The MSP Zone

MSPs spend a lot of time "in the channel", that is to say, learning from and interacting with both other providers and technology vendors. Yes, MSPs also spend a great deal of time with their clients. But, what I'm talking about today is how non-managed services entities and individuals view the MSP profession.   As with many things "managed services related", there are a lot of misconceptions abo...

In a follow up to our episode titled "Who are Hackers Really Targeting?", we have further evidence that it is not MSPs who are vulnerable to attack, but instead, the non-MSP organization has a higher likelihood of being successfully breached in a cyberattack compared to an MSP.   This is not to say MSPs do not get targeted or breached. This does mean, however, that successful cyberattacks are more...

MSPs have agreements with everyone; customers, vendors, partners. The managed services agreement with customers, perhaps, is the most important. Regardless of the type of MSP you are, the types of services, or your customers, the contracts you use will likely be negotiated.   Warranties and indemnification clauses are common boilerplate in modern managed services agreements. But, not all such clau...

Fact: Ransomware "gangs" are actively trying to attack organizations of all sizes. The attacks have had some success and will likely continue for the foreseeable future. But, are the attack vectors really targeting MSPs, or is there another target that exists?     Highlights:   Who are the real targets of these ransomware attacks?   Why are these tactics being used?  Can anything be done to stop t...

Pandemic related supply chain disruptions are happening on a global basis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, everyday items have become subject to distribution disruption. These supply chain disruptions are also having an impact on value added resellers. Could supply chain problems signal a business shift for VARs towards managed services?     Highlights:   VAR supply chain disruption  Impact o...

It seems there is never a shortage of M&A related chatter within the IT channel and we appear to be in the middle of one such rumor mill once again. In fairness, this may be part rumor and part misconception (probably more the latter).   Is there an M&A consolidation frenzy taking place in the MSP profession? We will examine that question.     Highlights:     MSP Zone Show Notes: Private equity is...

MSPs have agreements with everyone; customers, vendors, partners. The managed services agreement with customers, perhaps, is the most important. Regardless of the type of MSP you are, the types of services, or your customers, the contracts you use will likely be negotiated.   The terms you negotiate with customers matter, and sometimes there are ways you can arrive at terms which are mutual benefi...

Too often we think only of technology as that which will save us from cyber security threats. Yet, there is an even more powerful resource in the fight against cybercrime…people.     The human element is where the majority of email borne attacks are being focused. Are we doing enough to help those users fight what is aimed at them?     Highlights:   Cybersecurity attacks have become more prevalent...

A few episodes ago we discussed the challenges cyber insurance carriers are having identifying and categorizing risk. This has been evidenced in difficulties MSPs (and their customers) have been experiencing in obtaining and renewing cyber coverage.   A recent article in Crain's lends further evidence of this  issue. But, is it a lack of cybersecurity standard we face, or is it lack of enforcement...

Insurance is one of those topics often misunderstood by many, and yet has an undeniable impact on many industries. The common belief is that MSPs have been the more risky bets for cyber insurance carriers but that may not be true. In fact, the problem of cyber insurance coverage, best practices, and underwriting, may be far more serious that we realize.     Highlights:   What is the cyber insuranc...

MSPs looking to acquire other MSPs are everywhere. MSP buyers have always existed and will always exist. Having seen what works and what doesn't, I thought it would be helpful to discuss a few commonly employed buyer tactics I believe a) don't work, and b) actually may work contrary to your organization's best interests.   Highlights:  What are MSP buyers looking for?   Buyer outreach tactics curr...

The Information Technology industry has long suffered from nearly constant changing of names and the introduction of new names to replace old ones. Whether this is a successful rebranding technique developed by analyst and marketing firms, I'll leave that for another time.   What is clear to me, however, is that repeatedly changing terms and definitions can have a detrimental effect on a professio...

