The good news for MSPs is that there has never been a tremendous demand for regulatory knowledge as it is today. Market research reported that global managed service offerings spending would grow to more than $296 billion by 2023.
Regulatory compliance has been an abstract idea rather than a foundational concept for most MSPs. These matters have only been heard of in MSP conferences, summits, and forums. However, they are now gaining significance among clients.
Why Is Compliance Management Necessary?
MSPs that have incorporated compliance to their offerings have reported several benefits. 54% of the respondents reported increased customer satisfaction in the survey that led to the above report. The advantages of adding compliance management to an MSPs managed service offerings can be summarized as below:
Efficiency/Stability
Incorporating a GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) program will provide resolution against immediate and long-term risk exposure by automating standard processes. This move will offer MSPs the freedom to be agile and scale their operations efficiently.
Expand Client Base
Incorporating frameworks such as GRC and IRM (Integrated Risk Management) will enable MSPs to attract clients. Such frameworks help simplify complex compliance management challenges to attract clients seeking scalable MSPs.
Enhance Value
Incorporating advanced compliance management solutions into the different types of managed services offerings will improve the value of services. The client will find additional value in consulting for compliance management and implementing them as well. Value added is the value received.
Compliance Is Everywhere
Compliance is everywhere and has become a crucial aspect of modern business as government regulation has increased in all scales and sectors. Accordingly, organizations do not want to find themselves in hot water. Although regulatory compliance is crucial for businesses across all sectors, some verticals need more regulation than others.
Finance
A study by Accenture and Ponemon revealed that the banking industry faces the most losses due to cybersecurity adversities. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act enacted 225 rules for more than ten agencies intending to reduce the risks across the financial system in the United States.
Healthcare
Another major hub for cyber adversaries is the healthcare industry. 2020 alone saw major healthcare organizations being hit by ransomware attacks and subsequent data breaches. Such is the impact of a data breach on the healthcare industry that a violation of a single healthcare provider can result in the exploitation of millions of patients.
Retail
The retail industry is also prone to data breaches due to the magnitude of personally identifiable information associated with them. This information may include financial, social, and other critical information that attackers can leverage for their exploitative intentions.
MSSPs can play a major role in ensuring that the clients adhere to the cybersecurity compliances mandated by authorities for organizations’ security across various sectors.
How To Adhere To Compliance Requirements?
- Adhering To The Most Recent Privacy Laws: One of the most crucial steps in adhering to compliance requirements as part of managed service offerings is knowing the law. Understanding the law in and out will help MSSPs to help clients comply with the regulations. Regulations specific to MSPs and their clients should be identified, and legal advice, if required, should be appropriated. The MSP must first follow these steps to achieve compliance and help the client achieve the same. Comprehending and adhering to the most recent privacy laws will enable different types of managed service providers to attain compliance.
- Centralized Security Management Techniques: The management of the security and compliance from a centralized interface will make monitoring collaborative. It will also facilitate the adherence to regulations that enable an organization to maintain a privacy-compliant framework. Managing the environment, accessing log data, and analyzing it are some of the managed service offerings that MSPs will need to comply with.
- Conducting Educational Programs In The Organization: Educating employees on matters such as privacy and security (and repercussions on not following compliance requirements) are crucial steps to protecting an organization from within. Adversaries need only one vulnerability to gain access to a network. Therefore, securing endpoints by regularly conducting educational sessions to create awareness will reduce immediate and long-term exposure for organizations.
- Securing And Managing Organization’s Data: Any cybersecurity incident directly impacts an organization’s data. A phishing attack or a ransomware attack can lead to potential data breaches. Such attacks expose the lack of controls in the managed service offerings, which may invite penalties according to local regulations. Therefore, MSPs should offer protection for a network and the data thereof with controls at the right places and in multiple layers. Such protection will prevent attackers from accessing confidential data that may put many people’s privacy at risk.
- Being Extra Cautious While Handling Cloud Issues: A SOPHOS report states that 70% of organizations that host data on the cloud have experienced at least one security incident. MSPs should identify a complete inventory of multi-cloud environments that could include storage, IAM (Identity & Access Management) users, and virtual machines. The offerings must consist of protection from ransomware and modern threats to sensitive data. Inbound and outbound data traffic to the virtual network must be secured to avoid any cloud-related security incidents.
- Insurance With Cyber Liability And Cyber Risk Coverage: MSPs and MSSPs face litigation and insurance claims for any cybersecurity incident faced by the client. These organizations have to face the brunt of regulatory fines and penalties. If clients can find a way, they can make MSPs subject to the same as they are supposed to be protecting the organization from such incidents. Therefore, MSPs should have breach insurance. They should review contracts for any ambiguous clauses to avoid nullifying coverage in any case.
Final Words
An increasing number of laws being passed to safeguard organizations may make compliance management complex for MSPs. However, the benefits outweigh the difficulties over the short and long run. MSPPs should cover their clients in compliance management as well to stay true to the managed services definition. It is ideal for organizations to include compliance management as part of their managed service offerings. This practice is set to become the standard in the MSP industry.