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How to Choose an MSP: Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Response time and price are table stakes. Here is what to actually ask.

Choose an MSP by evaluating how they prevent problems, which security standards they follow, how they staff and document your account, and how they report to you, not just by response time and monthly price. Most providers sound the same on a sales call. These questions separate them.

Questions about prevention

  • How do you audit our environment, and against what standard? Ask to see a sample audit report.
  • What is your patching cadence, and how do you prove compliance?
  • How are backups tested, and how often?

Questions about security

  • Which framework do you align to (NIST CSF and CIS Controls are the common answers)?
  • What is included: EDR, MFA, email filtering, training, dark web monitoring? What is extra?
  • Do you have or partner with a 24/7 security operations center?
  • Will you help with our cyber insurance questionnaire and the controls it requires?

Questions about people

  • Who is our day-to-day contact, and who is our strategic contact?
  • What is your technician turnover? Long tenure means the person who knows your environment is still there next year.
  • Do you support our industry's software (practice management, CAD, ERP, accounting)?
  • Can you support all of our locations, including out of state?

Questions about accountability

  • What do we receive each quarter? A real review with findings and a roadmap, or a ticket count?
  • How is our environment documented, and do we own that documentation?
  • What does onboarding involve, and how long until we are at your standard?

Red flags

No written standards. Security sold as an optional add-on. No on-site option. A contract that makes it hard to leave. Vague answers about who does the work.

If you are evaluating a change, signs you have outgrown your IT provider will help you decide whether it is time. How Mentis Group compares to other DFW providers answers these questions for us, and the About Us page covers who we are. Start with what is an MSP if the term is new. Schedule a consultation when you are ready to ask them in person.

For a longer look at this topic, read The Top 5 Considerations When Selecting an IT Services Partner on the Mentis Group blog.