When we ask our customers what they’d do if they suffered a cyber-attack, 99% say, “We’d call our IT team.”
And to be fair – that’s a great first move. Your Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a crucial part of your cyber defence. But here’s the rub: that’s only half the job.
Think of Cybersecurity Like a House Fire
If your business was a house and a fire broke out, you’d definitely call the fire brigade. But while they’re racing to put out the flames, you’d still be the one talking to your neighbours, checking your family is safe, grabbing valuables (if you could), and sorting temporary shelter.
A cyber-attack is no different. Your IT team might be fighting the fire, but you’ve still got jobs to do.
What Your IT Team Can (and Can’t) Do
Your MSP can:
- Detect and shut down threats.
- Restore your systems from backups (provided you have them).
- Help patch the holes that were exploited.
But they can’t:
- Reassure your rattled customers.
- Rebuild your reputation online and in the media.
- Keep the phones answered and the team coordinated while systems are offline.
- Make judgment calls on what business can continue and what needs to pause.
That’s on you – the business owner or manager.
So, What Should SMEs Be Doing?
Here’s how you can hold up your side of the cyber resilience partnership:
- Have a crisis comms plan
Who talks to customers? What do you say? Do you have draft emails or phone scripts ready? - Know your critical processes
If your systems go down, what can you do manually? Can you still serve customers, take payments, or ship goods? - Train your team
Everyone should know what a phishing email looks like and what to do if something goes wrong. - Assign clear roles
In a crisis, who’s calling the IT provider, who’s calming staff, and who’s making business decisions? - Practice
Run a Table-top scenario annually with trained experts who have real-life experience and can identify the gaps in your cyber resilience and help you fix the gaps.
Final Word: Partnership, Not Outsourcing
Cyber resilience isn’t something you can fully outsource. Your IT team is your first responder, but… you’re the one who knows your customers, your people, and your business best.
When both sides know their roles and are prepared to act, you’ll bounce back faster – with your reputation, revenue, and relationships intact.
If you’re not sure how prepared you are, or just want to test your thinking, that’s where we come in.
Outfox helps Kiwi businesses build practical cyber resilience, so you are prepared to outfox the bad guys when the worst-case scenario happens.
Let’s chat: www.outfox.co.nz