If you ask Kaspersky Lab if managed services providers may one day be stuck in a cyber-security rut? The Russian security software vendor will answer: Yes!
Kasperky’s latest MSP report, called Trends, Challenges and the Keys to Success in Managed Security in 2017, found two-in-three MSPs are suffering from a shortage of qualified cyber-security staff. The report came to the conclusion that MSPs will be challenged to overcome the demand for security services shortly.
Additional findings include:
- Cyber-security is no longer seen as a separate or optional function among MSPs with 92 per cent of MSPs now including cyber-security as part of their portfolio of services. More than half (51 per cent) cite it as essential to their customers’ operational continuity in the next three to five years.
- Cybersecurity is expected to boost MSP business for MSPs with small customers (77 per cent; up to 50 end-user workstations) and keep current business for MSPs working with large businesses (78 per cent).
- Ransomware protection is the top concern of MSP customers – large and small. 54 per cent of MSPs with enterprise customers claim this is their customers’ main concern, followed by 49 per cent of MSPs with smaller customers.
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The global managed services market is expected to reach $245 billion by the end of 2022 and the report surveyed 569 MSPs and solution providers with managed services offerings from 10 countries.
The MSP report also found that while there are companies specializing in particular services (such as MSSPs), the survey found that cyber-security is no longer seen as a separate or optional function among MSPs. Instead, it has become an integral part of the IT services MSPs deliver — with customer satisfaction, and the ability to keep security incidents to a minimum, among key performance indicators. Ninety-two percent of MSPs now include cyber-security as part of their portfolio of services and more than half (51 per cent) cite it as essential to their customers’ operational continuity in the next three to five years.
Another conclusion from the report is that offering protection from cyber-threats is therefore expected to be a top priority for MSPs now and in the future. Cyber-security is expected to boost MSP business in several ways. MSPs with smaller customers (up to 50 end-user workstations) believe that expanding their security portfolio should give them a good reputation among their peers (78 per cent) and help them attract new customers (77 per cent). Meanwhile, service providers working with larger businesses consider cyber-security, among other things, to be a way of keeping their current accounts (78 per cent).
However, the study also reveals that MSPs face a number of challenges when it comes to investing in the expansion of their cyber-security offering. Two-thirds of MSPs, serving both the large enterprise market (60 per cent) and smaller businesses (58 per cent) agree that a shortage of qualified IT security professionals for hire contributes to the challenge of ramping up their cyber-security offering. In addition, around half have difficulties with the remote deployment and management of their solutions (51 per cent and 54 per cent respectively).