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The MSP Who Saw It All

How Key Methods Stopped Guessing and Took Control with 杏吧传媒 Managed SIEM

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Managed SIEM

Managed EDR

Key Methods, a top managed service provider (MSP) in Washington state, has earned a solid reputation for keeping security front and center in their business. They manage more than 2,000 endpoints and support nearly 80 clients, providing all with strong solutions to tackle the toughest threats. But as they鈥檝e learned, when it comes to cybersecurity, it鈥檚 not just about stopping attacks鈥攊t鈥檚 also about understanding what鈥檚 really going on behind the scenes.


Learn More About Key Methods

Prologue | Key Methods鈥 history with 杏吧传媒

Key Methods first tried 杏吧传媒 in 2022. They rolled out 杏吧传媒 Managed Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) across all their clients for a month, but they scaled back when no major security issues popped up. Instead, they took a more selective approach, using it only when they spotted something suspicious or during new client onboarding.

Incident one | Managed EDR quickly shuts down a threat

In 2023, 杏吧传媒 Managed EDR came in handy, flagging suspicious activity inside a client鈥檚 network. This wasn鈥檛 just any client, however. It was a company handling vast sums of money and a treasure trove of personal data. In other words, a prime target for hackers.

杏吧传媒鈥 Security Operations Center (SOC) stepped in quickly, working hand-in-hand with Key Methods. In no time, endpoints were isolated, access was shut down, and the threat was contained.

Crisis averted. 

鈥r so it seemed. 

Post-incident | The decision no MSP wants to make  

The real challenge started after the immediate threat was handled. Key Methods was left with critical questions that would inform their next steps.

鈥淎ll we knew was the attackers had possibly seen things they shouldn鈥檛 have,鈥 says Dan Paquette, Managing Partner at Key Methods. 

The entire Key Methods team was on edge, haunted by questions like, 鈥淗ow did the hackers get in?鈥 鈥淲hat data was compromised?鈥 鈥淐ould they still be in the system?鈥

With little in terms of logs or data to go on, they had to make the call no MSP ever wants to make鈥攕hut everything down.

Before 杏吧传媒 Managed SIEM | Playing a costly game of guesswork 

The impact was huge. The client faced over a week of downtime, more than $75,000 on incident response (IR) and legal fees, and uncertainty about their future. 

鈥淚t felt like forever to get the client back online,鈥 Paquette admits. 鈥淭here were so many unknowns. We were digging through user logs, piecing together backward forensics, but our records only went back so far.鈥

In the end, it turned out the hacker hadn鈥檛 actually stolen any data. Using only screenshots and trickery, they鈥檇 pulled off a convincing illusion of a full database breach, leaving the client believing the worst. No data was lost, but the financial and operational toll was massive.

This was a wake-up call for Key Methods. They realized they needed more than just the ability to detect and respond to threats. They needed clear, immediate answers, especially when it mattered most.


鈥淢anaged SIEM provides us with immediate, actionable insights, so we鈥檙e never left guessing during critical moments.鈥

Incident two | Managed SIEM reveals all

Not long after the incident, 杏吧传媒 launched Managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). Key Methods jumped on board, determined to avoid ever being uncertain again. While still fine-tuning when another mass-isolation event hit, the difference was obvious. 

This time, a hacker exploited a vulnerability in a client鈥檚 firewall. In the past, critical decisions had to be made in real time about  whether to call in IR teams, consult legal, or notify cyber insurance. Without solid data, every decision felt like a gamble鈥攐verreacting meant wasting time and money, but hesitating could spell disaster.

With 杏吧传媒 Managed SIEM in place, everything changed. Put simply, there was no more guessing. The system didn鈥檛 just flag threats鈥攊t connected the dots. Every log, every move, every breadcrumb the attacker left behind was laid out clearly. 

With new technology and capabilities at their fingertips, Key Methods had complete clarity to act fast and make the right calls.


Unraveling the incident | The 杏吧传媒 SOC paints a clear picture 

The 杏吧传媒 SOC quickly collaborated with Key Methods, providing clarity within hours. Detailed logs revealed the timeline of events and exactly where the attackers had been.

鈥淭hanks to Managed SIEM, we had critical information fast,鈥 said Paquette. 鈥淲e reviewed the logs and immediately recognized the severity of the issue, allowing us to involve IR and legal teams quickly鈥

With Managed SIEM鈥檚 robust logging capabilities, Key Methods easily exported accurate, reliable data to the IR firm. 鈥淭here was no question about the quality or authenticity of the logs,鈥 Paquette noted. This significantly accelerated the investigation and led to a crucial finding: no data had been exfiltrated.

