Outsourcing your network security

November 24, 2022Homefield IT

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At its core, network security is about protecting your network, and everything that can be found on it. The goal is to ensure that your network is accessible by those who need to access it and protected from those who aren’t authorized to be there.

It’s not, as you can imagine, a straightforward thing, though. Each network has different devices attached to it, has different requirements for access and authentication, and organizations are all bound by different sets of rules and regulations that determine what’s required in terms of protection.

Why is network security important?

The main reason why network security is important is that your entire business is run on a network. Even when you’re running a largely cloud-based business, you’re still reliant on a network to provide access to company and customer data. If your network isn’t properly secured and managed, you’re leaving yourself open to not only data breaches but also to regulatory fines and penalties.

The challenge is that the modern network is a complex thing. It’s not just computers and printers, anymore. As mentioned, it extends to the cloud, but it also now includes any and all connected devices (like tablets and phones), as well as any IoT devices that your business either uses or relies on. Everything that is connected is a potential entry point for cybercriminals and needs to be secured accordingly.

The risk isn’t just about fines and penalties, though. Data breaches can destroy the confidence your customers have in your business. That loss of confidence leads to both current and potential customers looking for more secure alternatives.

Benefits of outsourcing network security

The complexity of modern-day network security can be overwhelming for IT teams who are already overbooked with tasks they need to take care of. This is where outsourcing network security can be a good thing.

When you turn to someone like a managed services provider (MSP) to take care of your IT needs, like network security, you’re ensuring that you’ve got a team dedicated to keeping your infrastructure safe, rather than one or two people trying to squeeze it in when they have the time.

Expertise

With an outsourced team, you’re looking at folks who specialize in what they do. Your internal team may have one person who knows the ins and outs of network security, but an MSP can provide an entire team of experts who not only have hands-on experience, but also dedicate time to learning about current trends and threats, what the next big thing is going to be, and even the ins and outs of your particular industry.

Cost savings

For roughly the cost of one in-house IT professional, you can get an entire team of people protecting your business. On top of that, you’re getting all the expertise mentioned above from a whole team. This means you’re getting better, more strategic coverage of your network than you might get from an additional in-house tech worker.

Reliability

You need your network to be reliable and so do your customers. If you’re always experiencing downtime because of cyberattacks or even network downtime, you’re going to lose both customers and money.

The best way to make sure your network is reliable is with a team you can count on. An MSP makes sure that you’ve always covered by providing you with experts who are monitoring and watching your network to stop any small problems from turning into big ones.

Legalities and compliance

Compliance and regulations are tricky, even when you’ve been in the industry for a long time. Every industry has a specific set of rules and guidelines that businesses need to follow and, increasingly, specific countries, regions, and even states (in the US) also have their own.

This means that ensuring compliance is a full-time job on its own. Bringing in an MSP to help with network security means you have access to the regulatory knowledge your business needs to stay fully compliant at all times.

Want to learn more about outsourcing network security?

Working with an MSP to help with your network security needs means you’re working with a team of experts who are there to keep you, your business, and your customers protected at all times.

You gain access to a level of knowledge, know-how, and experience that’s hard to find outside of a managed services agreement. And, not only can they help protect your network today, but an outsourced team is always looking at what’s coming down the pipeline in turns of new cyberattacks or even new methods of protection for your organization.

If you’d like to learn more about how an MSP can help, contact us today.