COMMENTARY: Cyberattacks are escalating at an alarming pace, with global cybercrime costs projected to hit $10.5 trillion this year. Managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) are currently facing the issue of “tool sprawl," which involves managing numerous disconnected security products. This scenario not only drains resources but also creates visibility gaps and compromises client protection.The industry is moving toward unified platforms, and there are compelling reasons for this shift. According to new global research by Barracuda, 65% of IT and security professionals say their organizations are juggling too many security tools, and more than half (53%) report that their tools lack integration. This absence of integration significantly undermines defenses, as 77% of respondents indicate it impairs detection, and 78% face difficulties in threat mitigation. Operational Inefficiencies: MSP/MSSP technicians spend a significant amount of time toggling between various tool consoles, which decreases productivity, slows down incident response times and raises the risk of human error. Inconsistent Security Policies: Without a centralized platform, enforcing uniform security policies across a diverse client base poses a substantial challenge. This can lead to varying levels of protection and exploitable security vulnerabilities. Increased Costs: Managing multiple vendor relationships, disparate licensing agreements and diverse support contracts raises the total cost of ownership. This includes the often-overlooked costs of training staff on numerous tools and the potential for overlapping functionalities within the security stack. Scalability Hurdles: As an MSP’s/MSSP's client portfolio grows, the complexity of managing a fragmented security stack increases dramatically. Onboarding new clients and sustaining consistent security standards becomes more cumbersome, obstructing business scalability. Reporting Nightmares: Producing thorough and coherent security reports for clients is extremely challenging when data is scattered across multiple, isolated locations. Gathering and compiling this data manually is time-consuming and susceptible to inconsistencies. Automation Roadblocks: Automation is essential for efficient security operations. However, with disparate tools, executing effective automation becomes incredibly challenging, often unattainable, leading to increased manual labor and diminished response capabilities. Organizations frequently find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer investment and effort required to manage numerous security tools from different vendors. This operational burden detracts from an MSP’s ability to focus on strategic client security and business growth. Improved Efficiency and Time Savings: A single platform with a global dashboard dramatically reduces the time spent navigating different tools, enabling faster threat detection, response and remediation. Centralized monitoring and management of multiple security domains minimize complexity and improve overall visibility. Enhanced Scalability: A unified, multi-tenant platform allows MSPs/MSSPs to onboard new clients quickly and apply standardized security policies consistently. As the MSP/MSSP grows, this centralized solution enables effortless scaling without exponentially increasing operational complexity. Streamlined Security and Compliance Management: Standardizing security practices across all clients helps MSPs and MSSPs enforce consistent policies, simplifying compliance with industry regulations and frameworks such as NIST CSF, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001. This facilitates a structured, repeatable process for risk management. Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Consolidating vendors and security products simplifies procurement, licensing and support. MSPs and MSSPs can achieve lower overall costs while increasing operational efficiency and the value delivered to clients. Simplified Learning Curve: Instead of mastering dozens of distinct security tools, staff can focus their expertise on a single, comprehensive platform. This reduces the training burden and minimizes the operational fatigue associated with constant console switching, leading to more efficient and focused security teams. Reduced Operational Complexity: By streamlining workflows, centralizing alerts, and better organizing remediation activities, SecOps teams can enhance productivity, improve coordination, and reduce burnout, leading to a more effective security posture across all managed clients. An open platform that can integrate with existing security components can also ease the transition for organizations with legacy or third-party tools. When evaluating platforms, MSPs and MSSPs should consider that those built strategically from the ground up with a clear vision for integration often provide better results than those cobbled together through mergers and acquisitions, which can sometimes result in a disjointed user experience. Transitioning from siloed security tools to an integrated platform is essential for robust, modern threat defense.
MSSP Alert Perspectives columns are written by trusted members of the managed security services, value-added reseller and solution provider channels or MSSP Alert's staff. Do you have a unique perspective you want to share? Check out our guidelines here and send a pitch to [email protected].
The Hidden Costs of a Fragmented Security Arsenal
Using a disjointed array of security tools creates significant operational challenges and risks for MSPs and MSSPs. When threat data is spread across many non-communicating systems, it becomes challenging to correlate information and detect sophisticated, multi-stage attack patterns. This lack of a comprehensive view directly hinders effective threat detection and response.Consider the daily operational realities:The Power of Platformization: Unifying for Strength and Efficiency
The solution lies in adopting a comprehensive, integrated cybersecurity platform—a strategic move known as “platformization.” This approach consolidates multiple security tools and capabilities into a unified, often multi-tenant, architecture. Think of it as trading a jumble of individual tools for a versatile, all-in-one solution, much like a Swiss Army Knife, that provides comprehensive functionality in a single, manageable package.A platform approach aims to protect all major attack vectors—email, network, applications, and data—within a cohesive framework. It leverages advanced AI, automated incident response and centralized management to offer a holistic security view and streamline operations.The benefits for MSPs and MSSPs are transformative:The Bottom Line
Today’s sophisticated threats are often multi-vector and can move laterally between systems if not effectively contained by a holistic security strategy. Embracing a platform-based approach allows MSPs and MSSPs to break down these detrimental silos, offering more comprehensive, efficient and effective protection against the dynamic landscape of cyber threats. This ultimately leads to more secure clients and a healthier bottom line.MSSP Alert Perspectives columns are written by trusted members of the managed security services, value-added reseller and solution provider channels or MSSP Alert's staff. Do you have a unique perspective you want to share? Check out our guidelines here and send a pitch to [email protected].
