Why ACS Cyber
One accountable partner for security that works in the real world.
ACS Cyber is the managed security services provider (MSSP) and cybersecurity division of Atlantic Computer Systems, with an in-house 24/7 SOC. Small and midsize organizations choose us for human-led investigation, practical security leadership and hands-on IT experience, from preparation through recovery.
- In-house 24/7 SOC
- Human-led investigation
- 24/7 incident line
- In-house forensic investigation
- Nationwide support
In brief
Why organizations choose ACS Cyber.
Organizations choose ACS Cyber when they want security handled by people who investigate, decide and follow through, rather than by tools that forward alerts.
Our in-house SOC analysts monitor your environment around the clock and take pre-approved containment actions under rules agreed with you in advance. When an incident happens, the same organization leads the response, with in-house forensic investigation and a 24/7 incident line.
Because we are part of Atlantic Computer Systems, which provides managed IT, the fixes we recommend can be carried through in the underlying IT. The simplest way to start is a free 30-minute consultation.
ACS Cyber at a glance
- What we are: the MSSP and cybersecurity division of Atlantic Computer Systems, with an in-house 24/7 SOC
- Who we serve: small and midsize organizations, including regulated industries
- Where: headquartered in San Jose, California, with an office hub in Boston, supporting organizations nationwide
- Active incident: the 24/7 incident line, 1-650-300-7557, open to non-clients
- How to start: a free 30-minute consultation
What sets us apart
The commitments behind every engagement.
Buying security tools is the easy part. The harder part is taking responsibility for what happens after an alert fires, a weakness is found or an incident begins.
What organizations need from a security partner is judgment, follow-through and plain answers. These commitments shape how we monitor, advise and respond.
01
Human-led response
Our in-house SOC analysts investigate activity around the clock. A person confirms what is happening and acts on it, including pre-approved containment such as isolating a device or disabling an account, so you get answers instead of raw alerts.
02
Practical security
We recommend controls your people can live with and your environment can support. Security that gets in the way of daily work tends to get bypassed, so we design around how you operate.
03
Direct accountability
You work with one security partner that owns monitoring, response and follow-through. When something needs attention, you know who is responsible and what happens next.
04
Integrated security and IT knowledge
As part of Atlantic Computer Systems, which provides managed IT, our team understands Microsoft 365, endpoints, networks and cloud services from the inside. We can help remediate the underlying environment, not just flag it.
05
Clear reporting
Managed detection and response clients receive a monthly security report, reviewed with them, that explains what we saw, what we did and what we recommend, in business language for leadership and technical detail for IT.
06
Responsive communication
You can reach knowledgeable security and technical professionals directly. When an incident is underway, our 24/7 incident line connects you with people who can act, whether or not you are already a client.
07
Protection throughout the full security lifecycle
We support you before, during and after an incident: preparing your organization, protecting it day to day, responding when something happens and helping you recover stronger.
08
Solutions appropriate for small and midsize organizations
We scale the program to your size, risk and budget. You get the depth of a dedicated security function without having to build and staff one yourself.
Managed detection and response
What our in-house SOC does for you.
Managed detection and response (MDR) combines security technology with people who investigate and act. At ACS Cyber, those people are our own SOC analysts, working around the clock.
Tools generate alerts. Our analysts decide which alerts matter, contain confirmed threats within the limits you approve and explain what happened. Explore managed detection and response.
- We supply and manage the endpoint detection and response (EDR) agent
- Monitoring covers Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Azure and AWS, plus firewall, network and server activity
- SOC analysts take pre-approved containment actions, such as isolating a device or disabling an account, under rules agreed with you in advance
- Typical onboarding takes 2-4 weeks
- A monthly security report is reviewed with you
Monitoring coverage
Our SOC brings these sources into one view, so activity in one area can be connected to activity in another.
- Endpoints
- Servers
- Microsoft 365
- Google Workspace
- Azure
- AWS
- Firewall and network
- Identity
A different approach
How we compare with a tool-only or alert-forwarding approach.
