One concern often not touched with the move to work from home is how do you verify who you’re speaking to really is who they say they are? It’s easy to make a deepfake voice and it’s getting easier to use that for fraud. We live in a post-security world where you don’t only focus on preventing a breach, you accept it as an eventual inevitability and focus on limiting the impact. Credentials will be breached, but access doesn’t necessarily have to be.
A password used to be enough, but with shared password, simple passwords, weak encryption, or even just system breaches, getting a password compromised is easier than ever. I take many precautions and I’ve had it happen to me due to exploits with the provider. Passwords aren’t the only things you need to be worried about either.
You have the technical requirements to work from home, and you need to make sure you can keep it secure. If your encryption is broken, it doesn’t matter how complex the password is. Likewise, if your password is cracked, there’s no need to break the encryption. Each layer of complexity leads to a new potential attack surface. Security was 2D in the early 90’s, and now we’re at string theory. Social engineering isn’t just wearing a vest into a building anymore, it’s a mix of technology and human fallibility.
Why Should You Verify?
With changes in technology, and the number of ways security can be breached, if you can’t see the person, how do you know they are who they say they are? I might have talked to a client many times, but what identifying information do I really know about them? If you’re in a help desk or a large office, what do you actually know about Kenneth in accounting or Jane in marketing?
Most people know very little about their coworkers outside of their immediate coworkers (except at the smallest companies) and what they reveal at work. What does John in the next cube do in his free time? How many kids does he have, if any? Where did he grow up? You might know some of these, but not all of them, and that’s normal. While working from home, what happens if “John” calls you and needs a financial transfer? How can you tell if it’s him or just sounds like him?
When you become their IT provider, what do you do when you need to somehow verify that Sam in accounting needs to get access to John’s computer? How do you know it’s Sam working remotely and not a potential threat? You can’t reasonably learn every employee at every site or even a large subset, so what do you do?
Verifying Clients and Multi-Factor Authentication
You have to draw a line somewhere in order to trust someone. A password can be compromised, but 2 different passwords is less likely. This is the general principle behind 2FA and standard MFA solutions. 3 simple passwords can be substantially harder than 1 extremely difficult password. 3 challenges in sequence is harder to crack than 1 challenge.
When I write a login to something that’s going to be public facing, I like to add in a nice half second delay between all attempts. That includes going from the login to 2FA with legit credentials. It doesn’t matter if they’re using a super computer to brute force the login, they get at best 2 attempts a second.
2FA and MFA are great for logins, but what do you do when a person needs to speak to you to describe their problem or login issue? You need to figure out a way to do the equivalent without crossing ethical boundaries and without creating an imposition. You need to rely on a secret and make it scalable.
While this sounds like a daunting task, the trick is to be secure enough to make breaches have time to be verified rather than aiming for perfect security. Sending a code to a specific email or a cell phone can be more than enough combined with making the user provide that information. How likely is your hacker to get physical access to your client’s employee’s phone, their password to gain access, and their IT information?
Your hacker might have memorized every fact about John, but if he can’t pass the authentication, you don’t provide service. The real John at worst has to go home and get their phone or reach out through a controlled channel internally for further service.
Verification Solutions
Most verification solutions require you to install something or use some kind of 2FA application. The problem is, a lot of users don’t want to be inconvenienced. You can ask a company what they want, and they’ll tell you security until you ask what they’re willing to sacrifice.
Using a verified method of contact is what every major company does, but most private verification solutions still want you to use an application. Your client is all for security until it becomes hard. If the CEO or owner refuses, what’s the point of verifying anyone else at all at that point? Your site is compromised at the highest level easier than anywhere else.
A good verification solution needs to approach the technical challenges while making them as transparent as possible. Our ID 20/20 tool aims to do this. We operate under the basis of if they can get access to every communication method an employee has and can act as that employee, it’s past the point of sanely being contained. Obviously, there is special handling for user setups and similar though.
What Makes A Good Verification Strategy?
