Founded in 1997, Preferred Business Systems (PBS) is a New-Jersey based technology solutions provider of hardware, office equipment and managed information technology (IT) services to businesses across the United States. PBS provides a comprehensive support system for everything their clients need to make their businesses as secure, efficient and productive as possible.
PBS became a managed services provider (MSP) in 2009 and is now servicing over 3000 users. They are one of only 200 MSPs worldwide to have Super Elite status with N-able, a scalable security operations software provider.
The Challenge
Preferred Business Systems (PBS) originally served clients by managing their IT infrastructure needs and supplying office equipment (copiers, printers and mailers). Over time clients would suffer from malware, viruses, and in some rare cases, from downtime as cyber security wasn’t on top of the client’s agenda. As a result, this break-fix approach would consume a lot of a PBS technician’s time.
Ori describes the effects of being corrective not preventative as substantial. “The team was so busy analyzing the root course of incidents, rebuilding servers and machines, then also needing to spend time communicating back to the client on how and what had happened.”
“Resources were stretched” continues Ori, “we had high overtime costs and needed more technicians.”
Preferred Business Systems felt it had a duty to start protecting clients from cyber threats alongside providing them with IT infrastructure and network hardware. The break-fix approach highlighted the need to raise awareness on the best security practices across their client industries.
“The onboarding process is straightforward and the easiest out of any of our tech-stack”
The Solution
PBS decided to create a separate business arm to focus on cyber security and client protection. The new arm of the business, CyberRiot, allowed PBS to build a cyber security tech stack that would match the levels of protection their clients’ need. As a valued partner, Ori was able to work directly with the N-able team to add a SOC (Security Operations Centre) service to wrap around their Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) software from N-able and deploy a Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) monitoring solution.
N-able recommended Falanx Cyber, a 24/7/365 SOC, with a team of security-cleared analysts and SIEM tool from Elastic to monitor and respond to threats in real time. “This immediately reduces the time and ‘noise’ for our technicians and solves a lot of the issues our clients face” says Ori. “We now tell clients that although you have antivirus and a SIEM you want the added value of our SOC security stack.”
“The onboarding process for our clients to Falanx’s SOC services has been straight forward,” says PBS cyber security scrummaster Ruben Castaño. “We have a simple process we follow each time.”
The Result
By using Falanx Cyber’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR)SOC service, Ori, Ruben and the PBS security team have successfully seen cyberattacks on their clients prevented.
“Several full-scale ransomware attacks on clients have been prevented by PBS Cyber Riot and Falanx’s SOC service. The attacks were shutdown and action was taken before spreading to multiple machines and servers, saving thousands of dollars and hours of downtime for our clients.”
– Ori Segall, Chief Technology Officer, PBS
The worry of cyberattacks and the days of mopping up incidents is long gone. Ori says “The Falanx SOC and the software tools in our security offering has reduced our client’s risk down to basically zero”.
Cyber security is now part of Preferred Business System’s philosophy of making IT simple. “We offer the full stack to clients for their protection – we don’t offer a-la-carte products that leave room for vulnerability.”
Ori concludes, “I would tell other MSPs to invest heavily in their security tech stack and use a monitoring service like Falanx for clients because without it you are leaving customers open to attacks.”
Falanx Cyber’s Managed Detection & Response (MDR) is freeing IT teams at a time when security risks and potential weaknesses are on the increase. It provides MSP’s with the ultimate in continuous cyber security protection from a team of UK security-cleared analysts, and it costs significantly less than the cost of trying to hire and retain professionals who are increasingly thin on the ground.
Isn’t it time you took your network security serious?
Originally posted on Falanx Cyber Download the PDF here.
