As the new year rolls around, we all might be busy thinking about our personal resolutions, whether that\u2019s joining the gym, decluttering our home, or drinking more water. However, it\u2019s important that you don\u2019t forget about a fresh start for your business, and there\u2019s one resolution that every business in the South West should be sticking to: Becoming cyber resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This might sound daunting at first, but you don\u2019t have to do it alone. A well-chosen Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be the partner that keeps your resolution going long after the early January enthusiasm fades. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently published important guidance<\/a> on choosing the right MSP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this blog, we\u2019ll break it down in plain, practical terms and discuss what this means for organisations in the South West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before committing to any resolutions, it\u2019s important to take stock of where you are now. This also applies to MSPs. The NCSC points out that many organisations rely heavily on MSPs for essential IT support, often without realising the risk this creates if the provider has a cyber breach of their own or mismanages access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before choosing an MSP, ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be honest about the weak spots in your systems and the risks these pose to your organisation. This will help you find an MSP that actually fits your organisation\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing an MSP isn\u2019t something to tick off your to-do list in a hurry. The NCSC emphasises the importance of taking the time to properly assess any provider that you\u2019re considering trusting with your systems. They recommend looking closely at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking the time to do your due diligence now will save you trouble down the line and help you build a mutually beneficial and supportive relationship with your MSP that contributes to your cyber resilience goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest flaws of partnering with an MSP is thinking that someone else can take the entire problem away. Even if you outsource key IT services, you must understand that the responsibility of your organisation\u2019s security still lies with you and your staff. The NCSC make this crystal clear in their guidelines. While a good MSP should improve your configurations, manage system updates, look out for potential threats, and support incident response, you still must set the direction for your company\u2019s journey to cyber resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s ever a moment to be thorough, it\u2019s now. The NCSC highlights the key questions that you should challenge any MSP with before you partner with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good MSP should reply in an easy to understand, jargon-free way without hesitation or dodging questions. If they try to bury you in technical terms, it\u2019s a sign to walk away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyber security must be an integral part of any managed service offering rather than an added on feature. A credible MSP will embed cyber security protocols into every aspect of their delivery, including configuration management, system monitoring, vulnerability handling, and reporting. This ensures proactivity rather than reactivity to any potential cyber threat. If a provider treats cyber security like an option, it\u2019s a strong indication that they may not be properly equipped to support your organisation\u2019s cyber resilience needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For organisations across the South West, choosing the right MSP has never been more important. Our region is a prime target for criminals because of our busy local economies and active supply chains. That means the impact of a compromised MSP can ripple fast throughout the business and entire supply chain. By following the NCSC\u2019s guidance and taking a more informed approach to choosing an MSP, South West businesses can strengthen their cyber security measures, reduce the likelihood of a cyber attack, and achieve cyber resilience in 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside your MSP, The Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West is also here to help. By joining us, you\u2019ll receive free expert guidance, access to helpful tools from the NCSC, and fully funded cyber security services delivered by cyber security students and professionals. Click here<\/a> to take the first step towards cyber resilience for your business today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the new year rolls around, we all might be busy thinking about our personal resolutions, whether that\u2019s joining the gym, decluttering our home, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":352,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351\/revisions\/352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crcnetwork-cfkr6.projectbeta.co.uk\/southwestcrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Reflect before you resolve<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Do your due diligence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Outsourcing isn\u2019t offloading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ask the questions that really matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Cyber security is not optional<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What does this mean for businesses in the South West?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n