Richard talks to Kevin Lancaster, CEO of ID Agent, about how their dark web monitoring tool helps MSPs keep their clients safe.
An Interview with Kevin Lancaster
Who is ID Agent?
ID Agent has developed a tool, Dark Web ID, for MSPs to show their existing and potential customers how serious the cybersecurity challenge is. The tool flags compromised email addresses and passwords that are out on the dark web.
Originally working with government agencies and financial institutions in the US, as awareness around cyber security grew, Kevin and the team realised that it was important to be able to provide their software to other markets.
Kevin explains that by allowing MSPs to show clients how and where their data has been compromised, they can highlight the danger of the dark web and sell them additional security solutions that every business really needs.
‘Showing a client where their data has been compromised is a shock tactic, but really emphasises the importance of proper cybersecurity tools.’ Kevin Lancaster @ID_Agent
How ID Agent Helps MSPs Win More Clients
Kevin explains that the dark web tool runs in two ways. Firstly, you can enter a domain or email address for any company anywhere in the world and find out if there are any hits for it on the dark web. MSPs can then show clients that the data is compromised.
It also allows MSPs to show which websites employees have used their work email addresses on. This means that MSPs can approach potential customers and give them a real reason why security matters and why they should invest in support.
Partner feedback says ID Agent is having a tremendous impact on their ability to get into an organisation, showing them they need to work with an MSP because they’re progressive and taking cybersecurity to the forefront of the conversation.
What is the Dark Web?
When you search via a search engine or type in a URL, that goes to an IP address and give you a result. This is the surface web that everybody uses every day. Then, there’s a sub layer which is known as the ‘deep web’, which doesn’t use the typical URLs.
‘The dark web is a sub-layer of the everyday surface web. Encryption protocols is where MSP client data can be sold.’ Kevin Lancaster @ID_Agent
The deep web has been architected in such a way that it’s encrypted, making it easy for users to be anonymous. Within this, little pockets known as the ‘dark web’ are used for nefarious activities such as selling drugs, guns or pornography.
It’s not easy to access this part of the internet, but it’s where ID Agent search for data that’s been acquired from companies, and if any credentials are up for sale within the dark web.
How ID Agent Finds Dark Web Intelligence
By monitoring and pulling in the data, ID Agent can report to MSP partners that the data is on the dark web. They in turn can share this information with customers and prospects and emphasise the importance of data security. Kevin says you have to be careful about finding data and what you report on. ID Agent uses human intelligence to try out where data will pop up next and where it will be published, traded or sold.
There are also some backend technologies that allow them to extract and scrape the data once certain areas are identified and monitored, and they also use automated tools to extract that data. The key is to ensure that it’s legitimate data and not faked.
How ID Agent Allows MSPs to Keep Clients Safe
Most MSP clients don’t know their data is compromised until it’s too late, and they then panic about trying to resolve the problem. Kevin says that MSPs use their platform in two different ways.
‘ID Agent have developed capabilities over a decade to search for and extract data from the dark web.’ Kevin Lancaster @ID_Agent
One is to approach customers or prospects and say they have a monitoring system as a standalone product and available at a set monthly price. The other is to embed the service within their security stack solution and charge for it in their bundles.
MSPs are proactively explaining to prospects all of the elements they need before they sign up, including endpoint, security awareness training, monitoring and backup. Kevin says: This is changing the conversation from ‘security is an expense’, to the new mentality, and I think ID Agent are having a pretty significant impact on it.’
‘We’ve found that ID Agent is the catalyst to help the MSP sell the security solutions that their customers should have.’ Kevin Lancaster @ID_Agent
Mentioned in this Episode
- ID Agent
- Business software solutions: ConnectWise
- Document sharing tool: Dropbox
- IT business management software: Autotask
- IT Management Software Solutions: Kaseya
- Business continuity and management: Datto
Interview Transcript
Transcript – TubbTalk 47 with Kevin Lancaster and Richard Tubb
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Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book “The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide” and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
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