Many organizations already own capable security tools. The difference is what happens around them: who investigates, who decides, and who follows through.
| Area | Typical approach | ACS Cyber |
|---|---|---|
| Alert handling | Alerts are forwarded to your team, often after hours and with little context. | Human-led investigation in our in-house SOC confirms what is real, with pre-approved containment and clear next steps. |
| Accountability | Tools are bought separately, each with its own vendor, console and support line. | One accountable program covering monitoring, response, advisory and ongoing improvement. |
| Remediation | Findings are handed over as a report for someone else to fix. | We help remediate the underlying IT environment and confirm that fixes worked. |
| Reporting | Technical dashboards and jargon that leadership cannot act on. | A monthly report reviewed with you, in business language, with technical detail available for IT. |
| Incident support | An unfamiliar response provider is found in the middle of a crisis. | The team that knows your environment leads the response, starting with the 24/7 incident line and in-house forensic investigation, and works alongside insurer-assigned firms where your policy permits. |
| Recommendations | Generic checklists applied regardless of size, operations or risk tolerance. | Prioritized recommendations that fit your technology, people, processes and obligations. |
| Coverage | Point coverage for a single area, such as endpoints only. | Coverage across endpoints, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Azure, AWS, identity, email, networks and users. |
| Over time | Configured once and rarely revisited. | Regular reviews, trend analysis and a roadmap that keeps strengthening the program. |
This comparison describes common patterns in the market, not any specific provider.
MSSP vs MSP
What is the difference between an MSSP and an MSP?
An MSP (managed service provider) keeps your technology running. An MSSP (managed security services provider) protects it by monitoring for threats, investigating activity and responding to incidents. Many organizations need both.
| Question | Managed service provider (MSP) | Managed security services provider (MSSP) |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Keep systems, devices and users productive. | Detect, investigate and respond to security threats. |
| Typical services | Helpdesk, device management, Microsoft 365 administration, networks, cloud and backups. | 24/7 security monitoring, managed detection and response, incident response, vulnerability management and security advisory. |
| When a security alert fires | Handled as part of general IT support, which may not include round-the-clock security investigation. | Investigated by security analysts, with containment when a threat is confirmed. |
| During an incident | Restores systems and supports users. | Contains the threat, investigates what happened and coordinates with counsel and insurers. |
| What success looks like | Reliable systems, resolved tickets and productive users. | Threats found and contained, risk reduced and a stronger security program. |
| At ACS | Atlantic Computer Systems provides managed IT. | ACS Cyber is the MSSP and cybersecurity division, with an in-house 24/7 SOC. |
You can work with ACS Cyber alongside your current IT team or provider. Where Atlantic Computer Systems also manages your IT, security fixes are carried through by the same organization. Learn about Atlantic Computer Systems.
Prepare. Protect. Respond. Recover.
Protection throughout the full security lifecycle.
Each stage feeds the next. What we learn during monitoring and response shapes your roadmap, and what we plan in advance makes response calmer and more effective.
01
Prepare
Understand your risk and build a plan. Advisory and vCISO services and risk and compliance readiness prepare your leadership and your team.
- Risk assessments
- Security roadmaps
- Policies and tabletop exercises
02
Protect
Reduce exposure and watch for threats. Managed detection and response, vulnerability management and security awareness training protect systems and people.
- 24/7 security monitoring
- Vulnerability scanning and in-house penetration testing
- Phishing simulations
03
Respond
Act with evidence and a plan. Incident response and DFIR brings triage, containment and in-house forensic investigation, with the 24/7 incident line as your first call.
- Triage and containment
- Evidence handling with chain of custody
- Stakeholder coordination
04
Recover
Restore operations and close the gaps. We help plan restoration, harden what was exploited and turn lessons learned into lasting improvements.
- Restoration planning
- Post-incident hardening
- Roadmap updates
Already dealing with a compromise?
If you think you have been hacked, whether through ransomware, a phished account or a fraudulent payment request, call our 24/7 incident line. Non-clients can call too. We help contain the threat, find out what happened and plan a controlled recovery.
Working with us
What working with us looks like.
The first step is a free 30-minute consultation. There is no obligation, and the conversation is focused on your environment and priorities.
