Is your team prepared to answer objections to remote monitoring and management (RMM)? They may occur more frequently in light of recent cyberattacks that used RMM tools as a conduit to victims’ data.
Businesses are growing more security-aware. For example, more companies are paying attention to whether their employees use strong passwords and multifactor authentication (MFA) to ensure only authorized employees access their systems, applications, and data. Zero Trust has also become a familiar concept. Businesses now trust no one, making every person or system trying to connect prove they are authorized users before getting access.
So, when a managed services provider (MSP) or value-added reseller (VAR) technician asks to connect remotely, the client may not be open to the idea. So why should they trust your solutions and your team with continual access to device and network health?
Here are three things you can do to help you overcome RMM objections and reassure your clients that you make their security a priority.
1Be Upfront About What RMM Allows You to See
A client could confuse remote monitoring and management with employee monitoring software. Employee monitoring keeps track of what users are doing – their email activity, which websites they’re visiting, and which apps they’re using. Your clients may be under the impression that remote monitoring and management software allows your team to do the same thing. Furthermore, they may believe that it gives you a direct line to their data, i.e., financials, IP, or employee records.
Explain that the RMM software is designed only to provide information related to device or system health and doesn’t watch a user’s every move.
2Explain How RMM Enhances Security Rather Than Making Businesses More Vulnerable
The Kaseya VSA attack in 2021 forced the issues of RMM security into the spotlight. The supply chain attack used a vulnerability in the RMM to attack dozens of MSPs and their clients with ransomware. Your clients may point to this attack as justification for not allowing you to use RMM.
However, the truth is that MSPs and VARs who use RMM do more to enhance security than put their clients at risk. For example, your RMM solution enables more efficient patch management, keeping devices and systems updated – one of the most important things a business can do to secure its IT environment. Also, use a security-centric RMM. You can build security tasks, such as updating passwords and managing email security, into your team’s workflows, further helping your clients to operate more securely.
3Communicate How Not Using an RMM Would Impact Your Service
Before RMM, IT service providers had to travel to their clients’ offices or facilities to perform regular maintenance and fix issues – or wait until something broke. As a result, they had no real-time visibility into signs of impending failure so they could correct problems before they resulted in downtime. Moreover, they had no indications that devices or systems had been hacked.
With RMM, you receive immediate alerts when your clients’ devices or systems need attention, and you can address many of those issues remotely without a trip to the client’s site. Additionally, RMM enables you to work efficiently and keep labor and fuel costs under control, which, in turn, makes managed services more affordable for your clients.
Let Your Clients Know You Have Their Best Interests in Mind
Most importantly, assure your clients that you have designed a system that considers their concerns, including privacy, security, efficiency and costs, and delivers the best possible service.
Businesses aren’t pushing back to be contentious – they want to ensure RMM will support their data and IT security and have ROI that includes more uptime and productivity. So prepare your team to answer their questions, put your clients at ease, and agree that RMM is the best option for their businesses.
