How Can an MSP Help with NIST Compliance?
With cyberattacks causing businesses and governments billions of dollars each year, taking a preventive strategy to data security has never been more critical.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework has been generally embraced as the benchmark for data security, despite being optional and providing a significant lot of freedom in deployment.
On the other hand, implementation of the framework has frequently been impeded by expenses. Even though security specialists virtually universally agree that it is one of the most acceptable industry practices, business executives typically see the high level of expenditure as a barrier to implementation.
Because of the framework’s versatility, determine which regulations to implement and how to do so.
Fortunately, complying with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework does not have to be this difficult. There’s no reason why smaller businesses can’t reach the same level of security and adherence as giant corporations and, as a result, generate new revenue sources. Managed service companies offering IT services for government contractors can help with this.
The following are some of the most effective ways that collaborating with an MSP may assist you in implementing your cybersecurity compliance plan:
#1. Evaluate your present level of security maturity.
The first step toward NIST compliance is to assess where you are now on your path. This will aid in developing your current profile, which will assist in prioritizing your rehabilitation plans to address any weaknesses in your present infrastructure.
External risk assessment is a natural place to start because it evaluates your system from the exterior. Risk assessment may combine this with a NIST security assessment to see how closely your plan presently adheres to the standard.
#2. Educate people on the need for security.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework’s principal goal is to provide a consistent vocabulary for discussing information security and how it relates to broader business risk mitigation. This underlines that security is a shared responsibility – not simply the duty of IT.
As well as technological controls and principles, the framework covers security awareness and accountability. As a result, it is designed to be implemented coherently throughout the business. An MSP that offers security awareness training can assist with this.
#3. Keep an eye on security incidents in real-time.
One of the program’s critical areas of expertise is detecting possible security problems as they occur. Preventive countermeasures are another option, but they aren’t adequate to keep most new and undiscovered hazards at bay.
Year-round, your systems require round-the-clock surveillance. Having an adequately manned 24/7 security force, on the other hand, is likely unrealistic, especially for small enterprises. That gap may be bridged with a managed security information and event management (SIEM) system.
#4. Make improved access management a priority.
Most company operations are handled in distant data centers in the cloud era. Even though these on-demand services provide virtually endless flexibility and allow for teleworking, they necessitate a security reassessment.
In modern parallel processing settings, the old idea of a safe perimeter no longer applies, which is why IT solutions and services company professionals should prioritize account-based security. Using 2-step verification and partnering with the proper MSP can help safeguard online accounts.
#5: Keep all of your data-bearing assets safe.
Even though many businesses today keep the majority, if not all, of their data resources in the cloud, the necessity to protect endpoints is more critical than ever. Employee-owned computers and cellphones are examples of endpoints that workers utilize to access the assets they need to accomplish their jobs.
If one of these devices is considered lost or stolen, it puts your company at risk of a data breach. Endpoint security is also addressed by NIST compliance, and the correct MSP can assist you to satisfy its requirements with techniques like endpoint encryption.…