Jan-Feb-Mar 2021

OPINION
Search for the business on reputable
review sites, like Trustpilot and, where
possible, request case studies. These will
help you gauge whether the provider is
willing to go above and beyond to deliver
the project or will simply produce the
minimum level of work expected.
COMPLIANCE IS KEY
Data security is a huge problem for UK
businesses, who amass over £3 million
per year in losses, as a result of data
breaches. With the UK government
clamping down on non-compliance with
fines of up to £18 million, businesses
can't afford to chance their luck running
insecure operations.
Many businesses are simply unequipped
to handle extra security tasks, especially in
understaffed SMEs. This is where IT
vendors prove their worth - not only do
they make light work of cybersecurity
threats and compliance tasks but they can
also help educate employees as they build
the necessary infrastructure to stay secure.
Review each vendor's credentials,
including requesting relevant
cybersecurity and certifications and
viewing online testimonials, keeping note
of any complaints or problems from
people using the service. You're also
entitled to ask a vendor for evidence of
an emergency contingency plan - in case
of a crisis - so, don't shy away from
requesting one.
This gives businesses the peace of mind
that the vendor is equipped to meet their
needs in terms of data storage and online
threats. It also opens a dialogue and
demonstrates transparency and trust,
which are vital to any mutual relationship.
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
There's a common perception around IT
vendors - that they're only to be used for
one-off projects, troubleshooting small
errors and fixing bugs - which is proving
increasingly untrue.
With the rapid growth in the capabilities
of vendors, they can form a reliable
foundation upon which SMEs can enjoy
long-term success and build their entire
IT infrastructure. Access to a whole team
of IT directors allows small businesses to
compete with corporate giants while
avoiding the overhead costs of
employing an in-house team.
To make sure you have a relationship
built for longevity, it's important to
partner with a proactive and forwardthinking
vendor, rather than one which
simply carries out instructions when
asked. Quiz potential providers on what
they see as the business' IT weak points
and how they would address and
innovate them.
The answer to these should reveal
whether the vendor has the potential to
implement transformative projects like IT
audits, cloud migration and designing
comprehensive IT roadmaps, or whether
they are likely to take a more passive
approach to the relationship. NC
PROFICIO
WINNERS OF OUR CLOUD-DELIVERED SECURITY SOLUTION OF THE YEAR AWARD
Proficio is a leading managed security services provider (MSSP) of managed detection and response (MDR)
services. Our clients receive around-the-clock event monitoring and incident management from our SOCs in
California, Barcelona and Singapore. Our security experts are highly responsive and understand your
environment, policies, and processes, acting as an extension of your IT security team. We use AI and cloud
technologies to hunt for targeted attacks, rapidly alert clients to critical threats, and automate containment of attacks
before they cause damage. Proficio's MDR services have been recognised in Gartner's Guide to Managed Detection
and Response Services annually since 2017. Proficio was also the first MSSP to build an automated response solution
to instantly contain high-fidelity threats without human intervention.
Proficio's next-generation MDR platform uses a universal bus architecture to provide our clients access to cloudbased
services and fast search. Our platform provides all the benefits of a dedicated SIEM without the cost and
complexity of owning and operating SIEM software. Client's security logs are collected and analysed using advanced
use cases, threat analytics, and AI-based threat models, which provides them with more accurate detection of
indicators of attack or compromise. Proficio also provides MDR services for clients who have invested in a dedicated
SIEM, such as Splunk.
Proficio provides visibility into each client's security posture including a relative risk score calculated on their use of
security tools to detect and prevent threats. We also provide services to manage endpoint detection and response
software, next-generation firewalls, and Risk-Based Vulnerabilities.
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