Guardz survey reveals MSP challenges in cybersecurity

A recent survey conducted by Guardz highlights significant operational challenges faced by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in managing cybersecurity for small business clients.

According to the findings, 77% of MSPs manage up to 10 different cybersecurity tools in their efforts to protect small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). A substantial 47% report difficulties in handling the large volumes of security data resulting from multiple solutions.

The survey underscores the pressing issues confronting MSPs in safeguarding SMBs— a sector becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. 65% of MSPs use between 4 and 9-point solutions, while an additional 12% use 10 or more. This creates challenges with interoperability, data management, and consistent service delivery while attempting to grow their businesses. These operational and logistical issues are prevalent among MSPs, as revealed by the survey of 260 US-based providers conducted in October 2024.

In the contemporary digital landscape, remote work and policies such as bring-your-own-device have exacerbated the challenges of cybersecurity management. SMBs are turning more frequently to MSPs due to their own lack of personnel and expertise. However, this increased reliance has introduced further pressures on MSPs as they strive to maintain service quality and secure new clientele.

The survey indicates that MSPs identify data leakage, phishing attacks, and ransomware as the most significant threats to the security of their SMB customers. Consequently, 60% of MSPs believe that keeping pace with the evolving threat landscape is their predominant challenge, while 42% find implementing advanced threat detection technologies equally challenging.

Customisation of cybersecurity solutions is another pivotal challenge, with 54% of MSPs ranking this issue as a top concern. Similarly, 47% of respondents cite the large volumes of security data as a major technical challenge, supporting claims of widespread alert fatigue within the industry.

The financial implications of managing multiple cybersecurity platforms are significant, with 58% of MSPs noting high costs as a primary issue. 56% report integration challenges, and 41% highlight inadequate training for each platform as an obstacle.

Additional survey insights reveal further hurdles: 52% of MSPs face difficulties with the expenses associated with new technology implementations, and 51% struggle with compatibility between new and legacy systems. MSP staff often resist changes, with 44% experiencing pushback from employees.

Moreover, 53% of MSPs feel that their SMB clients underestimate the threat landscape, while 50% indicate that their customers overly rely on a singular security solution. 36% say their clients fail to recognise the importance of cyber insurance, and 49% report an erroneous assumption by SMBs equating compliance with security.

Dor Eisner, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardz, commented on the findings: "In the MSP community, it's widely known that— despite the challenges of utilising multiple different point solutions— there are very few individual cybersecurity solutions that can do it all. Especially because so many are enterprise solutions retrofitted for these smaller companies, most existing options simply fail to account for the specific, various needs of an SMB or are too complicated and heavy to manage effectively, leaving these crucial businesses massively vulnerable."

"This is why we at Guardz work diligently to ensure that SMBs are not lulled into complacency, and that MSPs are best equipped to not only serve their customers, but also to grow their businesses for the sake of a safer digital world."