The Enhanced Edge

The MSP Security Coverage Report 2026 by enhanced.io examines how effectively managed service providers protect their clients across five primary attack surfaces: 1. Endpoint 2. Identity 3. Cloud 4. Network 5. IoT and OT The analysis reveals a significant disconnection between modern cyber threats and the monitoring services currently provided by MSPs.  While endpoint security remains mature and w...

A credential stuffing attack compromised 12 accounts in one client environment using credentials from a 2021 data breach. • The attacker bypassed MFA on three accounts by exploiting legacy authentication protocols that the tenant had never disabled. • Access went undetected for 11 days. The attacker downloaded contracts and HR files and set up email forwarding to monitor invoice conversations. • A...

Operational technology (OT) security represents a massive market opportunity for MSPs.  While traditional IT security tools protect endpoints, 70% of the attack surface is invisible if you only monitor endpoints, including building management systems, industrial controls and smart building infrastructure.  Buildings do not run antivirus, so MSPs need specialized approaches offering protection with...

SASE covers your network. It does not cover your entire attack surface. If you have been in the MSP space, you have probably been pitched SASE (Secure Access Service Edge).  The idea that you can converge networking and security into a single cloud-delivered model. For clients with distributed workforces or heavy cloud usage, it makes architectural sense. But here is what the SASE vendors do not a...

Security has become the defining challenge of the modern MSP. Not because MSPs lack skill or commitment, but because the expectations placed on them have changed dramatically in the last five years. SMBs now expect the kind of protection enterprises have: •24/7 monitoring •Rapid incident response •Unified visibility across network, endpoint, identity and cloud •Evidence for cyber insurers and audi...

The UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will reshape the channel. For years, MSPs operated without mandatory cybersecurity standards-even though they held privileged access to networks, backups, identities and sensitive data. That changed after a series of high-impact incidents showed that MSP compromise is now a national-level risk. Two events accelerated the government’s decision: •2024 Mini...

For years, building technology flew under the cybersecurity radar. CCTV systems, HVAC controls, access panels, smart lighting, lifts, thermostats, door controllers - all quietly connected, all quietly unmanaged and all quietly vulnerable. But the world has changed. Smart buildings now depend on Operational Technology (OT) and IoT systems that were never designed for hostile networks. And attackers...

For years, MSPs delivered “good enough” security by focusing on endpoints-AV, EDR, patching, email filtering... but attackers adapted faster than the stack. Today: •80% of breaches involve identity compromise •Cloud and SaaS environments are prime targets •Lateral movement begins minutes after initial access •Legitimate admin tools are the preferred attack method •VPNs, firewalls and edge applianc...

What is lateral movement and why is it so dangerous? Lateral movement happens when an attacker who gains access to one device or account starts moving across the network to find more valuable targets. Once inside, they use legitimate credentials, remote desktop tools and internal traffic patterns to blend in, making detection extremely difficult. What makes lateral movement so hard for MSPs to det...

What is OT and why is OT security different from IT security? Operational technology (OT) refers to hardware and software that monitor or control physical processes, assets, or infrastructure, such as industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA, PLCs and DCS. OT security is different from traditional information technology security because the primary concerns in OT are safety, reliability and availab...

What is NIS2 and why does it matter for MSPs? NIS2 is the EU Network and Information Systems Directive, an update to the original 2016 legislation. Its goal is to strengthen Europe’s collective cybersecurity resilience by setting out minimum security and reporting standards for “essential” and “important” entities. Managed service providers are explicitly mentioned under NIS2 as part of the supply...

Why do SMBs struggle to access top-tier cybersecurity? Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are under attack more than ever before. Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report found that 46 percent of all breaches now impact organizations with fewer than 1000 employees. Yet, most SMBs can’t stretch to enterprise-level tools or in-house security teams. MSPs are often left balancing two competing r...

