How a managed service provider can manage your vulnerability
Although you may not know what threats your business is facing right now, you need to understand they’re out there. Cybercriminals are savvy individuals who work around the clock. When there’s a vulnerability for them to exploit, they’ll seize it with both hands and make the most of their opportunity.
On average, a cybercriminal launches an attack every 39 seconds. If the thought of that scares you, you need to learn how a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can manage your vulnerability.
Understanding managed vulnerability
When your business is moving at a fast pace, it’s probably experiencing more vulnerabilities than you realize. Factors such as changing systems, software updates, and new technologies all play their part in this.
Managed vulnerability involves using industry-leading techniques to scan for and tackle vulnerabilities in your system. Unlike basic threat response services, it aims to find vulnerabilities before a cybercriminal can take them and use them to their advantage.
How managed services manage vulnerability
Your MSP will create a real-time view of the risks posed to your business. This involves using a comprehensive set of tools that look for vulnerabilities and assess the likelihood that they could cause damage to your business. Rather than treating every small threat with absolute urgency and slowing your business down, an MSP will take a business-focused approach to handle those that have the potential to cause the most damage.
A great example of the types of vulnerabilities your MSP will tackle is unpatched software. Software providers usually become aware of flaws in their products after the initial release date. They then release patches, which you need to install to stop a cyber attacker from exploiting flaws. Whether it’s due to a lack of technical expertise or a shortage of time, a lot of businesses struggle to stay on top of patches.
Your MSP will handle such matters for you. As a result, you can continue using the software you rely on, safe in the knowledge that a cybercriminal isn’t about to use it to gain access to your systems.
Why vulnerability management is important
Cybercriminals are excellent at what they do, which means they’re always looking for opportunities to exploit systems. As software updates are usually public, it doesn’t take long before they’re aware of potential flaws in your business’s security.
One attack that a cybercriminal could launch involves installing ransomware on your computers. Ransomware holds your system ransom. Unless you pay the person installing it using bitcoin, you risk losing all your data. Naturally, this can cost a lot to recover, your reputation will suffer, and your productivity will dwindle until the problem resolves.
The average cost of a ransomware insurance claim is $229,000. Unless your business can afford to lose that amount of money until a claim comes through, you need to do all you can to protect yourself against this threat. Vulnerability management aims to prevent problems rather than tackle them as they arise. As a result, you stand a stronger chance of stopping ransomware from taking hold. That means you can protect your bottom line and you significantly reduce the likelihood of having to recover from a big financial disaster.
With an MSP, vulnerability management becomes effortless. For every dollar you invest in protecting your business, you could save a lot of money and heartache in the future.
