How MSPs can automate their way to full-spectrum security
The end of October is here, which means it is time to ask: What have you, as a managed service provider (MSP), learnt from Cybersecurity Awareness Month? The most critical lesson remains that human behaviour is the single greatest risk and the single greatest opportunity for defence. While no amount of training can eliminate every mistake (which is why we need automation), a security-aware technician acts as the final, critical filter that can spot novel social engineering attacks and enable fast incident response, but only if the back end is hyper-automated, so technicians know about these potential attacks immediately.
The familiar theme of “Secure Our World” from the National Cybersecurity Alliance is that cybersecurity today is no longer just about user education; it demands automated action from IT providers. Security isn't the exclusive domain of managed security service provider (MSSPs). It is the most critical service an MSP delivers. The question is: how does an MSP secure an increasingly complex and hybrid client environment, from the endpoint to the server, without hiring a 24/7 SOC team?
The answer lies in moving beyond basic IT management to automation-driven security.
The modern threat landscape with targets beyond endpoints
The biggest shift in the security conversation is the demise of the perimeter. Your clients’ security gaps are not just on their laptops (endpoints) anymore. They are in server misconfigurations, unpatched network switches, insecure access granted to a third-party vendors, and many other obscure areas.
The financial toll on smaller businesses is staggering. The average cost of a data breach for companies under 500 employees has been reported to be over $3.3 million (IBM, 2023). This is the cost of not viewing security holistically.
MSPs must embrace a holistic view of the attack surface:
A single vulnerability on a domain controller or outdated firmware on a firewall is a catastrophic entry point. By just managing the endpoints, only half the risks are managed.
Security extends even into ITSM processes. How is sensitive client data secured? Are IT staff accessing client environments via secure, least-privilege tunnels?
The new defence: AI and hyper-automation
The adversaries are using generative AI to craft hyper-realistic phishing emails and automate rapid lateral movement. MSP's defense must leverage the same technology to fight fire with fire. This is where hyper-automation transforms the security posture.
Reports show that 68% of all breaches are caused by the human element (Verizon DBIR, 2024). Automation removes the slow, error-prone human step, ensuring immediate, consistent security action across every device every time.
Hyper-automation, in a security context, is the use of AI, ML, robotic process automation (RPA), and advanced scripting to automate complex, multi-step security workflows that used to require human intervention.
Manual security protocols | Automated security drills |
Alert fatigue: A tier-1 technician manually sifts through thousands of alerts daily. | AI prioritization: AI-driven analytics correlate low-level events into a single, high-priority incident, cutting alert volume and focussing human effort. |
Slow patching: Technicians are waiting for the next maintenance window to push critical server patches. | Proactive remediation: A platform auto-detects a critical vulnerability and executes a non-disruptive, multi-stage patch deployment instantly. |
Credential theft response: Compromised endpoints are manually isolated and password resets are forced across all applications. | Automated containment: On a suspicious login, the system automatically isolates the device, revokes the user's secure tech access, forces MFA reenrollment, and triggers a full vulnerability scan. |
MSP Central: MSP's single security fabric
MSP Central is built to deliver this hyper-automated, full-spectrum security, allowing an MSP to consolidate their security stack and elevate service without a massive headcount.
It provides a single console to move beyond basic antivirus solutions and achieve:
BitLocker to Browser protection: Centralize management of disk encryption, browser security configurations, and application control across every laptop, tablet, and server.
Vulnerability life cycle management: Automatically scan, prioritize, and patch vulnerabilities across all operating systems and third-party applications, moving patching from a monthly chore to a continuous, automated defence.
Secure technician access and ITSM integration: Enforce Zero Trust principles with secure and just-in-time access to client environments, ensuring that your own access to sensitive data is compliant and fully logged.
Integrated compliance and reporting: Generate clear, auditable reports demonstrating regulatory compliance and tangible improvement in the client’s security posture.
Automating your way to cybersecurity success
This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, don't just ask your clients to be more prudent. Show them that you have taken decisive, modern action to secure their world.
By adopting a hyper-automation platform that spans the entire client IT estate, you can move beyond awareness and deliver guaranteed, non-stop protection.