Cloud DNS Protection – Avast Secure Web Gateway

Cloud DNS protection. Why use it?

Well, as IT Solution Providers or Managed Service Providers (MSPs) we all know the sinking feeling when a client contacts us to say that they think their computer has been infected with a virus.

“Did you click on anything you shouldn’t have?” you ask.

“No! Definitely not. Well… there was that pop-up offering me free Nando’s vouchers…”

Your heart sinks and the process of cleaning up the mess left behind becomes your responsibility as the IT Support provider.

What if there were a better way? That’s where Cloud DNS protection comes in.

Educate Users, But Prepare for the Worst

As MSPs, we try to educate end-users about Cyber Security.

• We tell them not to click on those pop-ups.
• You let them know that no, the email from the Nigerian Prince offering to send them money isn’t legitimate.
• Our Engineers ask them not to click on messages about UPS deliveries if they’re not expecting a UPS delivery.

But with the best will in the world, we can’t eliminate the one factor that is always the weakest link in Cyber Security.

The human element.

When I ran my own MSP, my mantra was “educate users, but prepare for the worst“.

We should continue to help our clients understand the new (and scary) world of Cyber Security we live in, but we should also look to technology to keep them safe by preventing them from doing the wrong things.

That’s where Cloud DNS protection comes in.

Cloud DNS Protection

I recently caught up with my old friend Paul Fenwick, who works for one of the world’s leading Cyber Security vendors, Avast.

Paul has worked in the MSP industry for a very long time and knows the issues that service desks face each and every day.

So when Paul started telling me about Avast’s new Cloud DNS protection solution, Avast Secure Web Gateway, I asked him if we could record a walk-through of the product.

During this walk-through, I asked Paul the questions I’d ask if I were an MSP.

You can check out our whole conversation here.

How to Reduce Your Cost of Support with Cloud DNS Protection

While many MSPs I know charge handsomely for the Secure Web Gateway solution, many others give it away for free as part of their Managed Service offering.

Why give away Cloud DNS protection for free?

Simply, it reduces their cost of support.

If you can prevent end-users from making a mess, then you eliminate the hours of cleaning up that goes into a cybersecurity breach. That’s money well spent.

There’s no right or wrong answer to whether you charge for this type of service. However, I’d always encourage you to look at your overall profit as opposed to headline costs. You can read my article on Why you need to build metrics around your MSPs Service Desk now! on the importance of managing by metric, rather than gut feeling.

Lowering your cost of support always leads to increased profits. And that’s what successful MSPs do really well — concentrate on offering profitable services.

Conclusion

With all the cybersecurity education in the world, end-users are still going to be fooled by the bad guys and click links they shouldn’t click. How can you help protect them?

Rather than hope that this scenario doesn’t occur, why not plan for it happening and implement a Secure Web Gateway solution to provide Cloud DNS protection.

Prevention is always better than a cure!

How do you educate your clients on cybersecurity? Leave a comment below or get in touch.

You Might Also Be Interested In

• Cyber Security for Small Businesses
• pCloud – All your files with you, anywhere you go
• Norse Attack Map – Real-Time Cyber-Attack Map

You might like: