What is an MSSP?

The frequency and complexity of cyber attacks continue to escalate, creating a challenging environment for organizations of all sizes. In 2025, cybersecurity is dominated by advanced threats, including AI-powered phishing, adaptive malware, and relentless ransomware campaigns. Cybercriminals are leveraging artificial intelligence to automate and personalize attacks, making them harder to detect and more effective at bypassing traditional security measures. For example, AI-driven phishing can now tailor messages to mimic trusted contacts and adapt to avoid detection, while AI-powered malware evolves in real time to evade defenses.

Recent data underscores the severity of this trend: ransomware attacks are surging, with a notable 84% increase in ransomware incidents over the previous year, and ransomware now accounts for 35% of all cyberattacks in 2025. The global average cost of a data breach reached an all-time high of $4.88 million in 2024, a 10% increase from the prior year. This intensification of threats is further amplified by the rapid adoption of AI by both cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors, who use it to automate reconnaissance, exploit vulnerabilities, and conduct large-scale social engineering attacks.

For many businesses, especially small and mid-sized organizations, effectively managing security in-house is an increasingly daunting challenge. This difficulty is compounded by a persistent cybersecurity skills gap, with an estimated 4.8 million person shortage in the industry.

The struggle to keep pace with evolving threats and a lack of specialized talent has made the services of a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) more critical than ever. The global market for managed security services is projected to reach nearly $76 billion by 2030, reflecting a growing reliance on outsourced expertise to build cyber resilience. An MSSP offers the specialized knowledge and continuous monitoring necessary to protect vital infrastructure, allowing internal teams to focus on core business objectives.

What is an MSSP?

MSSPs are specialized third-party providers that deliver outsourced cybersecurity services. They handle the security operations for an organization, either in part or in full, and can do so from a remote location or by placing experts on-site.

An MSSP may offer a broad suite of security capabilities or specialize in core focus areas like cloud security or compliance. The majority, however, will manage a business's security infrastructure and monitor systems for threats from their own Security Operations Centers (SOCs). To do this, they implement and manage a sophisticated technology stack that goes far beyond basic antivirus software. Common tools include Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, VPN management, and advanced firewall management.

Ongoing responsibilities also include system upgrades, patch management, and configuration changes, ensuring a client's security posture continuously adapts to new threats and business demands.

Services an MSSP can provide

MSSPs offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to protect organizations before, during, and after a cyber attack. Proactively, their primary goal is to harden the IT infrastructure and enforce robust security policies to minimize the attack surface. This includes vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and ensuring systems are configured securely.

Should an attack occur, an MSSP's role shifts to rapid detection and response. Using advanced security monitoring tools, they can identify threats in real time and take immediate action to neutralize them, preventing or limiting damage to the organization's systems.

Because MSSPs serve numerous clients, they accumulate a vast amount of experience dealing with a wide variety of attacks. This broad visibility allows them to understand emerging threat patterns and containment strategies. They leverage this collective knowledge to continuously refine and strengthen your security posture.

Typical services provided by an MSSP include:

• Security infrastructure management: Implementing and managing firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), and other security hardware and software.
• 24/7 monitoring and threat detection: Continuously monitoring networks, systems, and applications for suspicious activity from a Security Operations Center (SOC).
• Vulnerability management: Regularly scanning for and remediating vulnerabilities in your systems through patching and configuration updates.
• Incident response and remediation: Developing and executing a plan to contain threats, eradicate them from the network, and recover affected systems.
• Security information and event management (SIEM): Aggregating and analyzing log data from various sources to detect patterns indicative of a cyber attack.
• Compliance management: Assisting organizations in meeting regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

For a small to medium-sized business (SMB), a good MSSP functions as a seamless extension of the firm's own IT employees, providing specialized expertise that would be difficult and expensive to build in-house.

Why use an MSSP?

