Why we don't do break-fix — and why no serious MSP will
Break-fix IT isn't cheaper. It's a security time bomb with your name on it. If we're not monitoring your systems every day and in control of the accounts that keep them running, we can't keep you safe — and we won't pretend otherwise.
The short version
Break-fix means nobody is watching. No patching cadence, no monitoring, no backup verification, no identity hygiene — until something breaks and you call for help. By the time the phone rings, the damage is already done: ransomware has spread, backups have failed silently for months, or an administrator account is locked out with no recovery path. We've seen it too many times to sell it to anyone.
The classic trap: the domain owns the admin
Over the years we have seen the same failure pattern repeat itself: a business sets up its domain, email, and cloud accounts using the same business address as the login. The recovery email, the MFA, and the password reset path all point back to that same domain.
It works fine until the domain expires, the account gets flagged, or someone forgets a password. Then the business discovers that the account they need to fix the domain requires the domain to authenticate. The mailbox used for recovery is on the same domain. Every recovery path loops back to the same locked door. The result is days or weeks of downtime — and in some cases the domain is simply lost.
That is what a single point of failure looks like. A break-fix provider wouldn't have caught it because a break-fix provider isn't looking.
What "in control" actually means
When KCM manages your environment, we build it so that no one — including you — can accidentally lock everyone out. That means:
- Administrative accounts separated from daily-use accounts, with recovery contacts that don't depend on the domain being managed.
- MFA on every privileged account, with backup factors stored securely — never tied to a single mailbox that could disappear.
- Domain registrar, DNS, Microsoft 365 tenant, and firewall accounts documented and controlled by KCM so no single failure locks you out.
- Daily monitoring of endpoints, patching, and backup health — with alerts we act on, not just log.
Why break-fix fails every time
No one is watching
Malware, failed backups, and expired certificates all go unnoticed until they cause an outage.
Accounts drift out of control
Clients set up cloud services with personal emails, weak MFA, or self-referencing recovery. Then they get locked out.
Every incident is a surprise bill
Hourly emergency work during a ransomware event costs more in a week than a year of managed service.
Insurance and compliance won't cover you
Cyber insurance and frameworks like HIPAA, PCI, and CMMC require documented monitoring, patching, and MFA. Break-fix can't produce the evidence.
The bottom line
We won't quote break-fix work because it's not something we're willing to put our name on. If we're responsible for your uptime and your security, we need to be watching every day and in control of the accounts that matter. That's the only way this works.