Managed IT Support and Security Services

Managed IT Support and Security Services
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Overview

Running a business is hard enough without worrying whether your IT is secure.

  • Will your systems be up tomorrow?
  • Are your backups actually working?
  • Is that email really from your supplier, or is it a phishing attempt?

Other IT providers treat support and security as separate services. You get a helpdesk contract for day-to-day issues. Then they try to sell you security as expensive add-ons when something goes wrong.

We don't work that way.

When we start working with you, we do an analysis of how secure your business IT systems are. Then, across the year, we bring it all up to scratch organically, included in the price of our support contract.

(and we bring you up to the UK Government's Cyber Essentials standard - all as part of your regular service.)

This page covers our three main areas of managed support: core helpdesk and monitoring services, Microsoft 365 and cloud management, and 4th line escalation support for businesses with existing IT teams.

Core Managed Support

Your business needs IT that just works.

  • Systems that stay up
  • Problems that get fixed before they affect your team
  • End-user technical support that's actually helpful

Our core managed support is built on a foundation of proactive RMM monitoring - technology that gives us real-time visibility into every device we support. We don't wait for things to break.

We catch problems early and fix them in the background.

Here's what's included

Remote IT Helpdesk

When your team needs help, they shouldn't have to wait on hold for a call centre. They should speak to someone who knows their name, their systems, and their history with us.

Our remote IT helpdesk provides:

  • Unlimited ticket support during business hours (Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:30pm)
  • Direct access to qualified engineers, not a call screening service
  • Remote troubleshooting and resolution for most issues
  • Third-party liaison when we need to work with your software vendors

Onsite engineering is available when remote support isn't enough. We'll come to you for hardware installations, network changes, or any situation that requires hands-on work.

Our technical support is designed to fit around your actual needs. We don't limit how often you can contact us.

Proactive Monitoring & Maintenance

At the core of our managed IT service is Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM). This is what gives us real-time visibility and control over every device we support.

Desktops, laptops, servers, and critical infrastructure are all monitored continuously. We maintain a complete, always-up-to-date IT asset inventory that includes hardware specifications, operating systems, installed software, patch levels, and device health — all automatically updated without relying on manual records or guesswork.

This means you get proactive management, not reactive support. Because every managed device is known, monitored, and controlled, we can:

  • Ensure consistent patching and updates
  • Enforce security baselines across your environment
  • Track asset lifecycle and warranty status
  • Respond rapidly to incidents with full system context
  • Support compliance and audit requirements with accurate reporting

Endpoint Security

Every laptop, desktop, and server needs protection against malware, ransomware, and other threats.

We deploy and manage enterprise-grade Antivirus and Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) solutions across all endpoints. With Microsoft-skilled cyber security analysts and SentinelOne-certified engineers, you get a fully managed, proactive service designed to reduce risk and keep your environment secure.

Antivirus/EDR Management

  • Configuration and optimisation of security policies tailored to your environment
  • Ongoing health, performance, and version management
  • Best practices from Microsoft Defender and SentinelOne ecosystems
  • Threat hunting and behavioural analysis to identify early indicators of compromise

Alert Monitoring

  • 24/7 alert visibility using advanced security dashboards
  • Immediate triage and validation of security events
  • Prioritised alerting based on severity, risk, and impact

Patch Management

Security updates and software patches need to happen regularly. But they also need to happen safely, without disrupting your business.

Our patch management policy covers:

  • Operating system patching for Windows, macOS, and Linux servers
  • Application patching for supported business software
  • Scheduled patch windows that minimise disruption
  • Testing and rollback procedures for critical systems

This is fully managed patching, not best-effort. We're accountable for keeping your systems up to date and secure.

Backup Management

Backups only matter when you need to restore something. That's why we don't just set up backups and walk away — we monitor them daily and verify they're actually working.

Endpoint Backups

For critical endpoints and systems running specialised software, we recommend and deploy a secure cloud backup solution. This creates a full disaster recovery image of the device.

Microsoft 365 Backups

Backups are configured for selected users to protect business-critical cloud data. This includes OneDrive files, email, and selected Teams data.

Server Backups

Server backups are performed at image level, so we can enact a full system restoration. All server backup services are fully managed by our helpdesk team, with daily monitoring and verification.

Backup retention periods and restore testing expectations are defined in your service agreement.

Documentation

Good documentation means faster incident response, clearer audit trails, and reduced dependency on individual engineers.

Technical Documentation

We maintain comprehensive and up-to-date technical documentation aligned with Cyber Essentials and security best practice, including:

  • Administrator Account Tracking
  • Application Allow List Tracking
  • IT Asset Inventory Tracking
  • Incident Report Tracking
  • Network Documentation

Environment Knowledgebase

Environment knowledge is securely stored within our ticketing system, linked to live support tickets, changes, and incidents.

Security Baseline

When you come on board as a managed support client, you start with our Security Baseline — the minimum security standards required across all managed environments.

What's included:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users
  • Administrative account separation
  • Secure, protected backups
  • Baseline security hardening across identities, endpoints, and cloud services

This is mandatory for all managed service clients, delivered using the minimum supported Microsoft 365 licensing such as Business Premium or Business Standard.

