# Managed security [Read the public page](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/services/managed-security) Give recurring security work clear coverage and ownership. Perth based managed security for small businesses with remote support across Australia. Managed security assigns agreed recurring security tasks to a documented service arrangement. Coverage may include device protection oversight, access reviews and follow up of security findings. A Dark Cloud Creative scopes the work from Perth for suitable remote environments across Australia. Perth based, with remote support across Australia. From $79 an hour ex GST, with the fee agreed before work begins. Call Josh C on 0408 530 303. ## What we can help with - Environment and coverage register - Agreed recurring security checks - Finding and exception follow up - Access and provider responsibilities - Documented escalation and handover Security tasks can drift when each provider assumes someone else owns them. A subscription may be active while nobody follows up a failed device agent or a departed administrator. A managed arrangement should state which tasks are covered, how issues reach the responsible person and what the business must still do. ## Define the environment before the agreement We establish the people, accounts and devices within the proposed coverage. Existing tools and providers matter because the service needs a reliable source of information and permission to act. A coverage register identifies exclusions and gaps. The agreement should not imply that a personal device or a supplier's system is managed when it has never been included. ## Select recurring tasks with a clear owner The work can include agreed protection checks, access reviews or follow up of vulnerability findings. Each task needs a schedule and a record of what was reviewed. Patch management and backup checks can be included or handled through another arrangement. Either approach needs explicit responsibility so a recurring task is not missed between providers. ## Explain how alerts and findings are handled If a tool produces alerts, we agree on which sources are reviewed and what action can follow. Access to a dashboard does not establish continuous human monitoring. Service hours, handling expectations and escalation paths belong in the agreement. An enquiry should not be treated as a promise of a 24 hour security operations centre or immediate incident response. ## Keep the business involved in decisions Your business provides an authorised contact, approves relevant changes and tells us when staff, devices or important systems change. Account ownership should remain with the business. A finding may need a vendor, replacement equipment or a separate project. We record that dependency and discuss the scope before work extends beyond the recurring arrangement. ## Distinguish incident preparation from response A practical escalation plan names the people and providers to contact when suspicious activity is found. It should account for the possibility that ordinary email or administrator access is unavailable. Specialist incident handling may need a separate provider and engagement. The agreement should explain that boundary before an incident, including any insurer or contract requirements the business has supplied. ## Make reporting and exit useful The service record should show completed work, outstanding issues and coverage changes. A report needs enough detail for the business to make decisions about unresolved risks. We also agree on documentation and access handover if the arrangement ends. Remote support is available across Australia where practical, with Perth physical work and external specialist services scoped separately. ## Common questions ### Is this a 24 hour monitoring service? Coverage and service hours are agreed in writing. This page does not promise continuous monitoring, a security operations centre or an incident response time. ### Can we keep the security products we already use? We review their suitability, access and reporting during scoping. A tool change needs a reason and identified costs rather than being assumed in every engagement. ### Who is responsible for approving changes? Your business names an authorised contact. The agreement defines which work is approved in advance and which decisions need further approval before implementation. ### Does managed security cover all IT support? Only the agreed security responsibilities are covered. Everyday support, software subscriptions and larger projects should be identified separately unless the arrangement explicitly includes them. ## Useful next steps - [Small business security](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/services/cyber-security) - [Vulnerability management](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/services/vulnerability-management) - [Patch management](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/services/patch-management) - [IT policies](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/services/it-policies) - [Regular IT care](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/services/managed-it) - [ASD small business cyber security handbook](https://www.cyber.gov.au/publication/small-business-cyber-security-handbook) - [Ten questions to ask an IT support provider](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/blog/how-to-choose-an-it-company-in-perth-10-questions-to-ask) Reviewed 2026-10-08 - [Ask for IT help](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/contact) - [Check your IT basics](https://www.adarkcloud.com.au/tools/it-health-check)