MSPs and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are intrinsically linked when it comes to security. SMBs need the external support of MSPs to keep their lean organizations safe, and MSPs need to tailor their services to keep those SMBs secure and operational.
In new surveys conducted by Arctic Wolf, it’s been revealed that, while SMBs are ready to invest in more comprehensive security to meet an evolving threat landscape, MSPs are struggling to understand what their clients need and tailor their services accordingly.
In the new white paper, “Closing the Gaps: Bridging the Divide Between SMBs and MSPs,” we take a deep dive into the survey data to understand where SMBs stand, what help they need, and how MSPs can better position themselves to take the lead.
Threat Actors Are Targeting SMBs
It’s no secret that cybercrime is rising, and unfortunately, it’s not just the big enterprises hackers are after.
- 40% of SMBs believe they are very or extremely likely to experience a cyber attack in the next 12 months
- 29% of SMBs were victims of a phishing attack in the last 12 months
- 64% of SMBs are concerned about malware
Considering that SMBs rely on MSPs to detect and respond to these kinds of threats, it’s important for MSPs to make sure they have the proper technology, tools, and people in place to keep their clients secure. There’s a huge opportunity for MSPs to take a more proactive advisory role in steering clients toward services that mitigate risk and reduce the sort of low-hanging fruit (like weak passwords and phishing attempts) that allow attackers inside.
SMBs Can’t Hire Internal Cybersecurity Staff
The security skills gap is only widening, and SMBs are often the hardest hit.
- 43% of SMBs only employ 1-3 security personnel
That stat, while concerning, puts MSPs in a perfect position to come to the rescue. MSPs are actively adding to their security teams, which allows SMBs to outsource, saving time, money, and putting them in a place where they can focus on strategic, long-term initiatives, knowing the 24×7 monitoring is handled. While SMBs may struggle when it comes to security staff, MSPs reported having at least 10 full-time cybersecurity employees, with 45% expecting to hire at least two more such individuals in the coming year.
MSPs Need to Leave the “Tool Mindset” Behind
If MSPs are going to take full advantage of the needs of their SMBs clients, they need to stop relying on siloed tools that create alert fatigue.
- 36% of MSPs use more than 10 cybersecurity tools
- 23% of MSPs use more than 10 vendors
Too many tools are creating a mess where IT staff are struggling to keep up, alert fatigue is hitting everyone, and risk is rising. Cybersecurity doesn’t have a tools problem, it has an operations problem, meaning MSPs can’t simply reduce their client’s attack surface by adding more tools to the mix. MSPs need to shift from a tool-focused mindset to an operations mindset. A consolidated approach can help MSPs better serve clients by utilizing a smaller number of security operations-focused tools that will reduce complexity and risk while increasing efficiency.
Learn more about how MSPs can better serve SMBs with our full white paper.
And find out How SMBs Can Manage Risk While Improving Their Security Posture