Technology & Vendor Management

You shouldn't have to become an expert in software licensing, vendor roadmaps, and technology procurement. That's our job.

License Optimisation

  • Review of current licences against actual usage and business need
  • Identification of under-utilised, duplicated, or unnecessary licences
  • Forward-looking advice to avoid over-licensing while ensuring scalability

Renewal Management & Future Planning

  • Tracking of renewal dates for licences and subscriptions within scope
  • Annual review of renewals with optimisation recommendations
  • Early visibility of vendor changes, pricing increases, or product deprecations

Hardware Lifecycle Management

Hardware doesn't last forever. Laptops slow down, hard drives fail, and operating systems reach the end of their life. Without proper planning, these issues become expensive emergencies.

Device Standards & Compliance

  • Approved standards for workstations, laptops, servers, and key infrastructure
  • Continuous compliance checks aligned to Cyber Essentials requirements
  • Identification of non-compliant or unsupported hardware

End-of-Life (EOL) Planning

  • Tracking of hardware age and vendor support status
  • Proactive replacement recommendations
  • Typical refresh: Workstations/Laptops 3–5 years, Servers 5–7 years, Network Equipment 5+ years

Hardware is billed separately unless explicitly included in a managed bundle. Lifecycle guidance applies to supported and managed devices only.

Microsoft 365 & Cloud Management

You've moved email, file storage, and collaboration to the cloud. But managing Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace securely requires ongoing attention — and mistakes can be costly.

We manage your cloud tenant as part of our core service, making sure it's configured securely, licensed appropriately, and aligned to Cyber Essentials requirements.

Microsoft 365 Management

User Management (Cyber Essentials aligned)

User accounts are created, modified, and removed in line with Cyber Essentials requirements and NCSC guidance.

Cloud Tenant Configuration (Security Baseline)

We configure and maintain the core security settings of your Microsoft 365 tenant in line with an agreed security baseline.

Email Threat Protection

Email security is configured and managed as part of your Microsoft 365 management. This includes anti-phishing controls, malware protection, and authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).

Google Workspace Security

For businesses using Google Workspace, we provide equivalent management covering user accounts, security policies, and threat protection.

Licences are billed separately. Tenant management and security baseline configuration are included in managed support services.

Server Management Services

Servers are the backbone of your IT infrastructure. Whether sitting in your office or running in the cloud, they need proactive monitoring, regular maintenance, and rapid response when issues arise.

On-Premise Server Management

  • Operating system patching and security updates
  • Health monitoring and disk space management
  • Systems monitored proactively to identify issues before they impact operations

Cloud Server Management

  • Billing oversight and rightsizing recommendations
  • Ongoing performance monitoring
  • Ensuring cloud resources remain secure, cost-effective, and aligned with business requirements

Capacity upgrades are quoted separately. Supported operating systems are defined in your service agreement.

Network Oversight

Your network is how everything connects. Firewalls protect your perimeter, switches connect devices internally, and Wi-Fi keeps mobile users productive. All of it needs ongoing management to stay secure and reliable.

Firewall Oversight

  • Firmware maintenance and regular rule reviews
  • Monitoring for throughput and performance
  • Oversight of VPN and SD-WAN connectivity

Switch Oversight

  • Port monitoring, error and fault logging
  • VLAN configuration oversight
  • Bandwidth utilisation reviews

Wi-Fi Oversight

  • Site surveys and deployment support
  • Troubleshooting of connectivity issues
  • Wireless infrastructure firmware maintained on an ongoing basis
  • Performance reviews to ensure secure, reliable coverage

Hardware replacement is quoted separately. Vendor-specific support responsibilities are defined in your service agreement.

4th Line Support

Not every business needs full managed IT services. Some organisations have capable internal IT teams — they just need access to senior-level expertise when they hit complex problems or need strategic guidance.

That's where 4th line escalation comes in.

We provide bespoke senior-engineer support designed to complement and strengthen your internal IT team. You'll be supported by Microsoft-certified experts with over 27 years of industry experience, as well as certified penetration testers and security analysts.

This service is ideal for organisations that:

  • Have an existing IT team but need senior escalation support
  • Need expert guidance for complex, high-risk, or security-sensitive decisions
  • Want reassurance that industry best practice is being followed

What's included:

  • Senior technical escalation beyond 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line support
  • Strategic guidance on Microsoft 365 and Azure, identity, security, and access control, infrastructure and architectural decisions
  • Security-led troubleshooting informed by real-world incident response experience
  • Independent validation of internal team decisions and proposed changes
  • Risk-based recommendations aligned to industry best practice and compliance frameworks

Delivery:

  • Ad-hoc support for specific incidents, projects, or decision points
  • Ongoing engagement as a trusted senior escalation layer
  • Escalation and crisis support available for major incidents, security events, and business-critical outages

Availability is defined per agreement (business hours, extended hours, or on-call). Response targets are agreed in advance based on severity and business impact.

4th line support is advisory and escalation-focused, not a replacement for day-to-day IT operations. Execution of changes remains with your internal team unless otherwise agreed.

Ready to simplify your IT? Let's talk.

Talk to our team
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DARK KNIGHT LTD

Company number 15151992

6 Floreat Gardens

Newbury

England

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