Orlando Managed IT Services FAQ

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) on every endpoint and server; email security catching phishing at the perimeter; multi-factor authentication on every account that supports it; conditional-access policies on cloud identity (Microsoft Entra or equivalent); regular vulnerability scanning and patching; security-awareness training for all staff; backup with offline or immutable copies; and centralized log retention long enough to support incident investigation. Optional add-ons depending on risk: managed detection and response (MDR), 24/7 security operations center (SOC), and dedicated security information and event management (SIEM).

EDR provides the technology — telemetry, behavioral detection, response capability. MDR adds a 24/7 human-staffed team watching the alerts, triaging them, and responding when something looks like a real incident rather than a false positive. For small businesses without internal security operations capability — which describes most Orlando SMBs — MDR is generally worth the incremental cost because the EDR alerts only have value if someone is actually reading them in real time. The MSP's standard offering may or may not include MDR; worth confirming explicitly.

Most Orlando SMBs don't run a dedicated SIEM platform — they centralize logs (Microsoft 365, EDR, firewall, identity, network) in the MSP's monitoring platform with retention windows that satisfy any compliance overlay (typically 90 days hot, 12 months total for FTC Safeguards and HIPAA scope). The MSP queries the centralized log store during incident investigation. Dedicated SIEM (Splunk, Sentinel, Elastic) only starts making economic sense for clients with internal security operations capability or specialized regulatory exposure.

Immediate steps: lock the compromised account, kill all active sessions, rotate the password, force MFA re-enrollment, audit the mailbox for forwarding rules and inbox rules the attacker may have created, check for sent items, identify outbound emails sent during the compromise window, alert any external parties who received emails from the compromised account, review any wire transfers in flight, and engage the cyber-insurance carrier. The MSP coordinates with the carrier's incident-response team for the formal forensic and notification work.

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is the modern answer: admin credentials live in a vault, are rotated automatically, never appear in clear text, and are checked out for specific time-bounded sessions with logging. MFA on every privileged account, separate admin accounts from daily-use accounts, and tiered admin model (workstation admin separate from server admin separate from domain admin). An Orlando MSP that doesn't run PAM internally is a higher-risk supplier.

Quarterly phishing simulations plus monthly short-form training modules is the modal pattern. Annual full-length training to satisfy any compliance requirement (HIPAA, FTC Safeguards) on top. The MSP runs the platform; the client's HR or operations team enforces participation. Repeat clickers get more frequent simulations or escalated training; chronic non-compliance gets escalated to management.

By having the security controls in place that the application asks about and answering accurately. The wrong answer at application time becomes an exclusion at claim time. An MSP that has been through dozens of cyber-insurance renewals knows which controls each major carrier asks about and structures the standard offering to answer affirmatively. If the standard offering doesn't satisfy the carrier's questions, the client pays for the gap-fill rather than misrepresenting the environment.

Active ransomware incident with threat actor still in the environment; confirmed data exfiltration; regulatory-grade forensic evidence needed for breach notification; insurance-mandated incident response. The MSP can handle containment and recovery for routine incidents but should escalate to a DFIR specialist when the scope crosses these thresholds. A good MSP has standing relationships with multiple DFIR firms and can engage one within hours rather than starting from cold contact.