COMMENTARY: The cybersecurity landscape is in a constant state of evolution, and the threats that once seemed distant are now daily realities. Managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) are tasked with defending organizations against increasingly sophisticated cyber adversaries. But as businesses shift to cloud applications, SaaS platforms, and remote work environments, the attack surface continues to expand. The challenge many MSPs face is a lack of visibility into these dynamic environments, while MSSPs are often focused on continuous threat detection and containment—helping to minimize the blast radius when attackers strike. The convergence of these roles presents an urgent need to bring together proactive attack surface management and real-time threat monitoring, creating a holistic security approach that leaves no gaps unaddressed.
Breaches due to vulnerability exploits are up 180%, almost triple that of the previous year, according to Verizon's 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report. This staggering increase underscores the urgency for organizations to adopt a resilient attack surface strategy. According to the report, it takes an average of five days to detect a breach, while remediation of just 50% of critical vulnerabilities takes around 55 days—giving attackers a wide window of opportunity to exploit weaknesses. Additionally, nearly 25% of financially motivated breaches involve Business Email Compromise (BEC) through pretexting, making it clear that security blind spots can lead to devastating financial and reputational consequences. Without a strong attack surface management approach, businesses are left exposed to increasingly aggressive and opportunistic threat actors.
The Expanding Attack Surface: An Urgent Challenge for MSPs and MSSPs
The modern attack surface is no longer confined to a single network perimeter. Today’s businesses rely on an interconnected web of cloud services, SaaS applications, remote devices, and third-party integrations. Each of these elements presents a potential entry point for attackers. Many organizations, particularly SMBs relying on MSPs for IT management, lack a clear inventory of what systems and credentials are in use, let alone which configurations may be exposing them to threats.
One of the biggest challenges is shadow IT—employees adopting applications and cloud services without consulting IT teams. While this often starts as a matter of convenience, it quickly turns into a security risk. An employee might set up a file-sharing app to collaborate with an external vendor, but if that application is never properly secured, it becomes an open door for attackers. MSPs that lack visibility into these unauthorized tools can inadvertently leave their customers exposed, while MSSPs—tasked with ongoing threat detection and security monitoring—may only identify the risk once attackers have already begun their activities.
Why Proactive Attack Surface Management Is a Business Imperative
Attack surface management (ASM) is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Cyber insurers are tightening their requirements, demanding organizations demonstrate they have proactive security measures in place. Compliance regulations are evolving, with mandates like CIS Critical Security Controls and NIST calling for continuous monitoring and risk management. Simply having a firewall and endpoint protection is no longer enough; organizations need to know what they have, where it exists, and whether it’s secured properly.
MSPs that embrace ASM are no longer just IT service providers—they become strategic security partners. They help customers gain visibility into their environments, continuously monitor for misconfigurations, and remediate security gaps before they are exploited. This isn’t just about security—it’s about business continuity, reputation management, and financial stability. An unpatched vulnerability or an open database can lead to millions in losses—not just from regulatory fines but from customer trust erosion and long-term brand damage.
The Convergence of MSP and MSSP: A Security Evolution
The traditional divide between MSPs and MSSPs is blurring, and the most forward-thinking service providers are recognizing the need to integrate proactive risk management with real-time threat detection. Rather than choosing between prevention or response, leading providers are doing both. They are using automation to continuously discover assets across customer environments, monitoring for risks in real time, and eliminating attack paths before they can be exploited.
MSSPs play a critical role in this equation—not just responding to security incidents but actively monitoring and detecting threats before they escalate. They leverage SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools, XDR (Extended Detection and Response), and SOC (Security Operations Centers) to continuously analyze activity across the IT environment, identifying anomalies and potential intrusions before they cause major damage.
But while threat detection is essential, it’s only part of the solution. Attack surface management (ASM) is the next critical piece of the puzzle—providing the visibility needed to identify misconfigurations, weak credentials, and other security gaps before attackers can take advantage of them. Without ASM, MSSPs may detect threats only after bad actors have already gained a foothold. By integrating attack surface insights into security operations, MSPs and MSSPs can close security gaps proactively, reducing the need for constant firefighting and incident response.
In the past, an MSSP might have been called in after an incident—such as ransomware encrypting critical business data. But what if that ransomware attack could have been prevented entirely by identifying and remediating an exposed RDP port or misconfigured cloud permission weeks before it was exploited? That is the power of attack surface management: shifting from damage control to risk elimination.
Turning Attack Surface Management Into a Competitive Advantage
Proactive security isn’t just about reducing risk; it’s about creating value for customers and driving new revenue streams. MSPs and MSSPs who integrate attack surface management into their offerings aren’t just providing a service—they’re offering peace of mind. Businesses are willing to invest in security solutions that protect them from costly breaches and ensure compliance with industry standards.
This shift also opens new opportunities for MSPs to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market. Instead of waiting for customers to ask about security, the most successful providers are taking a leadership role—educating clients on attack surface risks, demonstrating the value of continuous monitoring, and building long-term relationships based on trust and security expertise.
The Path Forward: Security Without Borders
Cyber threats will continue to evolve, but the fundamental principle remains the same: The best defense is a well-managed attack surface. MSPs and MSSPs must work together to bring proactive security and responsive incident management under one roof, ensuring that businesses are not only protected from threats but also empowered with the visibility and control they need to stay ahead of them.
By making attack surface management a core part of their strategy, service providers can shift the security conversation from reaction to prevention—turning security into a foundation for growth, resilience, and long-term success.
The time to act is now. The attack surface will only continue to grow—will you be ready?
Source: https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/
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