Evaluating MSPs: Key Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Managed Service Provider
Having an up-to-date technology infrastructure is critical for organizations to perform well in this ever-changing business world. An outdated technology infrastructure can harm your business by:
- Giving cybercriminals a free pass
- Putting your company in hot water with regulators
- Reducing overall productivity
- Causing employee dissatisfaction
- Upsetting your customers
Once you understand the risks of not keeping your technologies up to date with the latest standards, you must do everything possible to refresh your IT infrastructure. However, this is easier said than done and requires additional time and effort to make necessary changes. This is where evaluating MSPs becomes essential.
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) can augment technology expertise and knowledge gaps, but if you’ve never worked with one before and aren’t sure what to expect, finding the right MSP partner can be difficult.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of seven of the most important questions you should ask an MSP when evaluating MSPs to determine whether they are a good fit for your technology infrastructure and service needs.
Questions to Ask When Evaluating MSPs
1. Do you offer 24/7/365 support?
Your data and IT systems, unlike your employees, do not require sleep. Your MSP should provide 24/7/365 monitoring and support to address technology infrastructure issues and prevent downtime, data loss, and cyberattacks.
2. Do you perform regular risk assessments?
Because risk factors are constantly changing, MSPs must conduct security risk assessments regularly to stay ahead of emerging and evolving threats. Your MSP partner’s risk assessment reports should provide a comprehensive overview of internal and external threats that could impact your business.
3. Do you meet all of my compliance needs?
If you must be HIPAA compliant, for example, you need an MSP that understands the standard and complies with it. Ask if they can demonstrate compliance with the necessary regulations relevant to your industry.
4. Can you provide documentation to prove compliance and best practices?
Working with an MSP that does not follow best practices or has a track record of non-compliance can be detrimental. Ensure that they adhere to relevant standards and provide documentation proving their commitment to compliance and security.
5. Do you have a disaster recovery (DR) plan? Is it tested regularly?
If your MSP partner lacks a DR plan, they may not be able to withstand an incident, which could impact your business as well. Even if they already have one, it must be up-to-date and thoroughly tested to ensure reliability.
6. Is third-party auditing performed to meet cybersecurity and compliance requirements?
An MSP that invests in third-party audits can objectively demonstrate that its information systems and processes meet stringent security and compliance requirements. Ensure this is part of their regular assessment strategy.
7. Do you have a high level of confidence in your security posture? If so, can you explain why?
This question is crucial because if your MSP partner has a poor security posture, cybercriminals will have an easier time breaching your network. Their confidence should be backed by strong security frameworks, proactive monitoring, and a proven track record.
Why Are These Questions Crucial When Evaluating MSPs?
Having an MSP on your side is about more than just saving time and effort. You must have a clear understanding of how they intend to protect your company from evolving cyber threats, how they plan to ensure compliance with regulations to avoid fines and reputational damage, and whether they can provide you with reliable data backups when needed.
Choosing the right MSP is a critical business decision. Asking these questions will help you make an informed choice and find an MSP that aligns with your organization’s needs and security requirements.
Get in touch with us today to schedule a free consultation and determine if we are the right partner for your business.
