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Data Governance at scale with CIS

Updated: 22/12/2024

Data Protection Strategies and Challenges for MSPs in the Fourth Quarter

As the year winds down and the fourth quarter begins, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) face a critical time to both drive revenue and address key data protection challenges. This time of year is often marked by strategic technology assessments and preparations for the coming year, making it the ideal moment to implement or strengthen data governance policies. In this post, we explore effective strategies for MSPs to manage data protection, ensure compliance, and position themselves as trusted business advisors to their clients.

The Value of Strategic Technology Assessments

The fourth quarter is the perfect time for MSPs to focus on conducting strategic technology assessments (STAs). These assessments help MSPs understand their clients' technology environments, identify gaps, and set the stage for improvements in the upcoming year. MSPs must take this opportunity to steer conversations away from purely technical issues and instead frame discussions around business outcomes. By focusing on how technology can secure critical systems and protect business revenue, MSPs can elevate the value of their services.

To resonate with clients, it’s essential to shift the conversation from hypothetical cybersecurity threats to practical concerns. Rather than focusing solely on preventing ransomware or data breaches, MSPs should highlight how data protection aligns with business goals, such as meeting contractual obligations, ensuring service continuity, and safeguarding sensitive customer data.

Understanding and Implementing CIS Control 3: Data Protection

A major challenge for many MSPs is implementing CIS Control 3, which focuses on data protection. This control is comprehensive, covering the entire data lifecycle from creation and classification to secure handling, retention, and disposal. For many small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), the complexity of managing their data at this level can be overwhelming. Many lack dedicated data governance officers or systems to properly track and manage data across various repositories.

At the heart of CIS Control 3 is the need to understand where data is stored, who has access to it, and what protections are in place to safeguard it. Many SMBs struggle with this foundational step, which often results in increased risk exposure. This risk is further magnified by the growing importance of compliance with regulations around data privacy and protection. MSPs must not only help clients map out where their data resides but also implement clear policies for handling, retaining, and ultimately disposing of sensitive information.

The Challenge of Data Retention and Disposal

One of the most difficult areas to address with clients is data retention. Many organizations default to keeping data indefinitely, which not only consumes storage resources but also dramatically increases the organization’s attack surface. Every file and email stored for long periods becomes a potential target for cybercriminals.

Educating clients on the importance of data disposal is essential. MSPs should highlight the risks of data sprawl, where sensitive information is scattered across multiple systems—often in unprotected locations. By helping clients understand that limiting data retention can reduce risk and cost, MSPs can position themselves as partners in risk management. Retention policies should be implemented that strike a balance between meeting regulatory requirements and reducing unnecessary exposure. These policies also need to consider the safe and secure disposal of data, ensuring that sensitive information is not only deleted but also irretrievable.

Practical Steps for MSPs to Improve Data Governance

Improving data protection begins with a well-structured data governance strategy. This strategy should include a clear policy for data classification, identifying approved data repositories, and establishing access controls. For many clients, the concept of data classification—determining what is considered sensitive or critical to business operations—can be new and challenging. MSPs should lead the process by helping clients define a basic data taxonomy that applies appropriate levels of security based on the sensitivity of the data.

MSPs must also ensure that the client’s data is encrypted both at rest and in transit. Encryption is particularly crucial in today’s hybrid and remote work environments, where data is often accessed from unmanaged devices. Implementing encryption policies and restricting access to managed devices can help significantly reduce risk. For clients resistant to full adoption of encryption policies, a phased approach that limits access to certain sensitive data while still allowing some flexibility can help ease the transition.

Data Encryption, Masking, and Beyond

Beyond basic encryption, data masking is another layer of protection that can be used to safeguard sensitive information. Data masking ensures that even if data is accessed by unauthorized individuals, the information remains unintelligible. While data masking is more commonly used in enterprise settings, it’s something MSPs should begin exploring for their SMB clients, particularly in sectors with high compliance requirements such as healthcare and finance.

MSPs should also take advantage of native tools within platforms like Microsoft 365 that enable data classification and encryption. These tools can automatically enforce retention and protection policies, streamlining the data protection process for both the MSP and the client. For organizations with more complex environments, third-party solutions can provide enhanced capabilities, although these can sometimes be cost-prohibitive for SMBs.

The Role of Education and Continuous Improvement

A recurring theme in improving data protection is education. Many businesses are unaware of the risks they face by not having clear data governance strategies. MSPs must take on the role of educators, helping their clients understand not just the technical aspects of data protection but also the business implications. This educational role is especially important when it comes to compliance, as many organizations are unaware of the contractual and regulatory obligations they must meet.

Continuous improvement is also key. Data governance isn’t a one-time exercise but an ongoing process. MSPs should work with their clients to regularly review and update data protection policies as part of their Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) or other regular check-ins. This ensures that the client’s data protection strategy evolves alongside their business needs and the changing cybersecurity landscape.

Conclusion: Elevating MSPs as Business Advisors

In the ever-evolving world of data protection, MSPs must go beyond being tech experts and position themselves as trusted business advisors. By focusing on business outcomes, managing risks, and ensuring compliance, MSPs can provide lasting value to their clients. As the fourth quarter progresses, now is the time to implement or refine data governance strategies that will not only protect clients’ data but also their business reputation and revenue.

By doing so, MSPs can strengthen their relationships with clients and ensure that both parties are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities that the next year will bring.