While there may be shinier new buzzwords in tech – ChatGPT and Metaverse, to name a few – there isn’t one that is as important as cyber security. Not only does is impact every single business every day, it’s a need that isn’t going away. Now that the seal has been broken on breaches, businesses and their security providers are in a never-ending cycle of maintaining their security postures to keep up with hackers. Every company is a target, and every hacker is constantly upping the ante with new attack methods and strategies.
That continual process is one of many reasons businesses are increasingly leaning on their MSPs for cyber security services. Most companies simply don’t have the resources to manage security on a full-time basis to the extent it’s necessary to stay ahead. In many cases, they also don’t have the expertise to ensure all their potential attack surfaces are protected. They also have built relationships with their MSPs, to whom they already entrust their other IT needs, so adding cyber security to the mix is a natural evolution.
That’s why many security vendors are keen to partner with MSPs. Vendors have the technology and the expertise, and MSPs have the client relationships. It’s a logical business model that benefits all parties – vendors, their MSP partners, the MSPs’ clients, and those clients’ customers. I recently caught up with Valentina Flores, CEO at Red Sentry , to get her take on MSPs and cyber security. Red Sentry provides pentesting and automated vulnerability scanning, with the goal of identifying vulnerabilities before they are exploited, so customers can plug those security holes before they are hacked. The company, which has helped discover more than 20,000 vulnerabilities, is a Gold sponsor of MSP Expo 2023 , taking place February 14-17, 2023 as part of the #TECHSUPERSHOW in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Red Sentry will be in Booth #557 in the exhibit hall .
While Red Sentry’s approach to security is different from many other vendors with its proactive, preventative solution, one thing Flores is clear on is the value MSP partnerships bring businesses. Here’s what she had to say about MSPs, security, and what she’s looking forward to at MSP Expo.
What is your current perception of the Managed Services space? Why is it such a hot market?
We’re always so far behind when it comes to fighting hackers, but working together in these partnerships gives us an advantage. MSPs have a reach into all of these businesses that would otherwise be underserved and under-protected. So an MSP partnering with companies like Red Sentry makes security more scalable.
What’s the biggest opportunity for MSPs to increase their revenues and value to their clients?
Valentina Flores, Red Sentry
Adding a solution as a new revenue stream can be very easy ROI for the MSP, while at the same time providing value to their clients. It’s a win-win-win. Having it as a required part of their client’s package increases it even more. With Red Sentry, we recommend MSPs use our solution as a way to do an initial cyber-health check on new clients, and then keep a finger on the security pulse of existing clients.
Why are you focused on partnering with MSPs?
MSPs are the only way to truly scale cybersecurity. Plus, they’re nerds at heart like us, so it’s just an easier conversation, because they realize the importance of security. When MSPs look at our solution and see how it works, they understand the value immediately.
Tell us about what you offer MSPs? How are you helping them better address their customers’ needs?
We offer traditional penetration testing, as well as an automated vulnerability management platform, for MSPs to resell to their clients. For annual or quarterly pentests, we handle everything and MSPs simply make easy money. For our vulnerability management platform, MSPs have all their clients in a dashboard, so they can see their clients’ overall security scores, or deep dive into vulnerabilities found. For both our pentests and our solution, we can white-label them to your MSP or keep it third-party, whichever you prefer.
All of our partnerships are extremely flexible, because we’ve found that MSPs all operate a little differently and need a partnership that fits that.
Is there any recent news from your company you would like to share?
We recently achieved our SOC 2 Type 2, which is very important to us as we’re handling sensitive data for our clients. We put security first in everything we do.
There’s been a lot of talk about an IT talent gap. Do MSPs have the technical expertise to address their customers’ needs adequately? If yes, why is there then a misconception regarding talent and, if no, how are you MSPs bridge the gap?
As an industry, we’re seeing a talent gap compared to the need, but only because the need is expanding so rapidly. That being said, MSPs are holding down the fort! MSPs have a TON of talent, but there are only so many hats they can wear at the same time and be experts at. So, to bridge the gap, we recommend outsourcing things like penetration testing and cybersecurity. We can’t all be experts in everything, which is where partnerships come into play.
As MSPs look to build their portfolios, they have many vendor options. Why should they partner with you?
We understand that every MSP is built differently, and that they need a partner to meet them where they are. Some like full control, some like none. Some like white-labeling, some like showing third-party tools. Some need unique contract terms, or even specific platform features. Being more boutique, we are able to be much more flexible and provide exactly what a partner needs.
What differentiates your services or solutions from your competitors?
From our pentests to our solution, everything we do is truly from a hacker’s perspective, because our company was built BY a hacker (ethical hacker, of course). So, while there are companies out there with flashy UIs, they may be flooding your results with false positives or meaningless CVEs, instead of looking at how hackers are actually getting into companies.
What kind of support do you offer your MSP partners throughout the partnership lifecycle (e.g., education, training, marketing, technical support, etc.)?
Anything and everything. As a minimum, we do tech support, sales training and marketing. But we can also sit in on your first demos to assist, publish co-branded press releases, feature you on our website, attend conferences together, and anything else that helps our partnership.
Look into your crystal ball and tell us how you see your market and/or the MSP space changing/evolving in the next few years.
More and more industries are going to mandate penetration testing and vulnerability scans. Not just fintech and SOC 2-seekers and those typical companies we think of, but all SaaS, retail, law firms, healthcare, and everything in between. Every industry touches technology now. As these requirements increase, MSPs will HAVE to offer it to their clients, or risk losing them to a full-service provider. Having these partnerships in place gets ahead of the curve.
Why are you excited about MSP Expo 2023? Why should attendees be sure to stop by your booth in the exhibit hall?
I love this event because all the attendees are so forward-thinking. Last year, I met so many awesome people and companies, and so many MSPs who are thinking next-level. It’s a fun conference to be a part of the forward-push. I’d love to meet up with anyone attending, so send me a message or stop by our booth.
If you are speaking at MSP Expo 2023, what is the session and why is it a must-attend session?
I am speaking at two sessions this year that will be extremely helpful for MSPs to attend if they’re looking to secure their clients and add revenue streams. The first is for MSPExpo, “What you Need to Know to Keep your Companies Secure” (Thursday at 9:15). The second is for ITEXPO, “Hacking Trends and How Companies Can Fight Back” (Thursday at 2:15). Attend both!
Edited by
Erik Linask
