Securing MSPs: The Blueprint for Cyber Resilience

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) play a vital role in modern business operations, allowing organisations to outsource services like cybersecurity and IT. This gives organisations, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), an easy way to remain cyber secure without needing a full-scale in-house team.

However, their position as a gatekeeper to several client systems has made them a prime target for cybercriminals, as shown in a recent survey revealing that 76% of MSPs spotted a cyberattack on their infrastructure within the last 12 months. Recent attacks on MSPs have highlighted the detrimental effect cyberattacks can have on several organisations in a short period and, given the increasing reliance on MSPs, emphasises the need for robust cybersecurity practices to be adopted.

Why do Cybercriminals Target MSPs?

On the surface, an MSP might seem an odd target for cybercriminals as they’ve often implemented the most secure cybersecurity tools, processes and policies. Yet, cybercriminals continue to attack them. Why? 

It’s down to the potential reward of gaining access to the systems and networks under an MSP’s control. Not only this, but if a hacker can breach an MSP, they’ll have access to data including everything from employee login details to financial records.

Ultimately, attackers target MSPs for the same reason they target supply chains. If you can successfully breach their defences, you’ll gain access to reams of sensitive data. And, the more data they have, the more money there is to be made from ransomware.

Consequences of a Successful Attack on MSPs

For MSPs, the consequences of cyberattacks can be divided into direct and indirect.

Direct Consequences

There are several direct consequences of an attack including serious disruption to systems. Unless an attack is caught and dealt with early, an attack can inject malware and bring down an MSP’s systems. This often results in a long process to fix and restore the affected systems before going back online. This not only impacts productivity but also can dent employee morale.

A successful ransomware attack can also result in locked systems and/or stolen data. This leaves SMEs with little choice other than to pay the ransom or risk allowing private customer details to be shared online. This would most likely lead to a reputational hit, making it harder to retain and win clients.

Indirect Consequences

There are also the damaging effects of indirect consequences which often see an MSP’s clients suffer more than the MSPs themselves, especially SMEs. A recent government survey found that only 33% of SMEs use threat monitoring tools and even fewer (31%) conducted a cybersecurity risk assessment in 2024. This leaves SMEs much more susceptible to threats than large organisations and shows how reliant they are on MSPs to keep their organisation secure.

There are several examples of successful cyberattacks such as the Kaseya ransomware attack which spread to dozens of MSPs and over 1,500 of their customers in a matter of hours highlighting why the risk for attackers is worth it for the extensive rewards.

How to Protect Against MSP Cybersecurity Threats

There are several measures an MSP should adopt to protect themselves and their customers. The majority of these measures are relatively simple to implement and yet, so few organisations actually take action.

The first step is to install software patches. All software, even the best-protected, can develop vulnerabilities over time which presents opportunities for attackers. Attackers work efficiently and will target the organisation with the weakest defences so don’t let that be you.

Mult-factor authentication (MFA) is another simple way to improve security for your employees and ultimately reduce risk. Passwords alone are vulnerable, but MFA makes things much more difficult for an attacker to breach. Alongside usernames and passwords, adding security questions, PIN codes and biometrics such as thumbprints will massively reduce your organisation's chances of suffering a breach.

It is also vital to back up your data as a failsafe if you do suffer a breach. In some cases, it can even help to avoid paying ransom to retrieve your missing data. The easiest method is to install data backup software which will automatically create and store copies on an external source for safekeeping.

A worrying 55% of data breaches are caused by human error so with this in mind, one of the most important strategies to counter cyber attackers is to train staff on the risks and how to stay secure. There are simple ways to train employees, or you could use a security awareness training provider to give your employees the best education in staying secure. Either way, it is vital that all members of staff are given as much support as possible to reduce risks.

Finally, it is important to create an incident response plan. Cyberattacks aren’t inevitable, but they are statistically likely, so an actionable response plan is crucial. This will give employees a clear set of instructions to follow during and after a cyberattack which can help to minimise the damage to an organisation. It is also smart to encourage MSP clients to develop their own response plan as just 4% of MSPs say their clients have a plan in place.

Following these steps does not guarantee total security from breaches, but they will help to reduce the chances significantly which will save an organisation time and money.

Stay on Top of MSP Cybersecurity

It often seems as though the advice on how to stay secure is obvious but it’s amazing how many organisations and individuals don’t do the basics. Sometimes the most obvious steps are the most effective in keeping organisations secure. You don’t have to be the most cyber-secure MSP but definitely don’t be the least.