Managed Service Providers (MSPs) often have their hands full managing the IT and
data protection services of their clients. But are they being vigilant about their own cybersecurity? Increasingly, MSPs are targets of cyberattacks. And if their systems aren’t secure, that can have
far-reaching consequences for both MSPs and their clients. It is important for MSPs to ensure that they have the same safeguards in place for their systems as they do for their clients’ systems. Here are a few reasons why MSPs need to practice what they preach regarding cybersecurity.
Firstly, hackers know that MSPs are often small to medium-sized businesses. These smaller MSPs may not have the resources to handle persistent cyberattacks. Because of the strain that a cyberattack can place on small MSPs, they often
prefer to pay the ransom.
MSPs Are a Growing Target for Hackers
This past year, cybercriminals have shown an increased interest in mounting attacks against MSPs. Cyberliability insurance provider Beazley analyzed its internal data and found a 37 percent increase in ransomware attacks in Q3 2019 over the previous quarter—25 percent of those attacks were against MSPs. It’s not intuitive to think that companies specializing in data protection services would be targets of cyberattacks. However, there are many reasons why hackers increasingly choose to target these types of businesses.