You don’t plan your company around information being leaked to moles at every level if you want to stay in business. A verification solution needs to take into account the human element for both security and usability. People hate to be inconvenienced even if it is for their own good. That extra few minutes going through obscure information, that extra application they need, etc. can all be points of dissension. The door that’s a huge pain to unlock usually gets left open or held during working hours.
You are only as strong as your weakest link. Raising the bar on social engineering to 2 times or 10 times the physical security or technical security doesn’t mean you’ve made it 2 to 10 times harder. You’ve just made it the less likely target. You are only as secure as the weakest link in your security stack. When everything is roughly equal, you have better security than having many strengths and many weaknesses for dedicated attacks.
Don’t neglect security, but don’t waste resources striving for a goal which makes no sense. Security almost always comes at a cost, and if you aren’t willing to pay it to shore up weakness, you’re vying for an impossible dream. Just because your company firewall is near bulletproof, doesn’t mean that Jim’s admin account password of “Firebird1” isn’t going to get cracked in 10 minutes. If you neglected the 2FA, anything else you did is statistically a complete wash.
Conclusion
Focus on your clients, focus on your users, and focus on security. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater while completely missing the point of what your security is supposed to accomplish. A help desk security measure is supposed to make it easy for a user to prove they are who they are, not leave them wondering how you know about their second aunt on their mother’s side’s blood type and the date it was tested.
The more security you throw at users, the harder they tend to fight back. You need to make security easy and trivial while keeping it secure. Can you contact them from a predetermined contact source? If so, you have the right person or a way, way bigger issue on your client’s hands. It’s good enough for your bank, your utilities, and pretty much any major service, why isn’t it good enough for you?
Meet Michael Winward, NOC Manager
Today we turn the spotlight on Michael Winward. Michael quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I manage the NOC which is responsible for monitoring and responding to system-generated alerts from our partner’s client environments as well as ensuring our core services and tools are properly implemented and functioning effectively. In addition to the NOC, I manage Professional Services (a.k.a Project Services) for The 20. Need help with an upcoming project? We’ve got your back!
Describe The 20 in three words…
Innovative, Driven, Community.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A political consultant or lobbyist… yeah, I was a weird kid.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Time. There is so much I want to accomplish, but the finite nature of time is a constant source of frustration.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Personal? Either teaching my dog how to patiently balance a treat on his snout until just the right moment, or cultivating a loving, trusting, respecting and fun relationship with my wife… both took a lot of work!
Professionally? Cultivating a team with similar attributes. Loving may be going a bit far, but certainly mutual trust, respect, fun and hard work… all things you need to work effectively together. The continuous forward progress of the team I lead every day, for me is the best gauge of my personal success.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Integrity. If you start with integrity, every other quality necessary becomes a part of the equation.
What do you like most about The 20?
The people. I am working with the most brilliant and interesting characters of my professional career, which is fantastically satisfying. It makes going to work every day (back when we used to go to work) easy and enjoyable.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
Happiness for me comes easily — a trip to the dog park with my wife and clinically insane Jack Russell is my idea of a good time. As a hobby, I enjoy brewing beer. Coming up next? A green chili and mango gose, and a carrot cake cream ale!
Where are you going on your next vacation?
Anywhere! I can’t wait for this lockdown to end! But it’s hard to make plans before it does. First thing though is probably to visit my family in New Mexico that I haven’t seen in a while due to social distancing.
What’s your top life hack?
For life incoming: Don’t sweat the small stuff that does or does not come at you. You’ll be happier for it.
For life outgoing: Remember the details. It is often small actions and statements that result in big impressions. They will really appreciate that you took the time to regard them.
Interested in working with Michael at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
The 20, a leading business development group for managed service providers (MSPs), announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Ciera Cole, Chief Experience Officer, and Crystal McFerran, Chief Marketing Officer, to its prestigious 2020 Women of the Channel list. These women are from all areas of the IT ecosystem, including technology vendors, distributors, solution providers, and other IT organizations.