It has been several years since GDPR went into effect and it has had an impact on MSPs and clients alike. Today, many more laws are being and have been enacted that aim to copy what GDPR has accomplished, in large part, to combat the rise in ransomware attacks.     Highlights:   Impact of GDPR on MSPs  Differences between GDPR and MSP supply chain vendor policies  Which approach protects the MSP a...

It was going to happen eventually after the UK left the European Union. The UK is deliberating on whether GDPR will remain as a central theme in data privacy and security for UK citizens. This decision asks the larger question of what could replace GDPR as a privacy and security framework for the country.   Highlights:  What does it mean if the UK does abandon the principles of GDPR?  What would t...

For 25 years MSPs have been attempting to communicate why they are necessary to their clients. For existing managed services customers, this value makes sense since they already know what they are receiving.   However, in the age of cybersecurity threats and ransomware, the value of the MSP (or MSSP) should be even more simple and powerful to identify. If this is the case, why do articles like thi...

Ransomware is a problem for everyone. MSPs fight every day to keep their clients safe from ransomware, and yet, we must plan for the worst case scenario.     MSPs need to address ransomware with their clients, and one of the best places to do this is through the managed services agreement. This episode will help MSPs understand the best practices for including ransomware clauses within their agree...

CISA published their advisory bulletin addressing risk considerations for organizations thinking about using managed service providers. This is a great advisory, but it has some areas of potential misinterpretation in it, chiefly because CISA has departed from a security group and expanded into territory in which it has little experience.   Highlights:   What if organizations stopped using MSPs?  ...

It is a question we used to get often during the early days of managed services. Particularly, when organizations did not fully understand the requirements of owning IT infrastructure. To be sure, cyber threats, the complexities of managing IT, and the overall reliance on IT for business operations was must different back then compared to today.     Today, however, it may seem odd to ask the quest...

There has been a lot of discussion concerning the MSP regulation our profession should have. Standards for MSPs, cyber practices to reduce the number of cyberattacks, etc.     Instead, I’d like to turn the conversation into the type of legislation MSPs actually need. There are laws that would make the job of the MSP (and the benefits they provide to clients), more accessible. Those are the laws th...

How should your managed services catalog change, if at all, when delivering your offerings in the cloud? How can you use your updated services catalog to improve your sales and service delivery process, along with reduce your overall MSP risk?     Highlights  What is a service catalog?  Does the catalog change with cloud service offerings?  How does the service catalog interact with the service ag...

Every MSP needs to have an important conversation with their clients about cyberattacks and ransomware. These conversations don't have to be difficult, but they have to happen. Here are my thoughts about how you should approach this discussion and how you can use it to change the relationship you have with your customers. Who knows, they may even thank you for it.  Highlights:   There is no right...

In the aftermath of recent ransomware attacks on software companies used by MSPs, the question of how do we respond as a community is, and should, be asked. Some believe that more legislation is the answer. Maybe they are right. But, it would be a grave mistake for any legislation directly involving MSPs to be undertaken without first understanding what measures already exist to protect MSP and cl...

"Secretive" cloud providers have a problem. So do the MSPs who use these cloud providers. Fixing the issue of secrecy and lack of transparency is important to the non-IT world and we must address it now.   Highlights:   Cloud vs MSP Transparency  SaaS & Vendor Transparency  Applying Existing Standards  Bank of England to crack down on 'secretive' cloud computing services | Reuters

What's the difference between internal IT departments and managed service providers? There are some important distinctions which define the relationships between internal IT and the external MSP. Understanding those differences can improve how both interact with one another.  Highlights:  MSPs have to face a more diverse set of users, ecosystems, and threats. This diversity makes the MSP a far mor...

It was almost an inevitability that MSPs would begin to rethink their procurement of managed services enabling tools in the wake of the Kaseya ransomware attack. Sure enough, we are starting to hear from MSPs telling us that they are reversing their previous strategy of consolidating tools around big four MSP tool platforms.   Highlights:   Should MSPs decentralize?   How will this impact the MSP...