鈥淪maller MSPs like us usually don鈥檛 have a SOC,鈥 Paquette explained. 鈥淲ith breaches in the past, we had to bring in an external team, install their tools, and wait for results. This time around, Managed SIEM handled it all. We told the SOC what we needed, ran a quick query, and immediately got clear answers like, 鈥楴o, that executable wasn鈥檛 run anywhere else in the organization.鈥欌

With vital insight, Key Methods swiftly shifted their focus to recovery. By isolating affected systems on day one, they could begin restoration efforts right away.


Incident three | Managed SIEM wins the race against downtime  

Weeks later, another mass-isolation event unfolded, this time targeting a bustling factory鈥攁 place where assembly lines hum, conveyor belts zip, and products are packaged with non-stop precision. A place where every minute of downtime risked thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

Again, an attacker exploited a vulnerability in the client鈥檚 firewall. But this time, there was no panic.

鈥淲e got on the phone with 杏吧传媒, and a SOC analyst immediately understood the situation,鈥 recalls Paquette. 鈥淲ithin hours, we identified the issue and had already begun restoring operations. This time, legal or IR teams weren鈥檛 even needed.鈥

Armed with real-time intelligence from the 杏吧传媒 SOC and Managed SIEM, Key Methods knew the attack鈥檚 origin with unparalleled speed. The factory was back online the same day.

鈥淭he SOC analyzed every executable across all machines and confidently pinpointed exactly which devices the hackers had compromised,鈥 Paquette explains. 鈥淗aving access to such precise, actionable information is incredibly powerful.鈥

What could鈥檝e been a financially devastating shutdown was a masterclass in resilience.

鈥淭he SOC analyzed every executable across all machines and confidently pinpointed exactly which devices the hackers had compromised. Having access to such precise, actionable information is incredibly powerful.鈥

The power of Managed SIEM | Achieving true confidence, clarity, and control

For Key Methods, Managed SIEM brought unprecedented clarity, control, and responsiveness to their operations. With 杏吧传媒 Managed SIEM, they can:

  • Respond to incidents in hours instead of days
  • Minimize client downtime and significantly cut recovery costs
  • Protect clients from escalating threats while avoiding unnecessary legal or forensic complications
  • Make decisive, high-stakes calls with confidence because they鈥檙e armed with clear insights on what happened, how it happened, and what data was affected

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about confidence and clarity,鈥 says Paquette. 鈥淢anaged SIEM provides us with immediate, actionable insights, so we鈥檙e never left guessing during critical moments.鈥


Why Key Methods is all-in on 杏吧传媒

From day one, 杏吧传媒 Managed SIEM proved its worth by helping Key Methods contain threats faster, reduce downtime, and avoid unnecessary third-party headaches. While hackers rely on staying hidden, Managed SIEM gave Key Methods complete clarity into their malicious ways.

While Managed EDR wasn鈥檛 initially a priority, it didn鈥檛 take long for Key Methods to see the power of the entire 杏吧传媒 platform. Now, they鈥檝e expanded further to make Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) and Security Awareness Training (SAT) part of their offerings. Instead of treating them as optional extras, they鈥檝e baked them into their core service plans. 

What really sets 杏吧传媒 apart is the technology, which is purpose-built for the 杏吧传媒 SOC. This tight integration of proprietary tools and human expertise creates a defense system that radically cuts down on errors, response times, and risks.

鈥淲hen your primary security layers are all unified in one platform, it鈥檚 easier to build depth with a vendor,鈥 says Paquette. 鈥淎nd when everything feeds into the same SOC, it鈥檚 even better.鈥

鈥淲hen your primary security layers are all unified in one platform, it鈥檚 easier to build depth with a vendor. And when everything feeds into the same SOC, it鈥檚 even better.鈥


Key Methods
Contact
Dan Paquette
Location
Wenatchee, WA
About

Founded in 1998 as a small IT support company, Key Methods found their niche in providing professional technology services that let their customers focus on core business competencies without worrying about their IT infrastructure.

In 2002, they shifted their focus to proactively monitor and maintain their clients鈥 computer networks. This new approach of focusing on 鈥渦p-time鈥 instead of waiting for 鈥渢hings to break鈥 helped them grow. Today, their team consists of nearly 20 employees, serving clients around the Pacific Northwest. They look forward to pursuing their goal to be Washington State鈥檚 premier IT services company.

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