Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about TPAIT or how we support Third-Party Administrators (TPAs)?

Here are clear answers to the most common topics — from IT management and cybersecurity to private cloud hosting and Plan Sponsor compliance.

Who operates TPAIT?

TPAIT is a specialized initiative by CRC Cloud, a national provider of Managed IT (MSP), Cybersecurity (MSSP), and Private Cloud (CSP) services.

With 40+ years of IT experience and deep familiarity with TPA operations, CRC Cloud powers everything behind TPAIT.

How is TPAIT different from a regular IT provider?

We focus exclusively on TPAs and firms in the retirement administration space.

Our systems, documentation, and support are purpose-built for TPA workflows, recordkeeper integrations, and Plan Sponsor due diligence—not adapted from generic IT templates.

Unlike general IT providers, we understand filing deadlines, participant data protection requirements, and the specific audit standards TPAs face.

What types of TPAs do you serve?

Our solutions are designed for small to mid-sized retirement, benefits, and claims administration firms—typically 5–150 users—across all 50 states.

Whether you’re a solo TPA or a multi-office operation, we scale our services to match your size and complexity.

What does IT discovery and onboarding cost?

Initial IT Discovery & Assessment: $2,500–$4,000 (one-time fee)

Before we can design the right solution, we conduct a comprehensive IT ecosystem discovery that includes:

Asset inventory: All devices, servers, network equipment, and endpoints
Network documentation: Complete topology mapping and infrastructure schematics
User analysis: Remote users, access requirements, and workflow patterns
Vendor assessment: Current IT vendors, software licenses, and service agreements
Security audit: Existing security controls, vulnerabilities, and compliance gaps
Cloud services review: All SaaS applications, cloud storage, and hosted services

What determines your discovery cost:

Company size: Number of employees and locations
Infrastructure complexity: On-premise servers, cloud services, hybrid environments
Number of endpoints: PCs, laptops, mobile devices, printers, specialized equipment
Vendor ecosystem: Number of existing IT vendors and service providers

This discovery process typically takes 1-2 weeks and results in a detailed report with our recommendations and a customized service proposal.

Ongoing monthly managed services fees are quoted separately based on your specific needs—see Question 6 for contract details.

What happens during onboarding?

We start with a Free IT & Cyber Health Check to identify immediate concerns.

Following the discovery phase, we offer two onboarding timelines:

Standard Track (30-60-90 days):

Days 1-30: Complete discovery, stabilization, and baseline security
Days 31-60: Integration with recordkeepers and vendor coordination
Days 61-90: Optimization and Plan Sponsor-ready documentation

Fast-Track (15-30-45 days):

Accelerated deployment for firms with urgent compliance or security needs
Requires dedicated collaboration and minimal scope changes during transition

Both tracks include an onsite visit to meet your team, assess physical infrastructure, and ensure smooth handoff.

How long are your contracts?

Our Managed IT Services Agreement is structured as a 12-month initial term that automatically renews for successive one-year periods.

Why annual contracts work for TPAs:

Aligns with your fiscal year and budget planning cycles
Provides cost predictability for financial forecasting
Ensures consistent service quality year-round, including peak filing seasons

Cancellation terms:

Either party may terminate with 60 days’ written notice
All outstanding payments and obligations must be settled prior to termination
No early termination penalties—we earn your business every year

What happens at renewal:

We provide at least 30 days’ written notice of any fee adjustments
Automatic renewal ensures no service interruption
You can modify services at each renewal period to match changing needs

This structure gives you flexibility without sacrificing the stability your TPA operations require.

Can we cancel anytime?

Yes—you can cancel with 60 days’ written notice at any time during your contract term.

Important details:

All outstanding invoices must be paid through the termination date
We’ll work with you to ensure a smooth transition if you choose to move IT services in-house or to another provider
No cancellation penalties or hidden fees

Why 60 days? This notice period allows us to:

Properly document your environment for transition
Coordinate with any new IT provider you select
Ensure no disruption to your operations during the handoff

Most clients renew year after year—but we believe you should stay because of the value we provide, not because you’re locked in.

Will this work with our current systems?

Yes. We have extensive experience with leading TPA platforms, including:

Plan Administration Software:

ASC, Relius, FIS Relius, Pension Pro, DataPath Summit, and similar systems

Recordkeeping Integrations:

Fidelity, Principal, Empower, VOYA, John Hancock, and other major recordkeepers

Actuarial Software:

ProVal, PAS, MG-ALFA, and pension actuarial platforms

If your current systems need upgrades for security or performance, we coordinate those changes during planned maintenance windows—no disruption to your filing schedules.

How does this make our team more efficient?

