The Role Your MSP Plays in Cybersecurity

When businesses choose managed services, there can be early misconceptions about how the relationship works successfully. At Exigent, we do our best to explain the process and set appropriate expectations. The bottom line is that managed services are a collaboration that takes engagement from both the MSP and your team.

Outsourcing IT doesn't equal outsourcing responsibility – particularly when it comes to cybersecurity services.  Protecting your organization must be a team effort – a shared responsibility between your business and our experts.  

Key Takeaways

• A shared responsibility model ensures your business leaders, employees, and your MSP all play critical roles in protecting data and systems.
• Managed IT services provide the foundation, but not full coverage — advanced cybersecurity solutions must be tailored to your business needs.
• True cybersecurity resilience requires both technology and culture — policies, employee training, and executive prioritization are just as important as the technical tools your MSP provides.
  

The Myth of Outsourced Cybersecurity

Misunderstandings about managed cybersecurity services start with the false belief that cybersecurity is wrapped up in a managed services agreement. While basic security tools are often included in a managed services package such as Exigent's Assurance Complete Managed Services, the coverage is limited.

Here's why: Advanced and effective cybersecurity solutions must be tailored to each organization. A reputable MSP offers a portfolio of integrated managed security solutions that address the specific needs of an organization. That is because (say it with us): Every business is different.

If MSPs built every conceivable cybersecurity need into their standard managed IT services offering, prices would be exorbitant. Instead, managed services should be used as a foundation and starting point, with your MSP then working collaboratively to layer specific security solutions over that, creating a custom environment for a client's unique needs.  

It's that collaborative approach—we call it The Exigent Method—that allows us to craft integrated and effective security for customers. We have to listen and discuss risk, compliance, personnel, work environments, and more to create the right solution stack for each client. That is where the shared responsibility for cybersecurity begins. Without transparent, detailed conversations about your organization, your MSP can't guide you toward the right answers.

The Shared Responsibility Cybersecurity Model

Once your organization has paired with an MSP, you should expect a deep dive into the cybersecurity needs unique to your business, your industry, and your future plans. The goal is to establish a clear baseline of where the business stands today and where gaps exist. These discovery questions help frame both the shared responsibility approach as well as shape the roadmap for protecting the organization.

Here are some questions you can expect:

Business Context & Risk Appetite

• What are critical business operations that cannot be disrupted?
• Have you identified your most sensitive or regulated data (e.g., client records, financial data, PHI)?
• How much downtime or data loss would be catastrophic for your business?
• Do you have compliance obligations (HIPAA, PCI DSS, etc.)?

Current Business Security Policies & Governance

• Do you currently have written cybersecurity policies (acceptable use, incident response, data classification)?
• How often are these policies reviewed and updated?
• Do you have cyber liability insurance, and what requirements does it mandate?

Identity & Access Management

• How do employees log in to systems today? Are multi-factor authentication (MFA) controls in place?
• Do you use role-based access controls or least-privilege principles?
• How are offboarding and access revocation handled when employees leave?

Infrastructure & Technology Controls

• What protections are currently in place at the network level (firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention, VPN)?
• Do you have endpoint detection and response (EDR) on employee devices?
• Are servers, applications, and devices patched regularly and consistently?
• How are cloud services (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, etc.) secured and monitored?

Employee Awareness & Culture

• Have your employees received cybersecurity awareness training? How often?
• Do you run phishing simulations to test readiness?
• Do employees know how to report a suspicious email or potential incident?
• Is there leadership buy-in to make security a business priority?

When Exigent engages with SMBs, these baseline questions help uncover hidden risks, open to conversation about realistic expectations and shared responsibility, and start the process toward a detailed IT roadmap that informs technology decisions in the short- and long-term.

Download our guide to shared responsibility for cybersecurity 

Cybersecurity Actions Your Businesses Must Own

Truly effective cybersecurity requires much more than IT tools. Sure, your organization needs endpoint protection, email filtering, firewalls—but those tools must be wrapped in detailed security policies, educated employees, and leadership prioritization.

Let's start with policies.  While your MSP can advise and provide best practices for your security policies, only your team can create documentation that aligns with your needs. At the very least, every business should have processes and policies for acceptable use, access control, incident response, data classification, and security awareness and training policies. For some organizations, a BYOD (bring your own device) and remote access policy is also a must.

From there, training your team should be a priority. Again, your MSP partner may offer training services or recommend a trusted partner for those activities, but they must happen. Your employees are the best and first line of defense for cybersecurity, and not only to protect against common phishing and social engineered threats delivered by email. Having policies and an ongoing training schedule will enable a security culture that starts with leadership. When your executive team articulates the importance of a security-first culture and rewards buy-in across the team, your organization will gain the most from your cybersecurity investments.

When you pair an engaged, trained team with leadership that prioritizes security in all its many forms with an experienced MSP, you will find your organization can weather the challenging cyber environment much better.

Want to learn more about the shared responsibility approach to cybersecurity? Contact us today.