For organizations seeking to alleviate the stress and complexity of building and maintaining robust security infrastructure, partnering with an MSSP is often the optimal choice. An MSSP not only relieves internal IT teams of the bulk of routine security tasks, such as daily threat monitoring and incident response, but also assumes responsibility for maintaining uptime, managing upgrades, and ensuring swift remediation in the event of a breach.

While some organizations may develop and execute their own security strategies, from deploying necessary software and training staff to allocating adequate resources, this approach can prove overwhelming, particularly for smaller IT teams. In such cases, outsourcing to an MSSP becomes a compelling solution.

SMBs frequently lack the specialized expertise required to manage a comprehensive security infrastructure independently. Even with strong commitment and resource allocation, the demands of security maintenance can quickly exceed the capacity of limited teams. This strain can result in critical IT functions, like system patching, hardware management, and digital transformation initiatives, receiving insufficient attention. The rise of remote work only compounds these challenges by introducing additional layers of complexity.

The evolving cybersecurity landscape further complicates matters. Smaller teams may struggle to respond effectively to the full spectrum of threats, especially as cyberattacks become more sophisticated. While in-house staff can handle some known risks, an MSSP provides specialized expertise and round-the-clock monitoring, offering a crucial layer of protection and peace of mind. Leading MSSPs bring a depth of knowledge that is difficult to cultivate internally, with dedicated teams that continuously monitor emerging threats, assess IT environments, and provide actionable recommendations. They also deliver support services, keeping all business units informed and engaged.

Partnering with an MSSP also addresses the persistent challenge of talent acquisition. Many CISOs report increasing difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled security professionals, a problem that is especially acute for smaller firms or those located outside major urban centers. MSSPs offer immediate access to a pool of experienced security specialists, eliminating recruitment headaches and ensuring continuous protection.

MSSPs provide a comprehensive suite of security services delivered remotely, and their pricing models are typically designed to accommodate financial constraints. Most providers charge a predictable, flat monthly fee, enabling businesses to budget effectively and avoid unexpected expenses.

As technology evolves, MSSPs ensure that security measures scale and adapt alongside your business. Through regular assessments and audits, they deliver strategic insights and recommendations, allowing organizations to focus on core business objectives without compromising security.

MSSPs can operate either on-site or remotely, but in either scenario, they integrate seamlessly with existing IT teams. This collaboration frees internal staff to concentrate on innovation and other strategic projects, rather than being consumed by security incidents. Ultimately, MSSPs help enhance customer experiences by improving response times and boosting satisfaction.

By partnering with an MSSP, organizations can overcome resource limitations, access specialized expertise, and achieve scalable, cost-effective security, all while enabling their internal teams to focus on driving business growth.

MSP vs MSSP

A managed service provider (MSP) offers a broad range of IT management services, such as network support, application management, system administration, and email management, typically delivered to multiple clients on a recurring, pay-as-you-go basis. While MSPs are essential for maintaining smooth business operations and IT efficiency, their security offerings are generally limited to baseline protections like routine monitoring and patch management.

In contrast, an MSSP specializes exclusively in cybersecurity, delivering advanced, round-the-clock services such as threat detection, incident response, and compliance monitoring from a dedicated security operations center (SOC). MSSPs are well-positioned to serve as strategic security partners for organizations seeking robust protection as cyber threats grow in both frequency and sophistication.

As the threat landscape evolves, MSPs that do not expand their security capabilities risk losing business to those that do, or to MSSPs that offer more comprehensive protection. While it is possible for an MSP to transition into an MSSP by enhancing its security offerings, such as adding antivirus, patch management, and web protection, delivering true, enterprise-grade cybersecurity requires specialized expertise, tools, and continuous monitoring that are the hallmark of an MSSP.

Many MSPs now partner with MSSPs to provide their clients with the best of both worlds: efficient IT management and advanced security. This dual approach ensures organizations can maintain operational efficiency while safeguarding their critical assets from ever-evolving threats.