You’ll experience:

Reduced downtime: Proactive monitoring catches issues before users notice
Faster response: Priority support during peak filing seasons
Smoother vendor coordination: We liaise directly with recordkeepers and software vendors
Audit-ready documentation: Compliance evidence always current and accessible
Predictable budgets: No surprise IT expenses or emergency repair costs

Real impact: One of our TPA clients reduced their annual IT-related downtime from 47 hours to less than 6 hours—the equivalent of one full week of uninterrupted productivity gained.

Do you provide onsite visits if needed?

Yes—onsite support is included when remote resolution isn’t possible during standard business hours.

Our Support Coverage:

Standard Service Desk: 6:00 AM–6:00 PM PT, Monday–Friday

Remote and onsite support fully included in your monthly service fee
Average response time: 30 minutes for Priority 1 issues
No additional charges for covered services during these hours

24/7 Emergency Helpdesk: Always Available

Engineers on-call around the clock for critical system failures
Available evenings, weekends, and holidays when you need us
After-hours emergency support billed separately at pre-agreed rates (detailed in your service agreement)

When After-Hours Support Makes Sense:

After-hours charges apply for urgent requests outside standard business hours (before 6 AM, after 6 PM PT, weekends, or holidays).

Critical emergencies we handle after hours:

Complete system outages affecting all users or business-critical functions
Security incidents requiring immediate containment (ransomware, breach attempts)
Data loss events requiring urgent recovery
Infrastructure failures preventing business operations (file server down, network outage, email system failure)

Non-urgent requests that can wait:

Individual user issues (password resets, single workstation problems)
Software questions or training requests
Routine maintenance or non-critical updates

The value: You’re never stranded—but you’re also not paying for 24/7 coverage you don’t need. Most TPA operations run during business hours, so your monthly fee covers when you actually work. Emergency coverage is available when critical situations arise.

Onsite vs. Remote:

Most issues (87% based on our data) resolve remotely during standard hours. When hands-on support is required, we dispatch promptly—no additional travel fees during business hours for covered services.

Do you work directly with our vendors?

Yes—we eliminate the finger-pointing.

When you experience an issue involving third-party systems, we coordinate directly with:

Recordkeepers (for data feed issues, participant portal problems)
Software vendors (for application errors or licensing)
Telecom providers (for connectivity or phone system issues)

Why this matters: You shouldn’t waste time on three-way calls trying to identify who’s responsible. We manage vendor escalations, track tickets, and ensure accountability—you get one throat to choke.

Is this safer and more reliable than what we’re using now?

Almost certainly yes.

TPAIT combines enterprise-grade security that most small TPAs can’t implement alone:

24/7 SOC Monitoring: Security Operations Center watching for threats around the clock
EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response): Behavior-based ransomware protection on every device
SIEM Analytics: Centralized log analysis to detect anomalies before they become breaches
Immutable Backups: Recovery copies that ransomware cannot encrypt or delete
U.S.-Based Private Cloud: Your data never leaves secure, SOC 2-aligned datacenters
NIST CSF 2.0 Alignment: Framework recognized by auditors and Plan Sponsors

The result: Security controls that meet or exceed what large national TPAs deploy—at a fraction of the cost.

Why isn’t antivirus protection enough anymore?

Traditional antivirus is reactive—it only catches threats it already knows about using signature-based detection.

EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) is proactive:

Uses AI and behavioral analysis to spot zero-day attacks and ransomware before they spread
Automatically isolates infected devices to prevent lateral movement
Provides forensic data for post-incident analysis

Real-world example: Traditional antivirus would miss a new ransomware variant for hours or days until signatures update. EDR sees the suspicious file encryption behavior immediately and blocks it in real-time.

For TPAs handling participant data: Waiting for antivirus signatures to update is too late. EDR is the modern standard.

What is a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)?

A Next-Generation Firewall goes far beyond traditional port/protocol filtering.

NGFW capabilities include:

Deep packet inspection: Examines the content of data, not just headers
Application awareness: Controls access by application (e.g., block Dropbox, allow Zoom)
Intrusion prevention (IPS): Stops attacks in real-time using threat intelligence
SSL/TLS inspection: Scans encrypted traffic for hidden malware
Zero-day protection: AI-based detection of unknown threats

Why it matters for TPAs: Participant data often moves between your network, recordkeepers, and cloud applications. NGFWs ensure every connection is inspected and authorized—even encrypted traffic that traditional firewalls can’t see.

What does 24/7 SOC monitoring do?

Our Security Operations Center (SOC) is staffed by cybersecurity analysts who monitor your infrastructure continuously.