“CRN’s 2020 Women of the Channel list recognizes an accomplished group of influential women leaders whose strategic vision and unique achievements accelerate channel growth through cultivated partnerships, innovative thought leadership, and unwavering dedication to the IT channel,” said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. “We are proud to honor them for their accomplishments and contributions to driving channel success.”
Ciera Cole has supported the CEO across both The 20 and its sister company, Roland Technology Group, over the past 6 years and was essential in helping build the organization from the ground up. As CXO, Ciera drives a unified experience at The 20 for retention, growth and satisfaction. Ciera studied business at Baylor University and later received her MBA from Southern Methodist University while working full-time at The 20. Click here to view Ciera’s WOTC profile.
Crystal McFerran has been critical in her leadership of The 20’s strategic planning, demand generation activities, and go-to-market execution for managed service provider members. She is an accomplished marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in B2B marketing, demand generation, marketing communications, lead nurturing, content strategy and multichannel marketing for the IT industry. Click here to view Crystal’s WOTC profile.
The 2020 Women of the Channel list will be featured in CRN® Magazine on June 8 and online at www.CRN.com/WOTC
About The 20
The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSP) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for its MSPs’ clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond world-class tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry-leaders, and ultimate scalability. For more information, visit https://www.the20.com.
Follow The 20: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com
Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
Copyright ©2020. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
The Channel Company Contact:
Jennifer Hogan
The Channel Company
[email protected]
Meet Caleb Brown, Owner of JS Computek!
Tell us a little about your MSP…
JS Computek is headquartered in Columbia, MO and we’ve been serving Mid-Missouri since 1997.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We chose to strategically partner with The 20 in early 2019.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
There were many factors, but here are the most influential:
A. The ability to scale with confidence.
B. The extra knowledge, cooperation, and human resources.
C. The ability to deliver the MID model which aligned with our company mission of delivering “IT Sanity” to our clients and staff.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
Since joining, the biggest impact has really been internally — thinking about making documentation and processes clear, concise, and accurate.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
The helpful members; so many great resources in the group to share with.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Be willing to grow and adapt in your mindset and processes.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Breaking through the mindset of the prospect’s belief that IT should be like calling a plumber and that break/fix is a smart way to run a business.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
For 2020 our core areas of focus are cloud migrations and new client acquisition.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Find your uniques, define and sharpen your core processes, and then build systems around those processes that allow you to scale up or down on demand.
What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading The Compound Effect.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
Krebs on Security and Darran Daily.
Interested in becoming a member like JS Computek? Click here for more information!
Meet Lou Ernst, Senior Sales Development Representative
Today we turn the spotlight on Lou Ernst. Lou quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am a Senior SDR here at The 20. My job is to discover, create, qualify and reach out to potential clients for our MSPs in the Marketing Program. My goal is to educate companies of all the benefits to having a managed IT department and putting them in touch with the right MSPs.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Fun, Innovative and the Best!
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronaut!
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging aspect of my job is probably handling potential clients in every single industry.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
I’d say the most important qualities necessary for success is having integrity, patience and optimism.
What do you like most about The 20?
I love my co-workers and just the environment in general. Every day is different, and there’s just no substitute for that.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
I love to camp and play golf!
Where are you going on your next vacation?
I’ll be heading to Costa Rica.
What’s your top life hack?
I’d say my top life hack is to simply have more fun, and stress less. Slow down and be thankful!
Interested in working with Lou at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
CARES Act Relief Basics
The CARES Act stands for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. This act is intended as a way to help individuals and businesses alike to make it through this uniquely difficult time. Most people are familiar with this act due to the fact it provides $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, but the business sections are going to be the most crucial to propping up the economy.
