Chris Pottrell is the Managing Director of Nebula IT, an MSP with a strong focus on cybersecurity. Their comprehensive set of services make them on of the most innovative MSPs to watch.
An Interview With Chris Pottrell
Watch the Video Interview With Chris Pottrell
Typical Clients for Nebula IT
Nebula IT has been going for 12 years and now have 17 staff. Chris explains that when they started out they worked with all kinds of businesses. However, in the last five or six years, they’ve been consciously niching down.
“So for us, that’s been with the MOD (Ministry of Defence) supply chain. And you’d be surprised by how many different types of business work with them. But everyone within it has to be regulated, especially when it comes to cyber protection.
“We fell into it by accident, but over the last few years we’ve worked with several different companies within that supply chain. And once we really looked into them, we quickly spotted where they had vulnerabilities and were at risk. So we were able to prevent those as much as we could.”
Why Innovative MSPs View Their Outsource Partners as Part of the Team
“We’ve always been open about who we partner with,” says Chris. “In fact, when you work with the MOD you have to be. Although at one point, we tried to develop our own SOC (security operations centre)!
“However, we soon realised that it came with massive overheads. And not just in terms of cost, but also in recruitment, upskilling and so on. So we chose to find an outsourcing partner. We went with Huntress, who are cybersecurity experts.
“Not only do they provide SOC, but they’ve given us invaluable support as we looked to transition into being an MSSP (managed security service provider). They took the time to really get to know Nebula, answer our questions and help with challenges. They really are part of the team.”
A Real-Life Example of How Nebula Resolved a Security Breach
Part of Nebula’s onboarding process is to deploy tools into a client’s Microsoft 365 stack. And as Chris explains: “It doesn’t just turn on and support you from then on. It also looks back at what’s gone on in the past. It looks at everything.
“And we ran it for one new client and realised that every financial body in that company had been compromised at some point. And the mailbox rules were still in place. So Huntress helped us by blocking access to four problem mailboxes and let us know we needed to take action.
“So with their help, we blocked the mailboxes and worked out what had happened. And we cleaned up the rules so it couldn’t happen again. This was great for the new client, as it showed we’re proactive.”
Why Innovative MSPs Should Offer Cybersecurity Awareness Training
At Nebula IT, cybersecurity awareness training is obligatory for all new clients. “For us, it’s not something they have a choice with,” says Chris. The Nebula team know that human error is a risk, so work with clients to mitigate that.
“So we’re quite regimented, even internally. We make sure our clients start training on day one. We look for gaps in knowledge and address those, and offer compulsory training the whole time we work together.
“But we also complement that with our own trainers who do half-day, in-person training events. We want them to understand what could go wrong and how to reduce that happening. We put controls in place, but ultimately it’s their responsibility.”
The Company Culture at Nebula IT
Chris likes to involve the whole team in an end-of-year wrap-up. “For us, we don’t say we’re close like a family. Instead, we describe ourselves as more like a professional football team. Because I truly believe that we’ve got the right people in the right seats doing the right job.
“And they want to do their jobs, so they all pull in the right direction. We all work together. We trust people to experiment, make mistakes and learn from them. And we support them to develop their careers however they want.
“We also have a strong emphasis on volunteering – everyone gets involved with causes we support. That might be local sports teams, taking at-risk kids out to the cinema or for adventure days. It brings the team together and they have fun.”
Where Innovative MSPs Look for Opportunities
As a techy at heart, Chris admits that he’s easily distracted by new, shiny toys. “The team has told me not to keep doing it! I can’t keep introducing new tools and solutions I’ve found.
“So what we do as a team is review the tools we have and see if they’re still the right fit for us. If they are, we get as much out of them as we can. But if they’re not, we look for alternatives.
“And for me personally, I love going to industry events. I attend the Pax8 Beyond, Connectwise and DattoCon conferences. It’s a good way to keep in touch with MSPs and hear from vendors. That way we can stay innovative.”
How to Connect With Chris Pottrell
- Nebula IT
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- Connect with Chris Pottrell on LinkedIn
How to Connect With Me
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Mentioned in This Episode
- Cybersecurity experts: Huntress
- UK cyber assurance standard: IASME
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- IT management software: ConnectWise
- PSA tool: Autotask
- Accounting software: Xero
- 365 management tool: inforcer
- 365 management tool: Inside Agent
- Cybersecurity compliance: OneClickComply
- Cybersecurity platform: SentinelOne
- Cloud-native SIEM solution: Azure Sentinel
- Podcast interview with Dray Agha
- AI assistant: Microsoft Copilot
- 365 security tool: Hornetsecurity
- Data management tool: Mozart Data
- Cybersecurity accreditation (UK): Cyber Essentials
- Information security certification: ISO 27001
- Virtualize Microsoft desktops: Azure Virtual Desktop
- Podcast interview with Andy Readman
- Endpoint management: Microsoft Intune
- Book: Gino Wickman: Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
- Book: Gino Wickman: The EOS Life
- Richard’s appearance on Luis Giraldo of Scalepad’s podcast
- MSP peer group: IT Nation Evolve
- Podcast interview with Eric Ostlund
- MSP event: Pax8 Beyond EMEA
- MSP event: DattoCon Europe
- MSP event: Pax8 Beyond Denver
You Might Also be Interested in
- In-House or Outsourced IT Cybersecurity: Which is Best for MSPs?
- Podcast: Who are the New Breed of Customer-Focused MSPs?
- How to Keep Smart in Cybersecurity With Your IoT Smart Devices
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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