What the SOC does:

Watches for suspicious login attempts, unusual data access, or malware indicators
Investigates security alerts and determines if they’re real threats or false positives
Takes immediate containment action when threats are confirmed
Escalates critical incidents to our MDR (Managed Detection & Response) team
Provides detailed incident reports for your records and compliance documentation

The value: Your TPA operates during business hours—but cyberattacks happen 24/7. The SOC ensures someone is always watching, even at 2 AM on Sunday.

What is MDR, and how is it different from SOC?

SOC = Detection. MDR = Detection + Response.

SOC (Security Operations Center):

Monitors for threats
Alerts on suspicious activity
Provides security event visibility

MDR (Managed Detection & Response):

Everything the SOC does, PLUS:
Active threat hunting across your environment
Immediate isolation and removal of confirmed threats
Root cause analysis to prevent recurrence
Forensic investigation after incidents

Think of it this way: SOC is the alarm system. MDR is the alarm system + armed security guards who respond immediately.

For TPAs: MDR ensures threats are neutralized before they impact operations or compromise participant data—not just detected.

What is Dark Web Monitoring, and why do we need it?

Dark Web Monitoring scans underground forums, paste sites, and black-market databases where stolen credentials are sold or traded.

What we monitor for:

Your company email addresses found in data breaches
Employee passwords leaked in credential dumps
Company data being offered for sale
Domain names registered to phish your clients

When credentials are found:

You receive immediate notification
We help you force password resets for affected accounts
We assess whether MFA needs to be enforced

Why TPAs need this: Cybercriminals often use credential stuffing attacks—trying stolen passwords from other breaches against your systems. If your employee uses the same password for LinkedIn and your TPA network, one LinkedIn breach puts your participant data at risk.

Dark Web Monitoring gives you early warning before attackers exploit stolen credentials.

What is an Immutable Backup?

An Immutable Backup is a recovery copy that cannot be modified, encrypted, or deleted—even by ransomware or a compromised administrator account.

How it works:

Backups are stored using WORM (Write Once, Read Many) technology
Once written, the backup is locked for a defined retention period
Ransomware that encrypts your live systems cannot touch the immutable copies

Why it matters for TPAs: Modern ransomware doesn’t just encrypt your live data—it hunts for and destroys your backups first, making recovery impossible. Immutable backups ensure you always have a clean recovery point.

Real scenario: If ransomware hits on Monday morning, we restore from Sunday night’s immutable backup—you’re operational again within hours, not days or weeks.

What do MSP, MSSP, and CSP mean—and how do they apply to TPAIT?

These acronyms represent the three pillars of our service delivery model:

MSP (Managed Service Provider):

Day-to-day IT management, helpdesk support, and infrastructure monitoring
Software updates, user administration, and vendor coordination
Strategic IT planning and budget development

MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider):

Advanced cybersecurity monitoring, detection, and response
SOC/MDR services, threat intelligence, and vulnerability management
Compliance documentation and audit support

CSP (Cloud Service Provider):

Secure, U.S.-based Private Cloud hosting for TPA applications
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) for your critical workloads
Disaster recovery and business continuity infrastructure

Why this matters: Instead of juggling multiple vendors for IT support, security, and hosting, TPAIT gives you one integrated partner managing all three—with a single throat to choke and unified accountability.

If we become a client, will we automatically be SOC-certified?

No—SOC certification is specific to your individual firm, not automatically transferred from your IT provider.

However, our infrastructure is designed to make YOUR SOC audit easier:

What we provide:

SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II aligned infrastructure
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 implementation
Audit-ready documentation including access logs, change management records, and security policies
Support during your SOC, SSAE 18, or CEFEX audit process
Evidence packages your auditors need (encryption methods, backup testing, incident response plans)

How it works: When your auditor requests documentation about IT controls, we provide comprehensive evidence packages that demonstrate:

Data encryption in transit and at rest
Access control policies and MFA enforcement
Backup testing and disaster recovery capabilities
Security monitoring and incident response

Many of our TPA clients have successfully completed SOC audits with our support—we know exactly what auditors look for.

How do you help with cybersecurity questionnaires or Plan Sponsor audits?

We provide comprehensive documentation packages that directly answer common Plan Sponsor security questions.

What’s included:

Network architecture diagrams and data flow documentation
Encryption standards for data at rest and in transit
Access control policies and MFA implementation details
Backup schedules, retention policies, and tested recovery procedures
Incident response plans and business continuity documentation
Disaster recovery runbooks and RTO/RPO metrics
Security monitoring and threat detection capabilities
Vendor management and third-party risk assessment processes

How we help during audits:

Review questionnaires with you before submission
Provide evidence for technical questions
Participate in auditor meetings when technical clarification needed
Update documentation annually to reflect current state

The result: You respond to Plan Sponsor due diligence requests confidently and quickly—not scrambling to gather information from multiple vendors.

