How to Enhance Value Proposition and RMR Potential With Managed Service Providers
Puzzled by the networking know-how needed to deliver a ‘complete’ security solution these days? MSPs may fill your missing cyber piece.
PSA Security Network's Bill Bozeman likens today's cyber influence somewhat to when things went from analog to digital.
Capitalize on Consolidated Capabilities
PSA Can Help Improve Posture of Clients’ IT Backbone
The PSA Security Network offers myriad cybersecurity resources for integrators. Its Cybersecurity Playbook is a guide that includes education and training resources, PSA vendor resources, non-PSA vendor resources, and cybersecurity insurance discussion points.
These materials were put together by PSA’s cybersecurity committee to help integrators determine where they can improve their cyber posture and other resources they can leverage to do so.
In addition, the PSA Security Network has partnered with premier cybersecurity service providers to deliver solutions that help keep security integrators competitive. Their vetted partners provide an array of services including risk management, information security assessments, cybersecurity insurance, legal counsel and reputation management.
“PSA and our cyber committee, in particular, are focused not only on educating our integrators of what they have to be careful of but also how they can increase their cyber readiness,” says Anthony Berticelli, PSA’s director of education. “We’re informing them on the new tools out there and standards they will have to meet and giving them the tools they need so when they’re ready to take that step in offering cyber services, they’re not going in blind.”
PSA plans to announce an expansion of these services this month. For more information on these PSA resources, go to psasecurity.com.
Along with additional RMR potential, partnering with MSPs also strengthens a security integrator’s capabilities while allowing them to focus on their core competencies – and perhaps stay cost efficient from a personnel standpoint as they give their solutions portfolio an instant boost.
“MSPs are specialists in the maintenance of the various networks in use in the business environment and they save the company the cost of an IT department. It’d be advantageous for an integrator to work with an MSP as a business partner to pro
vide their expertise on things like network organization and cybersecurity protection protocols,” says Joe Holland, vice president of engineering for LifeSafety Power, a Mundelein, Ill.-based provider of power supplies for intelligent networking devices.
“Even though integrators are certainly very capable in their own areas, an MSP can add that cybersecurity capability component immediately to the pedigree of an integrator.” Chris Salazar-Mangrum, senior IT project manager for PSA Security Network, echoes that MSPs can enhance integrators’ value to customers by expanding the solutions portfolio and simplifying the cyber world.
Leveraging MSPs can address needs such as data backup, disaster recovery, device encryption, vulnerability assessments, network monitoring, cyber policy creation and enforcement, to name a few, he says. (See sidebar for more on PSA’s resources.)
The coming together of traditional physical security integrators and IT MSPs also marks a merger of asset management and risk management savvy appreciated by end users.
“What keeps them up at night is having an event that lands them on the front page,” Bay Dynamics’ Grossman points out. “I think we’re seeing a transition from tactical defense, in-depth implementations to a risk management mode of operation.”
In this regard, he contends that the physical side is ahead of the cyber side, as they’ve known all along the critical parts of their buildings and infrastructures, including where people and access systems are based, and have been taking a risk-based approach for a long time.
“But the cyber guys, because of the nature of cyber, have been running with their hair on fire up and down the hallways trying to patch all your vulnerabilities across all your machines, learn what and where your assets are and what’s most important, which is difficult in the IT world,” Grossman says.
“Even the most sophisticated companies are challenged when it comes to asset management, as it means they’re now managing your threats, compromised accounts, third-party access – pretty much the same things the physical security guys have been tasked with. All those things are getting greater attention on the cyber side these days within the frame-work of risk management,” he adds.
How to Adopt the MSP Approach
Security integrator A3 Communications, headquartered in Columbia, S.C., recognized the value of that convergence a decade ago, when security became more IP based.
“We’re a true systems integrator and we not only provide IT managed services but also network infrastructure and virtualization services,” says Brian Thomas, president.
“Coming from a foundation of networking, we were early adopters and we’ve taken that knowledge and leveraged it on security side which has given us an advantage. Our belief was that if we own the network, we should own everything attached to the network.”
To that end, A3 has a managed IT services practices division, a fully manned help desk, and provides remote management and monitoring of customer’s devices, servers, phones … anything IT based.
Thomas is finding that instead of end users’ facility directors his company is usually dealing with IT directors nowadays.
“A lot of this stuff can be Cloud-based and not a big investment on the front end to add cyber. It’s a value-add for an integrator, and if they pass that off to an MSP they lose that revenue,” he says.
For integrators, becoming familiar with all the possibilities to provide an end user is particularly pertinent given that MSPs have multiple levels of offerings from help desk support to managing your IT infrastructure and network purchases, Cloud-management, vulnerability scans, and more.
“Look for references and example documentation from the MSP,” says SolarWinds’ Trump. “As a security integrator, you need to know the various products features and requirements, you need to know what the best practices are. The MSP and integrator meetings have to present a united and professional front to the customer.”
PSA’s Salazar-Mangrum also cautions that a strong leadership team is a must to have your back.
“If you cannot trust the MSP’s leadership team and vision, move on to the next. Do your due diligence and don’t rush it,” he says.
“Create a smart sourcing plan, hire a 1099 sourcing professional if needed, understand your business needs and decide if you want your MSP to help with only your IT needs or your end-user needs, as well.” As Trump says, “The IoT market has greater market potential than security for both integrators and MSPs. They must work together to ensure the customer is safe from cyber threats – this makes the Internet better for everyone.”
READ NEXT: Cybersecurity Risk Is Real: SSI’s 2017 Physical-Logical Security Assessment
Erin Harrington has 20+ years of editorial, marketing and PR experience within the security industry. Contact her at [email protected]
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