10 Questions to Ask Your IT Provider

Non Profit IT Support

By: PCR Business Systems

One thing we always tell business owners is to have an open dialogue with their IT service providers and to never be afraid to ask questions.

It’s easy to hire an MSP to manage your IT operations and cybersecurity, assume all is well, and fail to check in periodically to make sure they’re delivering on what they promise, and that they are implementing the best cybersecurity controls and practices both for your business and their own.

We talk with several companies each month whose IT companies either failed to back up their systems properly or were not staying on top of necessary security patches and updates. More than a few local businesses we have met with either permanently lost access to irreplaceable client files and data or were on the verge of going out of business due to a breach that could have been prevented.

We know that it can be easy to “set it and forget it” when it comes to your IT support and cybersecurity, but it’s worth an extra 30 minutes each month to call up your IT provider and make sure they’re providing your business with the highest level of IT services and security.

To get the conversation started, we’ve created a list of 10 Questions to Ask your IT Provider.

    1. Did you know that technology providers are at risk of cyber-attacks?
    2. What controls do you have in place to protect my data?
    3. Have you been SOC Audited?
    4. Where do you store my passwords?
    5. Do you have multifactor authentication for all your systems?

(Questions about your System)

    1. Is multifactor authentication set up for email on all devices?
    2. Do any of our users have administrator rights on their computers?
    3. Are incoming/outgoing firewall ports blocked?
    4. Can we go over our written backup and disaster recovery plans?
    5. When was the last time our backup was tested?

Unfortunately, not all managed IT providers are equal and it’s essential you keep an eye on your MSP to make sure they’re doing their job. If you have any concerns about your business technology or cybersecurity don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have or perform a Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment to make sure your business has the necessary security controls in place.

Click here to schedule a meeting.

PCR Business Systems is the leading Managed IT Provider located in Akron, Ohio, serving Northeast Ohio companies since 2004. Learn more.