Question 1

What is a Managed IT Provider (MSP)?

Accepted Answer

An MSP proactively monitors, manages, and secures your entire IT environment for a flat monthly fee — rather than billing hourly when things break. You get a full team of IT and security specialists at a fraction of the cost of hiring internally.

Question 2

What is the difference between managed IT and break-fix IT?

Accepted Answer

Break-fix IT is reactive — you pay when something breaks. Managed IT is proactive — your provider monitors your systems 24/7 and fixes issues before they cause downtime. Studies consistently show managed IT costs less and causes less disruption over time.

Question 3

How much does managed IT support cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing typically ranges from $75–$175 per user per month depending on services included. Advanced Networks provides all-inclusive flat-rate pricing — IT support, cybersecurity, and compliance tools bundled together with no hidden fees.

Question 4

Do I need an internal IT person if I have an MSP?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Most small to mid-sized businesses get everything they need from a quality MSP — helpdesk, infrastructure, security, and strategy. Larger organizations sometimes keep an internal IT coordinator who acts as a liaison with the MSP.

Question 5

How long does it take to onboard with Advanced Networks?

Accepted Answer

Most clients are fully onboarded within 2–4 weeks. We begin with a discovery and assessment phase, then deploy monitoring agents, security tools, and complete documentation before taking over day-to-day support.

Question 6

What cybersecurity tools do you include?

Accepted Answer

Every managed client receives: Blackpoint Cyber MDR (EDR + 24/7 SOC), Proofpoint email security, MFA enforcement via Microsoft Conditional Access, DNS filtering, backup and disaster recovery, and ongoing security awareness training.

Question 7

Do I need cybersecurity if I'm a small business?

Accepted Answer

Yes — especially as a small business. Over 60% of cyberattacks target small and mid-sized businesses, partly because attackers know SMBs often have weaker defenses. Ransomware, phishing, and Business Email Compromise do not discriminate by company size.

Question 8

What is a SOC and do I need one?

Accepted Answer

A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a team of analysts who monitor your environment 24/7 for threats. Rather than building your own SOC, a managed SOC via Blackpoint Cyber gives you enterprise-grade threat detection and response for a fraction of the cost.

Question 9

How do you protect against ransomware?

Accepted Answer

Our layered approach includes: Blackpoint MDR for behavior-based detection before encryption begins, immutable cloud backups for recovery if needed, Proofpoint to block ransomware delivery via email, and MFA to prevent credential-based access for ransomware deployment.

Question 10

What is the difference between EDR and antivirus?

Accepted Answer

Antivirus catches known threats via signatures. EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) uses behavioral analysis to catch unknown threats, fileless malware, and ransomware — and can automatically isolate infected devices. Traditional antivirus alone is insufficient for modern threats.

Question 11

Can you help us become HIPAA compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We provide the technical safeguards required by HIPAA — encrypted endpoints, access controls, audit logging, secure email, and backup — as well as documentation support and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) for covered entities and business associates.

Question 12

What does cyber insurance require from an IT perspective?

Accepted Answer

Most carriers now require: MFA on email and remote access, EDR on all endpoints, documented backup and recovery procedures, security awareness training, and evidence of monitoring. We help clients meet these requirements and provide documentation for applications and renewals.

Question 13

Do you help with PCI DSS compliance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For businesses that process credit card payments, we can help with the technical controls required by PCI DSS — network segmentation, access controls, logging, and vulnerability management.

Question 14

Can you provide documentation for our cyber insurance renewal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We maintain records of all security controls deployed across your environment and can generate compliance summaries for cyber insurance applications and audits.

Question 15

Do you manage Microsoft 365?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Microsoft 365 management and security hardening is a core component of our managed IT service. We handle license management, security configuration, MFA enforcement, Conditional Access policies, and ongoing monitoring of your M365 tenant.

Question 16

What is Microsoft 365 security hardening?

Accepted Answer

M365 defaults are not secure. Hardening involves configuring Conditional Access, enforcing MFA, blocking legacy authentication, implementing DMARC/SPF/DKIM for email, auditing admin roles, and enabling comprehensive audit logging — all of which reduce your attack surface significantly.

Question 17

Can you migrate us to Microsoft 365?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We manage M365 migrations from on-premises Exchange, Google Workspace, and other email platforms — including data migration, DNS cutover, and post-migration security hardening.

Question 18

Do you support SharePoint and Teams?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SharePoint administration, permissions auditing, and Teams configuration are included in our Microsoft 365 management service. We also monitor for data leakage and unauthorized sharing via M365 security tools.

IT & Cybersecurity FAQs

General IT & MSP

Cybersecurity

Compliance & Insurance

Microsoft 365

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