IT Security & Strategy

Why IT Security & Strategy with Net Friends?

Net Friends is unique among Triangle-area IT service providers because we integrate decades of security expertise into our everyday operational support and advice. We operate as both an MSP (Managed Services Provider) and MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider).

This level of experience allows us to select partner vendors who clearly understand the risks their products introduce and provide well-designed tools to mitigate that risk. While other MSPs sell their customers one set of products to provide services, and another set to watch over the first set, we reduce cost and complexity by deploying only best-in-class products that build security and monitoring capabilities into their basic design.

Although many service providers market their security and strategy offerings separately, we believe these services are deeply complementary. An approach that prioritizes security over strategy risks being wasteful and unrealistic: there will always be more vulnerabilities to patch, more tests to run, more complex barriers to deploy. Conversely, prioritizing strategy over security can lead to blind spots and a false sense of confidence. We recommend that clients invest in a mixture of Net Friends security and strategy offerings to maximize the value they receive.

Our IT Security + Strategy Offerings

Managed SIEM

We have partnered with Castra Managed Services to offer a turnkey security information and event management (SIEM) solution. From data aggregation to alerting to forensic analysis to active response, we provide clients of any size with access to an enterprise-grade security operations center and some of the top security analysts in the region.

Penetration Tests

We offer penetration tests for hosts on public & private networks, as well as tests for hosted web applications. Using the same approach and tools as a real attacker, a certified security analyst will try to gain access to your systems or data. At the end of the engagement, the pen tester will personally deliver a detailed report of each finding, along with strategies for remediation.

Security Incident Policy Development

A common requirement in vendor and compliance audits today is to submit your Security Incident Reporting & Response policies and standards. Don't have them? We can write them for you. Don't miss out on that next RFP – ask Net Friends to provide Information Security policies customized for your organization.

Compliance & Risk Assessment

The first step in a strategic approach to IT security is an impartial evaluation of risk. We go beyond "HIPAA, hackers, and hurricanes" to look at human risk factors, such as employee mistakes, corporate governance, budgeting, and policy gaps. A third-party review of critical risks can be the key to convincing reluctant stakeholders to invest in the next generation of your IT infrastructure.

Scheduled Strategic Overview

An unbeatable package deal, the Strategic Overview encapsulates our long-term value approach. Clients receive a customized Technology Roadmap report, Infrastructure Assessment, and even a suggested IT budget. This package is then supported by regular meetings with an Account Manager to review progress and help you put our resources to work as effectively as possible.

IT Health Assessment

A holistic review of a business's IT department, including computing infrastructure and the people who keep that infrastructure producing value for the company. We look at all aspects of the IT department and assess them using a best-practices standard that's sensitive to budget and compliance needs. Our report will include recommendations regarding budgeting, hiring, policies, architecture, and how the team can serve the organization best in future.