{"id":3376,"date":"2023-10-05T20:02:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T20:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pax8.com\/blog\/?p=3376"},"modified":"2024-05-09T16:22:55","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T16:22:55","slug":"why-msps-should-offer-continuity-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pax8.com\/blog\/why-msps-should-offer-continuity-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you should offer both security and continuity solutions as an MSP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like enterprise organizations, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face increasing cyberthreats and unexpected disruptions. As a managed service provider (MSP), offering both security and continuity solutions<\/a> is crucial to ensuring not only that your clients\u2019 data is protected, but that their operations can continue uninterrupted.<\/p>\n

Understanding continuity<\/h2>\n

Every MSP knows security is vital for their clients. But what they may not realize is that continuity is just as critical to protecting SMBs\u2019 data. In fact, a break in continuity can cost $10,000\/hour<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Continuity solutions provide backup protection to systems and hardware, allowing organizations to achieve business continuity<\/a> in the face of a disruption, such as a cyberattack or natural disaster. While these solutions cannot eliminate the risk of outages, they significantly minimize downtime, which can save MSPs and their end clients valuable time, money, and customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMSPs should think of cybersecurity as the protection and continuity as their insurance,\u201d says Richard Tubb, IT Business Growth Expert. \u201cNo MSP can ever mitigate every risk in the exceptionally fast-paced world of cybersecurity, so continuity is a must.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are examples of continuity solutions?<\/h2>\n

Some examples of continuity solutions include:<\/p>\n

Backup:<\/strong> These solutions create copies<\/a> of data in a secure, offsite location ensuring that critical information is protected and can be quickly restored if the primary system becomes compromised. Backup solutions act as a safety net, allowing businesses to recover their data and resume operations seamlessly.<\/p>\n

Disaster recovery:<\/strong> While backup solutions create the copies needed in case of a disruption, disaster recovery solutions<\/a> put a plan to recover data in place. Disaster recovery solutions provide a failover mechanism, ensuring that businesses can quickly switch to a backup system and continue functioning.<\/p>\n

Cloud-based solutions:<\/strong> Accessing data and applications remotely through the cloud supports seamless operations for businesses, regardless of their physical location. Cloud-based solutions<\/a> enable remote work and allow businesses to maintain productivity and collaboration during disruptions.<\/p>\n

Archiving:<\/strong> Archiving solutions<\/a> allow organizations to store and manage large amounts of inactive data securely, meeting compliance requirements and facilitating retrieval when needed. Archiving not only ensures data availability but also helps businesses comply with regulatory standards. This is differentiated from backups, which cover current data; in contrast, archiving helps organizations free storage space and improve system performance.<\/p>\n

The symbiotic relationship between continuity and security<\/h2>\n

Cybersecurity<\/a> and continuity solutions aren\u2019t the same, but they do go hand-in-hand. While cybersecurity solutions<\/a> focus on protecting critical systems and data from cyberthreats and attacks, continuity solutions act as a safety net, indemnifying businesses against potential disruptions. Together, they protect businesses\u2019 valuable assets and ensure that they can recover quickly in the event of an incident.<\/p>\n

In essence, cybersecurity acts as an organization’s first layer of protection, while continuity acts as the underlying insurance that everything can get back up and running if cybersecurity protocols fail. While cybersecurity should be a priority for all businesses, no solution or practice is perfect; without continuity in place, it\u2019s like buying a security camera but forgetting to take out insurance for your home. You might detect the threat and have the tools to stop it in its tracks, but how quickly (if at all) will you be able to recover from the damage caused? That\u2019s where continuity comes into play.<\/p>\n

The importance of continuity solutions<\/h2>\n

The ability to recover and resume operations quickly is just as essential as protecting against threats. Continuity solutions are the key to minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity, thereby safeguarding your clients\u2019 reputation, revenue, and end customers\u2019 trust.<\/p>\n

Imagine a scenario in which a business experiences a cyberattack that compromises its systems. Without a continuity solution in place, the business would face risks<\/a> such as prolonged downtime, monetary loss, and potential customer attrition. Tubbs brings up an apt analogy: \u201cSome interesting areas for continuity include critical workstations. How would your client react if that aging PC containing the floppy-disk based payroll software were unavailable?”<\/p>\n

On the other hand, with a robust continuity solution, the business can quickly recover its data and systems, minimizing the impact of the attack and reducing the recovery time. Thus, continuity is no longer a \u201cnice to have,\u201d but rather a must-have for every business that uses data.<\/p>\n

Featured continuity solutions<\/h2>\n

With all the various categories within business continuity, it can seem overwhelming to get started. The following are a few suggestions to help you get started:<\/p>\n

Microsoft<\/h3>\n

Microsoft<\/a> offers a range of continuity solutions that MSPs can leverage to keep their clients\u2019 businesses up and running. These solutions are built into the Microsoft ecosystem and seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft products and services:<\/p>\n