The CARES Act has four main section of relevance to most small businesses. There is the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster (EID) Loan Emergency Advance, SBA Express Bridge Loans, and SBA Debt Relief. Each of these has their own conditions and benefits which we cover more thoroughly in our webinar series. These are all primarily intended for companies with fewer than 500 employees.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan intended to help your company keep its employees (and for them to keep getting paid). This loan rewards you by offering forgiveness if you keep your employee headcount roughly static, or quickly rehire employees. You also need to keep from cutting salaries to qualify.
The loan doesn’t specifically need to be used for payroll, but at least 75% of the loan amount must be applied to payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. The important thing about this loan is that the SBA will forgive it if you keep all employees on the payroll for 8 weeks and use the money as required. The forgiveness drops off with the headcount and with wage cuts.
This loan has a 2 year maturity period at a 1% interest rate. You can apply for it through any SBA 7(a) lender, or through a federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, or participating Farm Credit System institution. The amount is going to vary, but unlike some loans, you don’t need to provide collateral.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance (EID Emergency Advance) is a $10,000 advance for qualifying businesses in order to help them get through this time. This advance does not need to be paid back, but it may be used to pay off other loans from the SBA. This is basically on par with the $1,200 payout to individuals, but for small businesses (and with some requirements to receive it).
If you or any businesses you support don’t bother with any other options from the CARES act, at least apply for this one. It’s basically free money to keep you afloat. There are some stipulations to it, and certain types of businesses are excluded (legal gambling, strip clubs, etc.). Anyone affiliated with lobbying or politics is excluded as well.
SBA Express Bridge Loans
SBA Express Bridge Loans are loans made to be quickly available to businesses which already have a relationship with a SBA Express Lender. These loans can be up to $25,000, and the EID Emergency Advance from before will be used to pay this back. This loan type is made to facilitate getting cash to a business quicker than some of the other processes.
SBA Debt Relief
The SBA will provide debt relief for various loans depending on certain conditions. As we saw with the PPP before, the loan will be forgiven entirely if certain conditions are met. The SBA isn’t just limiting this to the PPP though. Per their page:
As part of SBA’s debt relief efforts,
The SBA will pay the principal, interest, and fees of current 7(a) loans for a period of six months.
The SBA will also pay the principal, interest, and fees of new 7(a) loans issued prior to September 27, 2020.
Applying These as an MSP or B2B Service
If you’re an MSP (or any other B2B service), your business’s health is tied to your client’s businesses. You can’t live on an island away from everyone and everything in the economy and expect to thrive. Work with your clients to help them through this time and to help them get access to these resources. Their success is your success.
If nothing else, apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance. If you work with more stable industries, consider the Paycheck Protection Program as well. Everyone is hurting from this pandemic, but there is some relief which can help get us through some of the harder parts.
Work with your clients and see if you can’t keep them going or supported during these trying times. They’ll remember your generosity and assistance for years to come. Businesses will close down, clients will fail, but you have to do what you can to save your business so that you can support those who are struggling. See our webinars for more information on what you can do for your business and your clients to help make it through this pandemic.
Don’t miss The 20’s webinar: Coronavirus Stimulus Package – What it Means for your MSP
The Basics of Windows Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is the natural evolution of terminal servers and cloud desktop environments. The overall commoditization of infrastructure has led to an explosion in the number of platforms and options for virtualization and cloud environments. VDI is the next iteration which turns a shared platform into a personal space embedded in a shared infrastructure.
Traditional terminal servers cannot scale without extra resources being added. Virtualized or cloud terminal servers might have some scaling, but a single user can impact the rest easily. With adaptive computing and all of the resources available to a VDI setup, a user can be provisioned where their work doesn’t impact other users or the overall cost of the solution (when provisioned and setup appropriately).
With all of these pros, you’d think that a VDI is the only way to go. But, like anything in technology, there are still reasons to use alternative methods depending on your client and their workflow. Some people view VDIs as a solution looking for a problem while others swear by them. To really assess whether a VDI is right or not for a client, we need to dig deeper into the limitations of VPNs, how they compare to terminal services, what they do well, what their limitations are, and what platforms work best.
