Mark says, “The No. 1 question we get is this: How is your private cloud different than the public clouds we all know? We bridge the skill gap presented by the public clouds. How? Through our cybersecurity expert, OS administration expert, and database expert, we take care of these skill sets for you. In a public cloud, you must spend $30K–$40K per month just to get off the ground and for the ongoing staffing needs! iStreet Solutions is a much better value proposition.” To give IT services providers the absolute best defense to better protect their clients against today’s determined hackers, Mark’s cybersecurity strategy focuses on three key points. First, they insist that every customer has an information secu- rity policy. Second, all their customers must have a full-time security information officer. Finally, iStreet Solutions is dedicat - ed to protecting the three threat vectors: 1) devices like PCs, servers, laptops and cellphones; 2) email inboxes (because 95% of all ransomware and phishing attacks come through email, it’s imperative to privately secure them by encrypting and backing up the data); and 3) employees — the entire organization must be trained in how to detect possible cyberattacks. Naturally, iStreet Solutions provides all these cybersecurity measures. While more MSPs are just now turning their focus toward cybersecurity, it’s been a priority for Mark and his team since day one. To further enhance security, better manage risk, and keep costs down, Mark is also an expert in SOC (service and organization control) compliance. “Becoming SOC-compliant enables an IT services firm to expand its client base to customers they could not have before. The ultimate objective is to expand the pool of potential custom- ers. Our team can help them meet that objective,” Mark says. Beyond Certifications, Mark Has The Heart And Work Ethic To Better Help Companies In Northern California, Sacramento, And The Bay Area The same drive that pushed Mark Richter to get up almost every single morning to deliver newspapers throughout his neighborhood and the same commitment that kept Mark at Hewlett-Packard for two full decades … that’s exactly what has made him who he is today. “iStreet Solutions was the first small business to receive host - ing certifications from SAP. We actually stood toe-to-toe with the likes of HP and IBM!” Mark exclaims. “I also achieved SAS 70, SSAE 16/18, and SOC 2 certifications as well as compliance with HIPAA standards. We are now compliant with NIST and soon CMMC standards (cybersecurity maturity model certification), again emphasizing cybersecurity.” Today, Mark leads iStreet Solutions to help local firms expand their support with apps on premise and in the cloud, plus cybersecurity and compliance solutions. His goal is to help his customers better manage risk and costs by providing always-on information systems. iStreet Solutions cybersecurity product suite is called “Freedom Shield.” To learn more, go to iStreetSolutions.com/protectmybusiness. n
on the team is an equal, and even David Packard himself would walk around to get feedback and ideas from every employee.” Founding An MSP For ‘Main Street’ Customers Along with the amazing business methodologies and team - work initiatives that Mark inherited from HP, he also took away some areas he could improve upon. “I always felt the pricing that HP and IT businesses charged their customers was ridiculous,” he says. “One client would pay $50,000, $75,000, or even $100,000 per month! I just felt there were plenty of manufacturing companies and businesses we serve on ‘Main Street’ that could benefit from the same quality enterprise services at a more affordable model. So, I set out to achieve that.” After leaving HP, Mark followed his boss to an internet start- up company. For a year and a half, they did great. Then, when the economy collapsed after 9/11, business took a hit. For the first time in his life, Mark was laid off. Fired. “It was right then and there that I decided I would never let anyone else be in charge of my destiny again,” he recalls. “I would be in control. Whether I’m great at it or suck at it, by God, I was going to take control of my future!” So, Mark sat down with his wife and hashed out a rough plan for his new IT services business. In his heart was still the idea to present enterprise-level IT solutions to Main Street companies and businesses, without the Wall Street price tag. “While looking at potential Sacramento data centers on I Street, my wife and I came up with the name iStreet Solutions to tie into my Main Street pricing model,” he says. “Then Apple had to invent the iPhone, which stole a little of our thunder. Nevertheless, our company was started as iStreet Solutions.” In 2004, iStreet Solutions was founded as an applica- tions-hosting company to better serve companies and busi- nesses that counted on providing cybersecurity and compliance needs for their own customers. Today, Mark and his team have close to 200 customers on their private cloud in locations across the country. Providing A Level Of Cybersecurity And Compliance That’s Rare In Today’s High-Risk World You’ve seen the headlines. From small one-man shops to multibillion-dollar global corporations, cybercriminals are infiltrating networks, stealing data, and demanding tens of thousands in ransom at an alarming rate. Yet, despite hackers becoming more sophis- ticated and more aggressive in their cyberat- tacks, most business owners are continuing their business as usual. One mistake too many customers of IT firms make is simply running their organizations from a public cloud. While easy, it puts their busi- ness at tremendous risk and costs them more than they think. Public clouds are really a false economy.
MSPSuccessMagazine.com/cyber2022
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