MDR, Dark Web Monitoring Are “Top of Mind” For MSPs

by Dan Kobialka • Oct 31, 2022

Cybersecurity represents a “very large area of growth” for MSPs, according to the Global State of the MSP Report from Datto.

Approximately 97% of MSPs provide managed security services, Datto’s report revealed. Many MSPs continue to focus on providing ransomware and phishing and email security offerings. However, others are looking for ways to expand their managed security services around reporting, auditing, training and policy-building for customers.

Top Managed Security Services MSPs Offer

Email security, security framework and compliance auditing and identity and access management (IAM) represent the top managed security services that MSPs currently offer, Datto’s report showed.

Other popular managed security services offered by MSPs include:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Firewall
• Remote access technologies
• Advanced endpoint security
• IAM and single sign-on (SSO)

In addition, MSPs cited managed detection and response (MDR) and dark web monitoring as the services that come “top of mind” as they look for ways to bolster their managed security portfolios, Datto’s report showed.

Managed security services that MSPs are also prioritizing include:

• Web content filtering
• Compliance monitoring
• Privileged access management
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
• Patch management

MSPs’ Top Cybersecurity Concerns

Computer viruses, Covid-19 related scams, phishing messages and endpoint threats are the top cybersecurity issues that MSPs face, Datto’s report indicated. Meanwhile, roughly two-thirds of MSPs stated they use antivirus protection tools to address wiper malware, spyware, hackers, identity theft and phishing threats.

Many MSPs struggle with security expertise. MSPs also cited hiring skilled cybersecurity professionals, the complexity of security products and managing too many different security products as the biggest barriers to offering cybersecurity solutions, Datto’s report showed.

MSPs’ Growing Use of Security Frameworks

MSPs are increasingly using security frameworks to perform security audits or build security policies for customers, according to Datto’s report.

The top security frameworks that MSPs use include:

• CMMC
• CIS
• NIST CSF
• ISO 27001/2
• SOC II

Approximately 80% of MSPs provide security audits and education training for customers, Datto’s report revealed. Furthermore, 37% of MSPs plan to add security audits or education training for customers and 33% intend to create internal security policies for customers in 2023.