Limitations of VPNs
Virtual Privatized Networks (VPNs) have their uses, but they also have limitations. A VPN can be a good solution when you have a good internet connection and don’t need to move things in and out of the network constantly. Past that, they break down for usefulness quickly.
A VPN also requires the user to furnish equipment which can handle their tasks, as well as getting licenses for software they need to do their job. While some programs will allow you to install on some number of devices for a given user, others don’t. There are plenty of other limitations and benefits of VPNs, but they’re way outside the scope of this document.
Terminal Servers Evolve Into Virtual Desktops
VDI is the evolution of the traditional idea of a cloud terminal server. Terminal servers originally set out to solve several problems: how can you enable users to access better computing resources, and how do you average those costs out? How do you get your users the best experience without it breaking the bank?
With a terminal server, licenses end up being cheaper for most applications. You can afford to use lower grade hardware to connect to the terminal server than you would need if you ran everything locally. Your user costs are averaged out by effectively buying computing resources “in bulk” and then divvying them up. Spikes in a single user’s session (theoretically) don’t impact other users either.
The first major jump for terminal servers was virtualization. Once they were virtualized, it got easier to provision resources on demand as necessary. Cloud hosting platforms took this model and some even add adaptive, on demand resource allocation and similar which can be charged for based on usage.
As virtualization got more and more prevalent, each cloud provider sought the holy grail of frictionless cloud computing. It got to be computationally cheap enough to just virtualize the whole operating system for every and any user based on a golden image. This grew into the modern concept of VDI.
VDI Versus Terminal Servers
History lesson aside, VDI is more efficient for users. It’s more configurable and more customizable, but heavier. Though computing has gotten cheaper, more traditional solutions still end up cheaper for many use cases. More traditional solutions win when there is a more standardized workflow and more shared resources or assets in use. They suffer in terms of security and for varied workflows.
Security suffers because you have multiple users accessing the same server. The old security adage goes that physical access is total access. While a hacker does not have access in terms of actual physical access to the hardware, one leaked set of credentials is as good as someone compromising the whole machine and sitting in front of it. The right tools and the right exploits mean root level access, or at the very least, ransomware across all the files the user has access to.
Terminal servers also suffer from a massive performance hit when you mix workflows, or have too computationally intense of a workflow. What happens when a single user pegs out 4 cores on the terminal server or 10 gigs of RAM? Most likely, your other users suffer. What happens when you have a bunch of different teams using the same platform? You need many different pieces of software which each have unpredictable workloads on the system. All of the advantages of a shared environment quickly become its inefficiencies.
The Benefits of VDI
VDI skirts around these because it is a whole virtualized desktop in the cloud. No one shares the individual desktop in this case. The user gets a customized workflow suited to their needs. When this is hosted on the right platform, all of the company’s data can be easily accessible by any virtual desktop as necessary.
Most VDI platforms offer either on demand resources, or can be over-provisioned. Traditional virtualization over-provisioning is a powerful technique, but there’s still a maximum cap. If your hypervisor has 12GB of RAM available to share between 4 VMs, each VM averages 3GB available to it, but you can easily have a VM use 9GB while the others are able to function on 1GB each with the right scenario. If you need 2 VMs to hit 6GB each though, you’re out of luck.
A VDI platform is going to have (near) infinite RAM for all intents and purposes. You don’t have a hard cap which requires modifying a server, you just need to pay more. Even then, you only pay more for a bit with most setups.
Virtual desktops also allow users to use them anywhere. Your user doesn’t need to worry about a VPN, an RDP setup, or any of the things which make terminal servers a bit more complex.
Another benefit is that a virtual desktop can be configured to entirely wipe the previous instance on each run. This isn’t a one-size fits all approach to a desktop environment, or even ideal for most, but it’s a value add for lab environments or certain workflows. If everything should be done off of a shared drive, who cares what happens to everything on the local OS between runs?
Limitations for VDI
One of the biggest slights against VDI is the overall cost. You end up paying more to do the same thing you could with a desktop with more expensive continued costs. You gain a lot of benefits and a lot of flexibility for this cost however.