What cybersecurity framework do you follow?

TPAIT follows the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0—the gold standard for cybersecurity in financial services and fiduciary industries.

The NIST CSF 2.0 framework includes six core functions:

GOVERN: Establish and monitor cybersecurity risk management strategy
IDENTIFY: Understand your assets, vulnerabilities, and risk exposure
PROTECT: Implement safeguards to ensure delivery of critical services
DETECT: Identify cybersecurity events quickly
RESPOND: Take action when cybersecurity incidents occur
RECOVER: Restore capabilities impaired during incidents

Why NIST CSF matters for TPAs:

Recognized by SOC auditors, regulators, and Plan Sponsors
Provides clear mapping to other frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, SSAE 18)
Scales from small firms to large enterprises
Focuses on business outcomes, not just technical controls

Our implementation: Every control we deploy—from MFA to immutable backups—maps to specific NIST CSF functions. When auditors ask “How do you protect participant data?” we show them the framework-aligned answer.

What happens if there’s a security incident or ransomware attack?

We have a documented, tested incident response process:

Immediate Response (within minutes):

Our SOC/MDR team detects the incident via automated alerts
Affected systems are immediately isolated to prevent spread
You receive notification with initial assessment
Forensic data collection begins to preserve evidence

Containment & Eradication (within hours): 5. Threat is analyzed to determine entry point and scope 6. Malware, compromised credentials, or vulnerabilities are removed 7. Network segmentation prevents lateral movement

Recovery (same day or next business day): 8. Clean systems restored from immutable backups 9. Services brought back online with enhanced monitoring 10. Access credentials reset and MFA verification enforced

Post-Incident (within one week): 11. Root cause analysis completed and documented 12. Detailed incident report provided for your records and Plan Sponsor notifications 13. Preventive measures implemented to prevent recurrence 14. Lessons learned review with your team

What you get:

Written incident timeline for regulatory reporting
Breach notification support (if PII was compromised)
Evidence for cyber insurance claims
Recommendations to strengthen security posture

The goal: Minimize downtime, protect participant data, and provide complete transparency throughout the incident lifecycle.

What happens if our main office loses internet or power?

Your critical applications and data remain accessible because they’re hosted in our U.S.-based Private Cloud—not dependent on your office infrastructure.

What stays online during an outage:

Email (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)
Cloud-based TPA software and recordkeeper portals
Shared files and documents
VoIP phone systems (if cloud-based)

How your team stays productive:

Employees work remotely from home using VPN
Mobile devices continue functioning normally
No data loss—everything syncs once connectivity restores

For extended outages:

We can provision temporary internet connectivity at your location
Coordinate with your ISP for expedited repair
Provide mobile hotspots for critical staff if needed

The bottom line: One location goes dark—but your TPA operations don’t stop. This is business continuity by design.

How often do you review and update security measures?

We operate on continuous monitoring with quarterly review cycles:

Daily/Real-Time:

Automated security patch deployment
Threat intelligence updates
Security event monitoring and alerting

Monthly:

Backup testing and verification
Access control reviews
Security log analysis

Quarterly:

Comprehensive security posture assessment
Vulnerability scanning and remediation
Review and update security policies
Disaster recovery plan testing

Annually:

Full IT assessment report
Business continuity plan review and testing
Compliance documentation updates
Strategic planning session with your leadership

Plus, event-driven updates:

When new vulnerabilities are disclosed publicly
After security incidents (yours or industry-wide)
When new threats emerge targeting TPAs or financial services

You receive:

Monthly executive summaries of security posture
Quarterly detailed reports with metrics and trends
Annual comprehensive IT assessment

This ensures your defenses evolve with the threat landscape—not stay static.

How do we get started?

Three simple steps:

Step 1: Schedule Your Free IT & Cyber Health Check Click the “Book Free IT & Cyber Health Check” button at the top of this page to schedule a 30 minute consultation with one of our TPA specialists.

Step 2: IT Discovery & Assessment If we’re a good fit, we conduct a comprehensive discovery of your IT environment ($2,500–$4,000, typically 1-2 weeks). You receive a detailed report with our findings and recommendations.

Step 3: Onboarding We begin your transition using either our Standard (30-60-90 day) or Fast-Track (15-30-45 day) onboarding plan—designed to minimize disruption to your operations.

No pressure, no obligation. Our goal is to show you exactly what we’d do differently—then let you decide if it makes sense for your firm.