01
Start with a conversation
Tell us about your organization, your environment and what prompted you to reach out. We listen first and ask practical questions.
02
Assess and prioritize
We review your current controls, obligations and exposure, then recommend where to start based on risk and business impact.
03
Agree on scope and rules
You receive a clear proposal describing what we will monitor, manage and deliver, who is responsible for what and how we will communicate. Together we agree the containment actions our SOC analysts may take without waiting for approval.
04
Onboard and set a baseline
We deploy the EDR agent, connect monitoring and document how your environment normally behaves. Most deployments complete in 2-4 weeks, depending on size and complexity.
05
Monitor, respond and report
Our in-house SOC monitors around the clock and contacts the people you designate when something needs a decision. Each month we review your security report with you.
06
Review and improve
We meet regularly to review trends, close gaps and update the roadmap as your organization, technology and obligations change.
Questions
Common questions about working with ACS Cyber.
An MSP (managed service provider) keeps your IT running: helpdesk, devices, Microsoft 365, networks and cloud. An MSSP (managed security services provider) focuses on security: monitoring for threats, investigating alerts, responding to incidents and building a security program around your risk. Atlantic Computer Systems, our parent company, explains what a managed service provider does in more detail.
ACS Cyber is the MSSP and cybersecurity division of Atlantic Computer Systems, which provides managed IT. You can use ACS Cyber with your current IT provider, or work with both parts of ACS so security fixes are carried through in the underlying IT. Atlantic Computer Systems describes that combined approach on its managed cybersecurity services page.
In-house. The ACS Cyber 24/7 SOC is staffed by our own analysts, who monitor your environment, validate alerts, investigate activity and take pre-approved containment actions under rules agreed with you in advance.
Forensic investigation during incidents is also performed in-house. Learn more about managed detection and response.
An MSSP gives you round-the-clock monitoring, investigation and incident response without hiring, training and scheduling a security team of your own. For many small and midsize organizations, it is the practical way to get 24/7 coverage.
You stay in control of decisions. We agree containment rules with you in advance and review results with you each month.
No. You can keep your internal IT team or current IT provider. We co-manage security alongside them, add the specialized monitoring and response they may not have, and give them clear remediation guidance.
Where your team needs hands-on help to remediate a finding, we can provide it. If your IT team also needs day-to-day help, Atlantic Computer Systems, our parent company, offers co-managed IT services.
We focus on small and midsize organizations, including those with no internal security staff and those with internal IT that need specialized security support.
We also support regulated and security-sensitive organizations, such as healthcare, legal and accounting and financial services firms.
No. We deliver a managed service, not a collection of products. For managed detection and response, we supply and manage the EDR agent as part of the service, and our team monitors it.
We do not publish our technology stack. During a consultation, we can walk through how coverage works for your environment.
Call the ACS Cyber 24/7 incident line at 1-650-300-7557, even if you are not a client. Do not wipe or rebuild affected systems first, and if you have cyber insurance, notify your insurer, since your policy may set out how the response is handled.
If a fraudulent payment was sent, contact your bank as well. Please do not send passwords or evidence files by email; once we are engaged, we arrange secure evidence handling.
We help contain the threat, investigate what happened through in-house forensic investigation, coordinate with your legal counsel and insurer when you authorize it, and plan a controlled recovery. See how we help after a compromise.
Managed detection and response clients receive a monthly security report that we review with them. It summarizes notable activity, actions taken and recommended improvements, written for leadership with technical detail for your IT team.
Between reports, we contact the people you designate when something needs a decision.
Yes. We help you prepare through gap assessments, control alignment, remediation and evidence preparation for frameworks such as the HIPAA Security Rule, PCI DSS, SOC 2, CMMC and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, as well as cyber-insurance applications.
Formal audit and assessment outcomes rest with your auditor or assessor. For legal questions, work with your legal counsel. Learn more about risk and compliance.
The first step is a free 30-minute consultation. For managed detection and response, typical onboarding takes 2-4 weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your environment.
Free 30-minute consultation
See what one accountable security partner looks like.
Talk with a cybersecurity expert about your environment, your obligations and your priorities. If you are dealing with an active incident, call the 24/7 incident line instead.