Certain compliance situations necessitate the usage of on-premise data or access. VDI just plain doesn’t fit these models. You can roll your own solution or similar, but that’s a bit overkill except for large enterprises.
Like with any cloud technology, you’re also limited by your connection speed and latency. Speed is less of an issue with any modern connection, but latency can still hugely impact working in a cloud environment. When I hit a key, I expect to see the letter appear and the cursor move. Some solutions have certain workarounds for this, but they all have their own trade-offs.
Platforms for VDI
The 20 has partnered with multiple platforms in order to provide our customers with the best experience working with VDI solutions. There are a huge number of VDI platforms on the market. Microsoft has Azure, which Nerdio makes easier. Crayon also has their own offering with CloudJumper. There are a multitude of platforms each with their own features and their own limitations. No one platform is going to be right for every single business, but some platforms will be more universal than others.
What are your clients trying to do and how are they looking to do it? This is the most fundamental question which determines what you need out of a platform. Most popular platforms will be able to do what you want in some way, but the cost will vary wildly as will the complexity. One platform might be pennies on the dollar compared to another, but much more limited. Another might make everything easy but it costs twice as much as a platform which is harder to initially setup.
VDI is a powerful tool, but like any other platform or technology, it’s just another tool. It might be the right tool a lot of times, but you need to know what your clients need and why. Don’t just use VDI to fulfill buzzword bingo, use it because it’s the best tool to solve your problem.
The MSP’s Guide to Remote Access for Work From Home
As a technical professional, you have to weigh how you help your clients navigate the chaos of work from home. This is especially true in times of disaster like we are currently going through. One of the biggest hurdles is figuring out how to enable users to access their data and other internal resources. You usually have the choice between using a VPN and some kind of remote control solution (VDI, terminal servers, or software like Trugrid or TeamViewer).
While people may have a preference, none of these solutions is inherently better than the other. The biggest difference is in the use case for each solution. A VPN has advantages over remote control on some fronts, but remote control solutions are better for others. A VPN differs heavily from standard remote control solutions, but each has its own advantages. What all goes into determining which one is right for your business?
VPN vs. Remote Control Solutions
A VPN connects a machine to a network as if it were there, while a remote control solution allows you to control a machine as if you were in front of it. The difference is subtle, but substantial. A VPN offloads the computational load to your end user’s machine, while the remote control solution trades bandwidth for connectivity.
VPN stands for Virtualized Private Network. This basically boils down to the connection acting like a long ethernet cable spanning the internet from your user’s device into the network. Your user is also subject to the slowest bit of bandwidth between the sites, so if they have slow internet or the company has slow internet, the user has a slow connection.
Remote control solutions require more consistent bandwidth and better latency, but files don’t usually need to leave the network. When you remotely control the session, it’s like you’re there (except over the internet). A high latency connection with high bandwidth is just as miserable as a low bandwidth connection. You trade one issue for the other.
Remote control solutions also have many different types. You can go with a remote control via Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), (cloud) terminal servers, or software like TeamViewer or TruGrid. Each of these has its own pros and cons which we’ll get into in a bit.
Benefits of a VPN
Latency usually isn’t an issue with a VPN unless you rely heavily on localized resources for access. When your employees deal heavily in Office or similar, a VPN is usually more than enough. But, when the files get bigger, a VPN breaks down fast. As more employees connect in and transfer files, the process gets slower for everyone.
When you use a VPN, you need to connect into the network to do anything. If you want to read a file, you end up copying it over to view it. Moving a file between folders can be a huge pain. If you have huge files, this gets to be an issue. A film company isn’t going to want to use a VPN to access their data remotely unless they have a ridiculous connection (and few employees), or host everything in the cloud.
VPNs are usually the easiest solution to implement with any enterprise grade networking hardware. You don’t usually need a subscription or a platform to host it. You don’t need a separate server or anything either with most higher end routers. It’s the closest to a one size fits all approach you can get without taking a reductionist approach.
