The cybersecurity landscape of 2025 brings a stark reality: advanced malware, AI-powered social engineering, and deepfakes top MSPs' threat concerns, while economic pressures and talent scarcity threaten to complicate their response. Our comprehensive Q4 MSP Partner Survey reveals an industry preparing for unprecedented challenges.
Trent Gasser of Palitto Consulting Services, for example, anticipates 2025 will require “consolidation of toolsets, streamlining of internal processes to handle the volume, shifting our defense tactics as new threats become known and emerge within our customer base, and continuing to raise the floor on what our ‘bare minimum security’ looks like.”
Key survey findings highlight several critical cybersecurity trends shaping MSP priorities for 2025:
- 77% report cybersecurity as a significant growth practice
- 68% identify AI-powered social engineering attacks as a top security concern
- 68% cite economic uncertainty as a major business pressure
- 61% struggle with convincing clients to make necessary security investments
- 58% worry about the rise of advanced malware and fileless attacks
- 50% point to growing compliance requirements as a major challenge
- Over 60% list "expanding service offerings" and "achieving greater penetration within existing client base" as primary growth strategies
The Rising Threat Landscape and Technology Response
Survey takeaway:
MSPs identify three primary security concerns for 2025: advanced malware including polymorphic and fileless variants, AI-powered social engineering attacks including deepfakes, and compromised IoT devices. To address these evolving threats, MSPs are evaluating a range of solutions from Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) to advanced vulnerability management platforms and AI-driven security tools.
MSPs comment:
Alex Beatty of CR-T observes, “We are continuing to see cybersecurity as the largest sector for growth in our industry. More clients have compliance requirements that necessitate these services.”
Paul Rouse of Rouse Consulting Group says, “We determined a current baseline of necessary technologies all clients must adopt. We are in the process of implementing this new baseline.”
Simon Hopkin of UK-based ITPS notes risk-aware clients are asking for cybersecurity services, “Clients are looking for us to protect their infrastructure and vulnerability scanning/management is an important element of how we accomplish that.”
One prospect sums up the situation candidly: "It's hard to roll out new product with high minimum license counts. So we're looking at products that will grow with us and not require us to lose money just to onboard before we have saturation among our client base."
Operational Challenges and Growth Strategies
Survey takeaway:
Three hurdles stand between MSPs and their 2025 goals: talent scarcity, mounting compliance demands, and economic headwinds. Yet optimism prevails — 77% of MSPs view cybersecurity as a significant growth area, investing in expanded services and deeper client relationships. And another 14% say they would like to make cybersecurity a key business driver.
MSPs comment:
Maciej Klim of Celera IT shares their approach: “In 2024 we converted 6 customers to our cyber security package and they are very happy. In 2025 we plan to convert the rest of our old customers to our new cyber security package.”
Kris Cears of Applied Tech elaborates: “Our largest focus is continuing to upsell customers onto our latest offerings featuring our current security stack, along with more deliberately including line items in agreements with a set amount of hours dedicated to vulnerability management.”
Growth Priorities and Internal Development
Survey takeaway:
MSPs eyeing cybersecurity growth in 2025 have clear priorities for internal improvement. Leading the list: expanding service offerings, deepening relationships with existing clients, and establishing themselves as recognized security experts. Investment in new technologies and cybersecurity talent round out the top priorities. Notably, many MSPs are pursuing multiple strategies simultaneously, recognizing that growth requires a multi-faceted approach.
MSPs comment:
Austin Kargl of Winsor Consulting Group emphasizes the need to “Create a stable and consistent practice for offering cybersecurity services.”
Gasser outlines their focus on “Better abilities to handle the mountain of work that comes with vulnerability management, more advanced configuration auditing measures to ensure that agreed upon secure configurations are intact.”
Rouse emphasizes: "Fully deploying our stack and keeping it deployed is a necessity. It's easy to get 80 or 90% saturation. Getting to 99.99% and keeping it there is a challenge that must be met."
The Integration Challenge and Client Needs
Survey takeaway:
Integration challenges loom large for 2025, with MSPs seeking unified solutions that reduce complexity and overhead.
The data shows strong demand for single-pane-of-glass visibility, better API connections between tools, and streamlined workflows. Many respondents specifically called out the need for solutions that integrate with their PSA platforms and existing tech stacks.
MSPs comment:
Colton Dunn of Supercity Office Systems explains: “Many products are trying to force clients to their portal, where clients like us are working out of PSA platforms. Single pane of glass makes life much easier for the team.”
Sam Gridley of Intech Hawaii calls for “More ideas from MSPs incorporated into product roadmaps. More API connections between MSP tools. Better client-facing cyber reports.”
One MSP stresses the need for tools "that seamlessly integrate with popular RMM, PSA, and security platforms, reducing silos and manual workarounds."
Client Education and Investment
Survey takeaway:
Client education and investment remain persistent obstacles to cybersecurity growth. The data reveals a complex challenge: while MSPs understand the evolving threat landscape and necessary protective measures, convincing clients to make appropriate investments proves difficult. Many MSPs report clients struggle to grasp the full scope of potential threats and the business impact of security incidents, particularly when weighing costs against perceived risks.
MSPs comment:
Christophe Gagnon of CyberVision 24/7 notes: “There is so much growth coming in the cybersecurity market. There are so many attack vectors. The hard part is communicating the priorities to the customer.”
Aaron Ward of iVenture Solutions shares their approach: Using “real-world examples we have worked on to help other clients better understand the importance of a mature security footprint in their organizations.”
One respondent captures a common sentiment: “Hard to get the buy-in on the client side. They are already paying a lot for monthly services, insurance etc. and don't understand how many attack vectors there are.”
Looking Ahead
Balancing Security and Efficiency
The path forward requires balancing advanced security measures with operational efficiency and clear client communication. Gridley points out that “MSPs need a defined process for a Vulnerability Management Program to keep vulnerabilities under control because clients are paying more attention to their security scores and posture.”
The Client Investment Challenge
Still, Craig Gauss of StrataDefense senses that "Convincing clients to make the necessary investments in cybersecurity protections" will be one of the major challenges in 2025.
Moving from Reactive to Proactive
Rather than just reacting to threats, successful MSPs in 2025 will focus on proactive measures including threat hunting, vulnerability management, and real-time risk assessments. David Creitz from Richards Network Solutions summarizes the industry's direction: “We're consolidating in some areas and doubling our marketing efforts but it's growing and evolving constantly.”
The Path to Success
This evolution demands a holistic approach combining technology investment, talent development, and enhanced client education. As the survey reveals, MSPs who can effectively balance these elements while maintaining operational efficiency will be best positioned to meet 2025's cybersecurity challenges.
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