a quick shower, crawled into bed and fell asleep.
The story is not over… sorry
The storm powered on outside as James slept. A blazing light followed by a ferocious crack of thunder awoke James. His lights flickered aggressively overhead. Suddenly a loud crash brought James fully awake. It was quickly followed by his home security alarm sounding. James’s pulse quickened, maybe a tree branch broke a window, he thought to himself. The alarm continued to blare loudly overhead. James reached for his phone and quickly tapped in the security code to disarm it. The alarm ceased its loud protest, and James noticed that he had a notification from his camera from just ten minutes before. Curious, he opened it to view the recording. James’s heart skipped a beat as he saw a dark figure lurking just outside his window only minutes before he had awakened. Panic began to fill him. It wasn’t a tree branch from the storm, someone had broken into his home!
James’s phone rang in that instant. He answered it, hands shaking. “Hello James, this is Jacob from HomeSecurity support – Are you safe?” “Yes,” James answered shakily. “James, we detected that someone attempted to disable your security system, however we were able to prevent this and we have contacted the authorities who will be at your home in two minutes. If you are safe, please stay where you are until they arrive.”
Your MSP Is Your Company’s Security System.
You may be wondering how we could possibly parallel James’s circumstance to an MSP for your company. They actually have a lot in common! James’s home is a great example of your business. It’s where your most valuable things live. The security system is the protections you put into place to keep your home secure. Hackers and viruses are like storms and robbers. They come when you’re distracted or when another crisis is occurring, and they take advantage. We can’t always protect our businesses by ourselves. We need a helping hand, someone who is awake when we need to sleep, so to speak. I’m sure you have more questions, so let’s dig in to see how James’s story applies to us in the technical world.
What Is An MSP?
A Managed Service Provider is a company that provides computing platforms for businesses and organizations to manage their IT infrastructure. MSPs will manage firewalls, servers, and routers on a subscription basis. Depending on your company needs, your pricing may vary. Each company will have a unique set up for their business. Hiring an MSP is becoming more vital for businesses of all shapes and sizes as we live in the ever-evolving world of hackers, ransomware, and data takeovers.
Many smaller companies have limited in-house IT capabilities, so they may view an MSP’s service offering as a way to obtain IT expertise. But larger enterprises may also contract with MSPs. For example, government agencies facing budget pressures and hiring limitations may contract with an MSP to supplement their in-house IT staff. Gillis, A. S., & Moore, J. (2021, August 9). managed service provider (MSP). SearchITChannel. https://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/definition/managed-service-provider
Why An MSP Makes Your Company Safer.
Let’s face it, the internet and technology are the Wild West of the modern world. Every day we are battling new viruses, new ransomware, new technical issues that are becoming increasingly more difficult to fix. If you are a small company or a medical facility, you may not have the money or the time to be able to cover all the technical needs you have.
Oftentimes we put our heads down and hope for the best, hoping that we will dodge the bullet. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that you are more likely to have corruption overtake your systems than not.
Adding an MSP to your contingency plan will help bring more security to your company and help reduce the headache of facing a ransomware attack.
What an MSP can do for you
- Cybersecurity first. No matter what make sure your MSP puts Cyber-security first in all they do!
- Remote Support. Gone are the days of needing an in-house technician to fix your devices or identify issues. Remote support incorporates faster solutions and can help the moment a problem occurs. The remote support team of your MSP is there to answer your questions, troubleshoot, and help with updating software and any other assortment of issues you may come upon.
- 24/7 Monitoring. A benefit of an MSP is 24/7 monitoring of your systems. A good MSP is consistently checking and updating software and providing consistent security checks to keep your systems secure. They may also be key to preventing ransomware attacks before they are able to fully infiltrate your systems. Their software will help quickly identify malicious malware and alert the correct people to remove it from the system.
- Maintenance. MSPs help provide vital maintenance to all systems and devices within your facility. This allows you to sit back and relax, knowing your systems are safer. When systems are running at their finest capacities, they are less vulnerable to data losses and malware attacks.
- Billing. MSPs can often help with finances within your facility such as billing, budgeting, payments, and bank account info and security.
The Right MSP For You.
MSPs can accomplish many different goals at the same time. Depending on your needs, you may have to do some investigating to find the right one for you.
There are many different MSPs out there to choose from, and you might be wondering what you should be looking for. For example, here at Astoria , we have a large assortment of different services that we offer to our customers.
Astoria is a high-level MSP whose goal is to build a plan that helps you to be successful. We look at businesses as a whole and narrow down their attention to the details to assure the most vulnerable parts of your system are now the strongest. At Astoria we put cybersecurity first.
An Msp’s Focus putting cybersecurity first
- Support. Because isn’t that what we are all really looking for? Knowing that you are supported and protected is the key component to making sure you can do business with ease. Astoria offers support when your systems crash or through a ransomware attack. The need for experts is imperative when navigating a ransomware attack. Support is just a call away, bringing you assurance your business does not suffer.
- Real Time Monitoring. What does that mean? Well, it means your bases are always covered – all day, every day. All your back doors are being consistently monitored and tested for vulnerabilities. When your system is under consistent surveillance for malicious malware or hackers, Astoria is able to quickly locate and efficiently prevent it from doing any damage.
- Anti-Virus Support. Let’s face it, phishing is a huge problem in the professional world today, and the scammers are only getting smarter. One well-placed text, email, or malicious download is enough to corrupt your whole system with a virus.
- Firewall. Prevention is the best defense when it comes to the cyber world. While you want to make sure you are covered should an attack occur, having your borders covered with a strong firewall will help prevent the majority of attacks fromeven occurring. Astoria will help you create a firewall system and protocols that will ensure your systems are able to do their jobs efficiently, but also prevent any unapproved traffic.
Back Ups
The most vital part to an MSP is creating a healthy backup system. Astoria can help you store daily or weekly backups for your business. This helps prevent data loss, corruption, and ransomware attacks from disabling your systems. Should an emergency ever occur, you will rest easy knowing that you have saved all your important business information safely away.
So how does this relate to James again? Well James’s story provides us with a physical, real world example of how we can better protect our businesses. If we put all the right deterrents in the way, we can keep most hackers (or robbers) away. However, sometimes there are times when someone will try to break in anyway, and in that moment, you want to be like James, who has a security system (MSP)…awake and prepared to make sure that nobody gets inside your business’s systems. You can also take a deep breath of relief like James did, knowing that not only did his security system stay intact, but also knowing the perpetrators never stood a chance in the first place.
Schedule a Meeting with Nate Sheen to learn how Astoria can assist your business or organization’s IT Needs.