Benefits of a Remote Access Solution
Remote control solutions consume more bandwidth on average just to function, and have higher latency requirements, but they have many benefits over a VPN. A VPN relies on you needing access, but limits the throughput to your connection. If you have mediocre internet, you aren’t moving big files efficiently. A remote access solution allows you to do so, because you’re tied into the system itself.
When you have to move files, or have specialized software, remote access tends to beat a VPN. The other benefit is that remote access software or solutions come in a variety of forms. You have Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) which emulates a desktop in the cloud, cloud based and server based terminal servers, and software like TeamViewer or TruGrid to take over a machine. Each has its own specialty and use case.
A VDI setup is more per month than many solutions, but mitigates most local requirements in order to smooth out the costs. You don’t need to focus on local issues, you just focus on using the desktop. Terminal server environments basically pool and average the costs of your users using certain software and performing certain tasks. You consolidate data and functions on a single server and average out the spikes in workload.
Software like TruGrid or TeamViewer allows users to connect into their machines remotely. These solutions tend to use more bandwidth on average than many other solutions at idle, but make the user able to use anything on their work computer. It can also be done on an ad hoc basis with virtually no necessary prep work.
Bandwidth Considerations
The biggest thing which will make one type of setup more or less effective than another is the network connectivity. This doesn’t just mean the network at the office, but the network each employee uses. It may sound crazy, but there are people who still use DSL. There are also people working off of satellite internet.
You have to account for the raw bandwidth and latency of the connection on both ends. You also need to know what their use case is. If you have people moving large CAD files around, it’s probably going to work out more efficiently to enable some kind of remote access scenario for your users. You don’t need to worry about how long it takes to transfer the file outside of the network if it never has to leave. This does require the user to have a steady enough connection to use.
VPNs are best suited to places with small or limited file transfers, and more minor tasks like email and intranet site access. Email and many internally hosted sites have moved to the cloud already though. Another use case is when there is high latency for a user. VPNs work well when users are under BYOD policies and are used to their own system as well.
Making the Right Choice
No one choice is right for all use cases. Sometimes you may just need to implement multiple solutions. Provide remote access to the people working on CAD and a VPN to the finance people who just need Excel. This complicates the setup, but can optimize your bandwidth usage, reduce issues with certain people’s setups, and can work out cheaper.
You need to assess what your client does, what network resources they have, and what their employees are used to. You also need to take into account your client’s attitude towards technology. Each choice is completely conditional.
VPNs may be impractical or pointless for many cloud environments, but that doesn’t mean anything if your client uses on-premise applications. VDI may make the most sense, but the client may just plain not trust the technology or the cloud. Remote access may fit the company, but may not fit the employees. This is especially true in many rural areas. You need to understand your client’s needs to understand what is right for them.
by Sage Driskell
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Meet Michael Wayland, Managing Director of Byte-Werx!
Tell us a little about your MSP…
We’re Byte-Werx, an MSP out of Houston, Texas. We started business in March of 2013. Originally we were a web design and development company. After years of trying to be both, I realized I wanted to laser-focus on being an MSP. So, in January of 2017, I bought out my partners and made it happen! Since then we’ve had amazing growth and found success with CPAs, law firms, and a variety of other clientele from several industries.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We joined the 20 in June of 2017 — we’re looking forward to our 3rd anniversary coming up!
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
As a small local shop, I wanted to be able to offer my clients 24/7 service, assistance when we were unavailable, and best-in-class software that being in a big group provides.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
The biggest change is the community and drive to always make ourselves better. It has allowed me to learn and implement best-in-industry policies and procedures as well as letting me focus on growing my business.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
The outstanding community. We are a member of several industry groups and none of them feel like The 20. The relationships we’ve built here have been some of the most beneficial in my career and I know there are several members that would be willing to drop what they’re doing and fly out to my aid if I really needed it.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
It doesn’t matter how big or small you are, you need to run your business like it’s a business and not a job. This means building process and procedures that scale, documentation, and being ready to hit the gas to grow when you’re ready.
