Barracuda MSP Industry and Tech Blog

It seems like MSPs are being introduced to new product enhancements and tools every day. It’s not uncommon to use technology today that we could only dream of years ago. But, in a world where change is constant, what does it mean to be truly innovative?

Innovation means that you are leading the pack, delivering fresh, creative ideas, and ultimately providing value in a new and interesting way. But, with so many exciting resources and tools in the market, it is a challenge to stand out.

It’s been a whopping 30 years since the first Computer Security Day was celebrated on 30th November 1988. Back then, it’s fair to say the cyber security landscape was a little bit different to what it has become now. Cyber monsters have been around for years, but the way they look and their methods of terror have changed over time.

Sometimes we find ourselves reading the same story to our children every night. The story becomes so monotonous and repetitive that we forget what we are actually reading. For me, that book is Green Eggs and Ham. I can recite the book from start to finish without looking at the pages!

“Do you like green eggs and ham? I do not like them, Sam I am. I do not like green eggs and ham.”

Little things can make a big difference, especially if they are caught early on. For instance, take the expression, “like a canary in a coal mine.” This expression dates back to 1911 when canaries were used in the mining industry to warn coal miners of looming carbon monoxide poisoning. This gave miners an early enough warning to leave the mine before it was too late. Just like a canary in the coal mine, questions or concerns from your customers can be an early indicator of much larger problem—you just need to address them early on.

As the Barracuda MSP team celebrates Barracuda’s 15^th anniversary, we couldn’t help thinking about all the ways the IT channel has changed since 2003. Technology has changed. Threats have changed. Even the way MSPs run their businesses and expect to interact with their vendors has changed.

This year, as Bonfire Night loomed, I found my thoughts turning to gunpowder, treason, and plot. I began to imagine Mr. Fawkes for the modern age; him and his conspirators illuminated by computer screens in lieu of candlelight. Perhaps they’d be armed with keyboards instead of gunpowder. My imaginary Guy Fawkes of 2018 would certainly opt for a cyber-attack over a physical one.

Let’s face it, some of us think it is fun to be scared — especially at this time of the year. In preparation for Halloween, some of us find ourselves going to haunted hayrides, reading ghost stories, and even find ourselves binge watching The Haunting of Hill House. While not all MSPs enjoy a fictional thriller once in a while, they all know how truly terrifying running an IT service business can be, on a bad day.

For MSPs, cyber security is top of mind much more often than it is for your customers. With some SMB customers, it can be a struggle to not only illustrate the importance of this topic, but to explain that security is not a one-and-done type thing. Security requires a commitment from both sides to minimize the risk to their business through a mix of technology, training, and behavior.

While security discussions should be conducted year-round, October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month and provides an easy opportunity for MSPs to gain some momentum behind their security-related marketing activities.

With today’s sophisticated threats, security is likely (and for good reason) top of mind for most MSPs. No matter where you turn, it seems like there is another reminder to implement user education, security best practices, and update legacy security solutions to safeguard your SMBs from today’s latent threats. While one successful breach can be detrimental to your customer’s business, it is important to remember that it isn’t the only event that can have a devastating impact.

Based on a survey of 140 organizations conducted by Osterman Research, it’s estimated that as many as 44 percent of businesses were victims of an email attack from a compromised end user account in the past 12 months. These types of attacks can be devastating.

The severity and prevalence of email-borne attacks are only increasing, and for MSPs not currently offering email security services, it’s time to re-evaluate.