Building Trust and Compliance: A Conversation with Reagan Roney

In this Channel Insider: Partner POV episode, host Katie Bavoso interviews Reagan Roney, chief experience officer and principal at Solvere One, an MSP based in Washington, D.C. They discuss Solvere One’s unique position serving clients from the heart of American democracy and their approach to compliance and security.

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Solvere One is a family-owned business with a history of supporting members of Congress before it transitioned into the private sector to offer “white-glove support” to various verticals such as nonprofits, associations, and medical groups. It works extensively with government contractors, handling clients in the House of Representatives and various government offices.

“We are a family-owned business. As two of my brothers and myself, we’ve been in the IT industry since the early 2000s,” says Roney. “We first started on the hill supporting members of Congress, primarily folks in the House of Representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and then their various district offices throughout the U.S.”

Clientele and verticals

Given their D.C. base, Roney highlights the significance of prioritizing security and compliance, especially for government contractors. He stresses the prevalence of insider threats and the need for heightened vigilance due to the area’s prominence in internet traffic.

While maintaining discretion about specific clients, Roney hints at their diverse clientele, including government representatives, contractors, and notable nonprofits like GAVI and the Partnership for a Healthier America.

Approach to compliance and growth

When addressing compliance standards like CMMC 2.0 (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), Solvere One adopts a tailored approach centered on client collaboration. Roney explains, “We start by getting an understanding of where the client is today. We’ll do a gap assessment.” This consultative methodology enables Solvere One to align compliance efforts with client-specific needs.

Solvere One’s approach extends beyond immediate compliance requirements to encompass organizational growth strategies. Roney emphasizes the long-term benefits of compliance — this growth-oriented perspective underscores Solvere One’s approach to client success, integrating compliance as a catalyst for continuous improvement.

AI integration and cybersecurity

“How are you focusing on cybersecurity in 2024, either using artificial intelligence or knowing that it will be used by your clients, and still keeping them compliant?” Bavoso asks.

Roney highlights the importance of staying ahead of cybersecurity threats by testing new technologies first and understanding where information is stored. “We’re going to test it first. We’re going to understand where information is. We try to understand the components of things,” says Roney.

He stresses the need for clear policies and procedures, especially regarding ownership and data management, when implementing AI tools like Copilot and Gemini.

Roney explains, “There have to be some very clear policies. And that’s the key word when it comes to security really isn’t as much the big firewalls or tools you put in place. That’s policies and procedures, right? The human is the biggest risk factor. And anything that we do has to be clear from ownership or management what you can and cannot do with something like OpenAI or WeChat, GPT, or what have you, and make sure that people are very clear with understanding the risks that are associated with it.”

He points out the significance of human factors in cybersecurity, discusses the role of AI and machine learning in addressing cybersecurity threats, and underscores the importance of training to detect and protect against evolving cyberthreats. Through human oversight and AI tools, Solvere One aims to enhance its cybersecurity measures and ensure compliance for its clients in 2024 and beyond.

Also read: MSPs’ Guide to Building an AI Strategy

Solvere One’s role as an MSP in security services

While Solvere One offers security services, the company identifies as an MSP, not an MSSP.

Roney highlights the distinction between an MSP and an MSSP by noting that while Solvere One operates as an MSP, offering security services, it does not run its own security operations center (SOC).

This differentiation highlights an important aspect of MSSPs, which typically have their own SOC facilities and manage security operations directly, including threat detection and response. MSPs, on the other hand, often focus more broadly on managing and supporting various IT services, including security, but may not possess the specialized infrastructure of an MSSP.

Roney discusses their company’s strategic approach, which involves leveraging partnerships with specialized vendors to enhance their offerings. It collaborates with vendors who cater exclusively to the channel and are committed to supporting MSPs. This partnership-driven approach allows them to access technologies and services without the need to build and maintain everything in-house, aligning with their consultant-oriented service delivery model.

Discover more from Katie Bavoso and Reagan Roney in the video or podcast above. Be sure to like and subscribe for future interviews and special episodes!

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