What are your biggest business challenges?
One of our biggest challenges is getting our message out to new businesses who may have never heard of us. Lead generation has never come naturally to me but we’re starting to see a lot of promising returns on our investments now.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
For 2020 our primary focus will be on business workflows and implementing a modern workplace to our new and existing clients. With the jarring COVID-19 events, it is clear that all businesses need to be able to pick up and work anywhere at anytime and we truly believe that is the future of work.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
As an MSP our real value-add and profit driver is automation and efficiencies. You can’t roll a truck for every problem or do one-off remote log-ins. To scale you need to create a flexible and complete stack so you can focus on learning and perfecting your procedures.
What book are you currently reading?
I’m currently digesting Getting Naked and would highly recommend it. It shows how being completely honest with your clients will win you loyalty and allow you to grow your business. I will always recommend The Checklist Manifesto for any MSP just getting started on getting their process and procedures in order.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
I listen to a lot of podcasts. Non MSP-related podcasts include FiveThirtyEight, EconTalk, and Planet Money. My favorite MSP/industry podcasts are: Frankly MSP, Security Now, and MSP Voice.
Interested in becoming a member like Byte-Werx? Click here for more information!
Meet Camden Parks, Talent Acquisition Manager
Today we turn the spotlight on Camden Parks. Camden quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am the Talent Acquisition Manager for all departments within the company. I basically find, qualify, and help the hiring managers hire all of our employees. I also focus on our retention and employee engagement efforts to keep our company culture at its best.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Innovative, progressive, and collaborative.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian. It wasn’t long before I realized that I wouldn’t be able to emotionally handle that type of work, so I chose to do something that would make me happy instead!
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging aspect about my job is having to reject candidates that I build relationships with. First and foremost, I’m an advocate for my company, but I always become an advocate for my candidates along the way. Sometimes, it’s just not a great fit for one reason or another, and I have to remember that the goal is to always set up employees for success. Networking is huge for me, so even if I don’t have a good fit for a candidate now, I am known to call them later when I find something that would be a mutually beneficial fit.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement at The 20 has been building the Talent Acquisition department from the ground up and watching the explosive growth we have experienced so far. We hired in 73 people last year alone, which is more than we had as a company when I started! To walk out onto the floor and see all the wonderful employees we have really warms my heart — I love when the connection between company and employee is a great fit.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Grit is the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles. Someone once told me that motivation and determination alone will only take you so far, because they don’t last forever. Passion is what keeps you going when you feel like giving up. Grit combines passion, motivation, and determination for reaching long-term and meaningful goals.
What do you like most about The 20?
The best part about working for The 20 is feeling like I have the ability to make such an impact for the company. I know that my work is meaningful and purposeful and I know that I’m valued for what I contribute. My manager, hiring managers, and coworkers help foster a collaborative, fun, and open-door culture which makes my work environment so enjoyable. We spend more waking hours at work than we do at home, so it’s nice to be able to say that at our home away from home, we really are The 20 Family.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
One of my biggest passions in life is dog rescue. I work with a few different rescues in the DFW area, where I rescue, foster, and help transport dogs to different areas of the US. I have had 100+ dogs come through my home in the last couple of years — some with crazy medical issues, some seniors that have a hard time getting adopted, and some with behavioral issues. The best part is seeing each one get adopted into their forever home and getting updates from their families as time goes on.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
OBX, North Carolina to get my best friend married! After my bridesmaid duties end, I will be glued to the sand.
What’s your top life hack?
Mix Downy Unstopables laundry beads (1/4 cup) with hot water (2 cups) and baking soda (2 tablespoons) in a spray bottle for a cheap and easy air refresher that’s safe for fabric! My couches and dogs’ beds always smell great. Having lots of dogs in and out of my house required me to get creative!
Interested in working with Camden at The 20? We’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for more info.