Cybersecurity is evolving faster than most managed service providers can adapt. Attackers have moved beyond endpoints and firewalls to identity attacks, supply chain breaches, lateral movement inside cloud environments, and AI-powered evasion. MSPs that rely on disconnected tools and manual response processes will not be able to protect clients at scale in 2026. Research from IBM shows that it now...

Traditional AI models such as machine learning are designed to classify threats based on patterns. Agentic AI adds reasoning and action. Instead of just flagging a suspicious login, Agentic AI can correlate that login to recent file access activity, check for privilege escalation and automatically launch a response playbook if risk criteria are met. This approach reduces workload and increases con...

Identity has become the new perimeter. Attackers no longer rely only on malware. They target accounts, tokens and credentials. Cybercriminals now buy stolen logins from dark web marketplaces and disguise themselves as trusted users. In 2024, 71 percent of attacks used valid credentials.  This means attackers logged in rather than broke in. That statistic alone explains why traditional endpoint too...

No MSP set out to manage 15+ different security tools per customer, unfortunately this is now the industry norm. As a result, teams face tool silos, slow investigations and poor visibility into multi-vector attacks. Traditional SIEM is not enough because it requires complex rule building, high data storage costs and significant analyst time. Endpoint-only security leaves blind spots across cloud,...

Alert fatigue happens when IT teams receive too many notifications from security and monitoring tools. MSPs managing multiple clients are particularly vulnerable because every endpoint, network, and cloud platform generates alerts. When the volume is high, technicians either become desensitized or miss critical threats entirely.  For MSPs, this results in:  • Slower response times.   • Higher erro...

Cybersecurity vendors often want MSPs to replace their current stack because it locks customers into their ecosystem. It simplifies support for the vendor, but it ignores the reality that MSPs already use diverse tools across firewall, endpoint and compliance layers.  A rip-and-replace strategy creates:  • Sunk costs on existing licenses and tools.   • Service disruption while migrating.   • Compa...

Most managed security solutions are built around a vendor’s own security products. For example, if you buy into one of the larger ecosystems, you’re expected to deploy their endpoint detection, their firewall and their SIEM. This approach creates a lock-in effect where the MSP has little choice but to standardise on that vendor’s stack, even if it means replacing tools that are already working wel...

SMB's face the same kinds of cyber threats as large enterprises, but often without the budget, skills, or in-house teams to defend themselves. Over 40% of cybersecurity breaches now target small businesses. Attackers know that SMB's are less likely to have round-the-clock monitoring or advanced threat detection tools in place.  For MSPs, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity....

Five years ago, many Managed Service Providers (MSPs) treated compliance as a side note - something to be handled if and when a client requested it. In 2025, that mindset is no longer viable. Compliance has shifted from being an industry-specific requirement to a baseline trust factor for every MSP relationship.   MSPs now sit at the heart of their clients’ data security and IT operations and with...

Compliance is no longer optional for MSPs. It’s a core business function, a differentiator in competitive bids and a direct contributor to client trust. By embedding compliance reporting into your service offering, you don’t just meet the standard - you set it.  Thanks for listening! - Learn more about our full spectrum network security platform for MSPs & MSSPs: enhanced.io

MSPs in the United States face growing pressure to support clients across multiple industries including healthcare, defense, government contracting and critical infrastructure. Each comes with its own regulatory requirements, but three frameworks dominate: NIST CSF, CMMC and DFARS. (And while not required in the US, some global companies also voluntarily align with NIS2 principles.) Thanks for lis...

The Essential Eight is a set of baseline security strategies developed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). It is widely adopted across public and private sectors in Australia and New Zealand. It’s not a legal requirement, but it's increasingly seen as the default security benchmark. Find out who needs to align with the Essential Eight. Thanks for listening! - Learn more about our...

Selling cybersecurity as an MSP or MSSP isn’t just about explaining what your solution does - it’s about showing why it matters to your client’s business. In short, communicating the business impact of unified threat detection. When it comes to Open-XDR, the challenge is often that it sounds highly technical - yet the value is deeply commercial.  Here’s how you can explain the value of Open-XDR to...