Why MSPs should add MFA and endpoint protection to firewalls in their security offerings
Firewalls are a key component in cybersecurity to protect corporate networks from external threats. However, these barriers must be accompanied by solutions that complement each other and build a layered security posture to help prevent vulnerabilities from exposing networks to malicious activity, at all and any cost.
Cyberattacks often end up being successful due to human error and relying on just one network security solution to bear the full weight of an organization's cybersecurity is not the best way to prevent them. Verizon's 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report points out that 82% of breaches involved human error, which highlights the key role people play in cybersecurity incidents. The growing use of tactics such as phishing or social engineering in cyberattacks on companies commonly involve actions taken unknowingly by employees, as they are tricked into sending messages or performing other tasks that appear to be legitimate but, in many cases, veil a potential threat, resulting in a data breach or ransomware attack.
Why add MFA and endpoint protection to your security offering?
One of the best ways to reduce human error that causes security issues is to invest proactively in cybersecurity training. As an MSP, providing security awareness training, along with offering security products and services, helps improve client perceptions of your offering and increases their investment, while unlocking a new revenue stream for your business and building trust.
In addition to these training programs, MSPs should also offer solutions that help augment layered protection with additional tools such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent credential theft and endpoint security solutions that function as a line of defense against advanced threats.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA):
Deploying an MFA solution is a simple but effective security measure. And it follows a simple logic: the more forms of authentication deployed, the less likely it is that passwords or private credentials will be compromised. Watchguard’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) AuthPoint is simple to use and implement and uses mobile device DNA to verify that the user's phone is authorized to ensure that access to systems and applications are granted to the correct device. This additional step blocks any attackers who have cloned user devices to try and access a protected system and provides another layer of defense.
- Endpoint security:
Every endpoint in your customer's organization represents a potential entry point for a cybercriminal to infiltrate the network system, which is why endpoint security management should be a crucial part of any cybersecurity strategy and a key service that MSPs can offer their customers. WatchGuard EPDR solution combines endpoint protection and prevention (EPP) technologies with advanced detection and response (EDR) capabilities and includes two automated threat classification and hunting services to deliver comprehensive security. Continuous monitoring of endpoint activity, as well as detection and classification of all processes, identifies and blocks anomalous user, machine and process behavior before it spreads across the organization's network.
The advantages of a single supplier to protect your customers
Partnering with a security software and hardware vendor that can offer a robust and holistic set of products that address all of their customers' security requirements is clearly an advantage for MSPs.
Deploying tools from different vendors creates instability when they are integrated, adds management complexity by forcing administrators to use multiple consoles and logins, is time consuming and can create security holes for end customers. "Tool proliferation," the practice of introducing more and more disparate solutions, means MSPs have to devote specific resources to managing these solutions which ultimately outweighs any benefits gained. Service providers looking to develop a modern cybersecurity posture in the future should optimize the number of vendors they work with and gear their workflows toward integration and automation of processes and tools. This enables MSPs to offer more efficient services and better protection, using fewer resources and reducing service management times.
As explained in our white paper Frost & Sullivan report: Cybersecurity Trends for MSPs, comprehensive and well-integrated security platforms facilitate management, reduce costs, and provide MSPs with the right tools to prevent and mitigate security incidents. So, it makes sense for MSPs to partner with vendors that offer a wide variety of security services and solutions integrated into a single console.
Generating value for MSPs through centralized security
For NETbuilder, a critical factor in selecting WatchGuard as its strategic security partner was its range of superior technologies under a single platform. "WatchGuard provides us with all four pillars: network security, endpoint, multi-factor authentication, and secure Wi-Fi," states Chris Bates, NETbuilder Sales and Marketing Manager. "Instead of dealing with multiple vendors, we have a single point of contact." From the company’s perspective, using a single vendor capable of providing the most comprehensive security toolset, and bringing it all together under a single platform via the Cloud, has transformed NETbuilder’s MSP business and is aligned to its growth objectives.
Providing superior security is possible with the right combination of solutions capable of adapting to the unique needs of each customer. That's why we recommend MSPs add MFA and endpoint protection to their offerings to complement the firewalls or any network security solutions they already deploy within their customers' cybersecurity strategies.
