Co-managed IT service, sometimes called hybrid IT services, is when your business keeps an IT staff in-house but supplements its internal resources with some services from a managed service provider (MSP). When your business is large enough to maintain an in-house IT team, co-manager services can be the best of both worlds: you decide what you want from an MSP and what you want from your in-house team. There are many ways co-managed IT services can work. Here are three: Your in-house IT team leans on the expertise of a managed service provider for advice and assistance but handles the day-to-day IT maintenance The MSP becomes your outsourced CTO (sometimes called a virtual chief information security officer or VCISO) while your internal IT team executes plans and manages your systems Your IT leadership is in-house but directs an outsourced managed IT team to execute strategies
Multi factor authentication (MFA) and two factor authentication (2FA) are often used interchangeably, but they are really not the same though close. Both verify that you are who you say you are. However, 2fa specifically needs only two forms of authentication while MFA requires two or more. Both are MFAs but both are not 2FAs. Clear? It does get confusing especially since one of the “factors” in both cases is email/password. People often think that email/password is already two factors but it is not. Comparing multi factor authentication vs 2fa, is really considering how many forms of authentication you want to use. Two is the minimum, three is safer and more than that gets in the way of productivity. Remember the last time you logged in to a website? You were asked to provide a username and password. Again, that is really only one factor of authentication. 2FA takes this a step further by asking for one more factor, such as answers to previously asked security questions. These all fall into the “something you know” category. Most MFA requires you to provide a “something you know, have or are” answers: “Something you know” — your father’s middle name, your favorite book/movie, etc. “Something you have” — The most common “have” is your cellphone. The website you are trying to get into will send a text or push notification. Enter that code and you have access. There are more secure methods, such as using an authenticator app or token device. They provide an additional layer of security over simply providing information. “Something you are” — Biometrics like a fingerprint scan or face scan are the most common in this category. It really does not matter which term, multi factor authentication vs 2fa, you use. The importance is using a powerful, tough authentication method to protect your business.
A managed service provider (MSP) supports your company’s network, infrastructure and other technology needs. To use a metaphor, it does the heavy lifting so your in-house team can focus on improving and growing your business. Some offer an all-in-one platform and others customize the services to fit the client’s business. MSPs proactively work to keep your network up and running 24/7/365 without interruption. MSPs can fix breaks and create solutions for avoiding them. Partnering with one will get the most productivity out of your business. Managed Service Providers: Start with the setting up of your ITIL (internet technology infrastructure library) Monitor and protect all your endpoints (devices, computers), data and infrastructure (servers) Proactively monitor and patch manage to prevent disruption Trains your team about cyber security Gives you technology leadership guidance
The word “outsourcing” simply means sending a project or function to an external resource instead of to your internal team or staff member. The outsourcing of IT services can take a couple of forms. Outsourcing IT projects: This is when your company decides to send a particular project or component to a third party rather than doing it in-house. Examples are when you hire a vendor or contractor to migrate to a cloud, hire an after-hours help desk, contract for a set number of support hours per month or some other task. Referred to as “break-fix” solutions, these solutions are designed to fix a problem or fill a specific need. They’re good as a temporary measure but they are not proactively serving the IT and cyber security needs of your business. Partnering with a managed service provider (MSP) for your IT support needs is more encompassing because it includes a help desk and project expertise. As such, it actively works to keep your network free of problems. Outsourcing your IT needs to a managed service provider gives you, in effect, a highly efficient IT team of cyber security experts for typically less cost than an in-house team. MSPs work round the clock 24/7/365 to prevent breaks or breaches from happening, allowing your business to achieve its goals. Learn more about the different approaches for outsourcing of IT services.
