No Plan B? Why Smart Businesses Use a PACE Strategy for Cybersecurity

July 9, 2025

🪖 The Military-Inspired Strategy Behind Our Cyber Resilience

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, businesses can no longer assume everything will always run smoothly. Cyber threats, service interruptions, and technical disruptions are real—and for organizations that rely on technology, preparedness isn’t optional.

That’s why Strategic Technical Services (STS) has adopted the PACE strategy: a military-inspired planning model that ensures seamless MSP and MSSP service delivery and robust cybersecurity.

At STS, we don’t just secure systems—we build operational resilience. By anticipating problems, layering in redundancy, and always having a backup plan (or two), we ensure uninterrupted service, even when the unexpected strikes.

In this post, we’ll explore how the PACE framework powers our remote access tools, strengthens our internal security stack, and reassures our clients that they’re partnered with a team prepared for anything.

🧭 Understanding the PACE Framework: Your Blueprint for Cyber Resilience

PACE stands for:

• Primary
  
• Alternate
  
• Contingency
  
• Emergency
  

It’s a structured approach to solving problems before they disrupt operations. This strategy ensures your systems, data, and support infrastructure are protected across multiple layers—minimizing the risk of downtime and preserving critical business functions.

At STS, we embed the PACE model into all areas of our operation—from remote support and endpoint security to compliance auditing and backup protocols. It’s how we keep your business protected and our services rock-solid.

🔧 Remote Access: Seamless Support with Redundant Tools

When remote support is critical, we rely on a layered approach:

• Primary: Our main remote monitoring and access platform manages endpoints, delivers updates, and allows secure remote sessions.
  
• Alternate: A dedicated third-party remote tool is used when the primary method fails or is inaccessible.
  
• Contingency: Built-in Windows remote support tools give us lightweight access when all else fails.
  
• Emergency: Onsite dispatch or guided support over the phone ensures you're never without help.
  

This same model applies to communication:

• If our ticketing system is inaccessible, we pivot to direct phone, SMS, or tech-to-tech escalation—ensuring you always reach someone who can help.
  

🛡️ Security Tools: Defending the Frontlines

We protect systems with a multi-layered endpoint and network security strategy:

• Primary: Endpoint protection that includes DNS filtering and intrusion prevention to detect and block threats at the device level.
  
• Alternate: Advanced detection and response tools monitored by a live human-led Security Operations Center (SOC) provide 24/7 visibility and intervention.
  
• Contingency: System lockdown tools enforce strict security policies, block dangerous services, and isolate affected systems.
  
• Emergency: For serious incidents, we reimage the system and restore from secure backups, ensuring full recovery with minimal downtime.
  

🔐 Cybersecurity Tools: Visibility, Compliance & User Awareness

PACE also strengthens our visibility, policy enforcement, and user protection:

• Primary: Compliance and auditing tools track system changes, user behavior, and data access across your environment.
  
• Alternate: Dark web monitoring helps identify if credentials or sensitive data have been exposed.
  
• Contingency: System-level enforcement ensures security best practices—like password policies, protocol hardening, and secure configurations—are always in place.
  
• Emergency: End-user training empowers your team to recognize phishing attempts, avoid risky behavior, and respond intelligently when something seems off.
  

💾 Backup & Business Continuity: Planning for the Worst, Delivering the Best

Recovery isn’t just about having backups—it’s about having multiple layers of them:

• Primary: Cloud-based backups of Microsoft 365 and other SaaS systems ensure fast access to daily data snapshots.
  
• Alternate: Full-system image backups allow us to recover entire machines in the event of failure or compromise.
  
• Contingency: Manual exports and protected archives can restore key files when automation isn't an option.
  
• Emergency: Offline or offsite storage and clean images allow us to restore your operations from a known-good state—even in a worst-case scenario.
  

✅ Why PACE Planning Matters

When you partner with STS, you’re not just getting tech support—you’re getting a resilience strategy. The PACE framework allows us to:

• Maintain continuity – even if tools fail or vendors go down
  
• Minimize downtime – through built-in, layered failovers
  
• Respond quickly – with defined escalation paths
  
• Stay proactive – by preparing for what others ignore
  

We stay online to keep you online. That’s not just our promise—it’s our plan.

📩 Want to See How PACE Powers Your Business Protection?

Let’s schedule a time to review your infrastructure and show you how the PACE strategy can be tailored to your organization’s needs.