Proper management of our IT infrastructure components is a necessary organizational defense tactic for doing business in the twenty first century. Most of our networks have moved online, and vast swaths of our workforce have moved remote, meaning hackers and other bad actors have infinitely more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities than they did just a couple decades ago.
In order to protect our assets against these bad actors, many organizations turn to managed infrastructure solutions to keep them safe and compliant. If you have never worked with a managed infrastructure services provider before, you may be unaware of the kind of protection you are missing out on. Today, we will dig into what managed infrastructure is, how it helps protect your data and other assets, and how to choose a provider that will meet your needs.
What are Managed Infrastructure Services?
Put quite simply, managed infrastructure providers are third party entities that provide comprehensive management of IT infrastructure. This allows companies both large and small to access dedicated teams of security specialists without the need to hire and retain in-house teams, and without the need for excessive overhead costs. There are some core components that provide key advantages for choosing a managed infrastructure services provider over managing it in-house.
Core Components of Managed Infrastructure Services
An organization’s IT infrastructure is an intricately intertwined series of software and hardware solutions that allow employees to deliver their goods and services to the world. These myriad pieces must be well protected and coordinated to work together, which is why it’s important that any security staff cover all their bases. Let’s look at some of the core services that managed infrastructure services provide.
Network Management
When hackers gain access to our networks, they can potentially gain access to all the assets that make our organizations tick. Proper network management involves monitoring it through continuous surveillance, protecting it against threats, network vulnerabilities and unauthorized access, and ensuring the optimal efficiency of all network resources. It also means addressing and resolving all incidents promptly and effectively.
Data Center Management
Protecting our physical and virtual servers is an equally important part of keeping our sensitive data out of the wrong hands. Managed infrastructure services protect our data centers by ensuring the reliability and efficiency of the infrastructure through proper provisioning and maintenance, as well as through management of our data storage solutions.
Cloud Services Management
Managing our growing arsenals of cloud-based resources is another important aspect of properly protecting an organization’s IT infrastructure. This includes everything from protection of data and applications to ensuring cost-effectiveness and performance of all cloud resources. Teaming with a third party not only streamlines these processes, but it also ensures you have a team of pros to help with the smooth transition of services and data to cloud platforms.
Endpoint Management
Endpoints like laptop computers and personal devices represent a significant source of potential vulnerabilities in any IT infrastructure. Device management, user access management, keeping software and hardware up to date, and ensuring endpoints are configured correctly and securely are all important parts of mitigating the risks associated with these potential vulnerabilities.
Application Management
Most organizations use a wide range of different applications to support various functions and processes. Managed infrastructure services providers help ensure applications are deployed correctly and performing as intended. They also provide technical support and troubleshooting services to ensure reliability and proper performance.
Security Management
Ensuring the overarching security of all of these IT infrastructure components is the core responsibility of infrastructure management services. This includes everything from continuously monitoring the network, to identifying and responding to potential security threats, to managing and mitigating any security incidents that could cause financial or reputational damage to the organization.
Backup and Disaster Recovery
If anything should happen to disrupt the operations of an organization’s network, it is important that we have backups in place to restore them and strategies for recovery. Teaming with managed infrastructure providers ensures you have recovery plans in place and the ability to regularly test your recovery procedures to ensure effectiveness.
Benefits of Professionally Managed Infrastructure
With a significant investment of time and money, organizations could handle IT infrastructure management on their own. It simply takes hiring and retaining an experienced team of security experts and building a command center to house them. If this sounds like a lot, it is. That’s why the benefits of partnering with a managed infrastructure services provider usually outweighs the benefits of in-house management. Here are some of the top reasons why.
Improved Mean Time to Detect (MTTD)
Mean time to detect refers to the ability of an organization to quickly identify and address potential issues and incidents. The more quickly we are able to detect these abnormalities, the faster we can respond. This leads to reduced impact from the incident and better overall system reliability. Managed infrastructure services providers employ a number of mean time to detect (MTTD) factors to stop attacks quickly and mitigate any potential damage.
Improved Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR)
On the other side of the same coin, mean time to recovery relates to the amount of time it takes to restore normal operations after a disruption. Whether that disruption occurs as a result of a malicious attack or a simple power outage, getting your network working normally again reduces the chances of serious impacts and damages.
Cost Effectiveness
As you may have guessed, cost effectiveness is one of the main reasons organizations turn to managed infrastructure services to keep their networks safe. A multinational corporation may have the resources to take on and maintain a dedicated team of in-house security experts, but for the vast majority of small and medium businesses, it’s much more cost effective to partner with an outsourced network operations center.
Access to Expertise
Another reason organizations utilize managed infrastructure service providers is that they simply don’t have access to the same level of expertise in their cities or regions. There are only so many experienced security experts available in any area, and there is considerable competition in putting an effective team together. Teaming with a provider allows us 24/7 access to their teams of expert technicians.
Scalability and Flexibility
As an organization’s list of services, clients, and employees grow, the scale of their networks must grow with it, and so must the level of protection. Teaming with the right provider allows us to scale resources quickly and effectively, and allows for seamless transitions when it comes to technology upgrades.
Hands-Off Approach
For organizations that would rather focus on providing their goods or services than in maintaining their IT infrastructures, the ability to take a hands-off approach with a managed infrastructure services provider provides significant upsides. They are designed to handle the heavy lifting of implementing, managing, and monitoring network safety, efficiently reducing downtime without the need for a large in-house security team.
Help Desk and Support
Another benefit we gain through partnering with a third party provider is access to user training, technical support, and problem management. This access not only provides peace of mind, but it can also save us considerable time and effort in making our networks more compliant.
What to Look For When Choosing a Managed Infrastructure Provider
When searching for a managed infrastructure services provider, there are some important company characteristics and core functionalities that should be guiding your decisions. If the provider doesn’t meet your needs, it is not a good fit. Here are some things to look for.
Service Offerings
The most important consideration when choosing a managed infrastructure provider is whether or not they meet your needs. The provider should offer a full range of services, provide the ability to tailor their services to your individual needs, and meet the compliance requirements of any regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over your industry.
Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Any time you engage in a service from a third party provider, it’s important to get and review a detailed SLA before the service begins. This ensures you know what level of service to expect, including uptime guarantees, response times for support requests, and incident resolution times. Getting this information in writing ensures you are protected and receive the level of service you are paying for.
Experience and Expertise
Another important thing you must consider is whether or not the provider has the experience and expertise to make you feel comfortable trusting your IT security to them. An early stage provider may offer deep discounts to get your business, but when your company’s reputation and financial future are on the line, it’s much better to opt for a provider with a track record of successful work.
Technology and Tools
Even with a team of experienced security personnel, much of the heavy lifting in managed infrastructure is handled by advanced technologies. Make sure the provider you partner with is using the most up to date, effective tools for managing your infrastructure and working in your industry.
Reputation
A managed infrastructure services provider’s experience carries less weight if they don’t have a reputation for providing customer satisfaction. You can research a provider’s reputation through things like reviews, testimonials, and case studies. You can even ask colleagues or friends in the industry who they’ve worked with, and whether or not that provider met their expectations.
VirtualArmour has been a trusted advisor since 2001, and has worked hand in hand with teams across the country to solve their most critical network and cyber security issues. If you would like to learn more about our offerings, including managed infrastructure, reach out for a consultation.
