The Benefits of Managed Firewall, Patching, and Antivirus for Credit Unions

Credit union information security ongoing operations

When it comes to managing your credit union’s firewall, patching, and antivirus systems, you have two options: you may either handle them internally with your own IT department, or you can outsource those tasks to a third party. So, what are the benefits of hiring a third party for your firewall, patching, and antivirus needs?

Credit Union Information Security Is Real, Y’all

IT departments are heavily tasked at credit unions. They develop and test business continuity plans, prepare for audits and exams, and keep servers and networks running smoothly. To boot, they come to the rescue when you accidentally plug that one thing into that other thing and fry your motherboard.

Couple the above with the fact that most IT departments at credit unions are understaffed, and you can start to see how IT professionals may be stretched a little thin. New threats to cybersecurity and information security emerge daily, and regulations shift to encompass the expanded roles of IT departments.

Considering all this, it’s not surprising that more credit unions are relying on third parties to help them get everything done. So, without further ado, let’s look at some of the ways that third-party-managed information security can help your credit union. In this article, we’ll explore firewall, patching, and antivirus solutions.

The Shackles are Off!

Or at least, they’re loosened. Internal credit union IT staff have enough on their plates already. Outsourcing firewall, patching, and antivirus duties frees up time for IT departments to focus on other aspects of their business.

One particular boon for IT employees is that they can focus on more member-facing activities and enable user-oriented technologies. Managing consistently-updating patches, firewalls, and antivirus can seem like a job of its own.

Allowing a third party to manage these issues lets IT staff optimize their time to better serve staff and members.

Compliance and Change Control

Remaining in compliance is a time-consuming task. In an arena inundated with new regulations, it can be difficult to keep track of things. When a third-party manages your information security, you can rest assured that they’ve made robust firewalls, patching, and antivirus their full-time job.

Third parties assiduously track changes. For example, if the third party is asked to change the firewall, they’ll keep a record of who asked for the change, who put the change in, what purpose the change served, and when the change was enabled. Such record control is key to transparency and compliance.

Staying Current

Staying current with patches and antivirus updates can be a daily affair. Automation can lessen some of the headache of staying up to date, but it’s still important to scan through reports to find and follow through on any exceptions.

Third parties can quickly and actively manage your information needs. IT departments strongly benefit from the reduced workload they’ll experience after delegating the burden of patching, antivirus, and version control onto a crew that’s better-equipped and tailored to perform that duty.

The Bottom Line

Managed information security solutions provide freedom and compliance peace of mind to IT departments. By using a third-party manager for firewall, patching, and antivirus, you:

  • Afford your IT staff enough time to focus on staff- and member-facing activities
  • Guarantee that you’ll meet compliance
  • Access data and change logs
  • Stay updated against both established and emergent threats
  • Avoid hiring more full-time IT staff

Overall, the benefits are considerable. To learn more about credit union information security, follow the links below.

What are the Benefits of Hiring a Credit Union Security Consultant?

Why is Credit Union Patching so Difficult? Does it Need to Be?

Cost-Effective Solutions for Your Credit Union

Simply fill out this form and select the topic(s) that you would like more information for, and our team will reach out shortly.

Medium

Role
I agree to receive marketing communications from Ongoing Operations regarding news, updates, products, etc.(Required)

blank
modal close button

Welcome to the Ongoing Operations blog archive.

For our most up-to-date information, please visit ongoingoperations.com.

HOME