The 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report just dropped a bombshell for MSPs: vulnerability exploitation jumped 34% in a single year, while breaches involving third parties doubled to 30%. (Read our full take on this consequential report)
Behind these statistics lies an uncomfortable truth: attackers now scan for and weaponize vulnerabilities faster than most MSPs can find and fix them. They've automated their operations to exploit new security gaps within days, specifically targeting the systems you manage and the access you hold.
Adversaries now run 24/7 automated scanning operations against your clients' environments.
They've industrialized what was once manual work, creating an asymmetric advantage that traditional security practices struggle to counter.
For MSPs watching client environments, continuous network security analysis gives you real-time visibility into:
Your MSP network security assessment process identifies baseline risks, while ongoing analysis catches active exploitation attempts as they happen.
Let's examine what the DBIR reveals about today's threats and how you can build a network security analysis strategy that protects both your business and your clients in 2025.
The statistics in the 2025 Verizon DBIR reveal why point-in-time security checks no longer provide adequate protection for your clients.
When 20% of all breaches now stem from exploiting known vulnerabilities — a 34% increase from last year — you're seeing the results of attackers who have automated their operations.
Even more concerning, only 54% of these vulnerabilities were patched before exploitation. That means attackers are successfully exploiting them before you've had time to act.
The DBIR data highlights three critical trends that demand continuous monitoring:
The window between vulnerability disclosure and active exploitation has shrunk from months to days. Quarterly or monthly security checks can't keep pace with this acceleration.
Attackers disproportionately target firewalls, VPNs, and remote access points — the exact systems MSPs deploy and manage for clients. These internet-facing devices require real-time monitoring.
With 30% of breaches now involving a third party (again, that’s double last year's figure), your MSP credentials and access represent prime targets. Continuous monitoring of authentication patterns and access activities has become essential.
The attackers targeting your clients don't operate on a schedule. They don't wait for your next security check to conclude before launching their next attempt. They probe constantly, looking for the smallest window of opportunity.
To match this persistent threat, your security operations need to move from periodic to perpetual. Continuous network security analysis gives you the visibility to spot and stop exploitation attempts as they happen, not weeks after the damage is done.
To match the persistent threat patterns revealed in the DBIR, your security operations need these core components:
You can't protect what you can't see. Effective network security analysis starts with continuous discovery of all devices, applications, and networked assets across client environments. This visibility provides the foundation for identifying unknown or unmanaged assets that often become attack vectors.
When the DBIR shows attackers specifically targeting edge devices and internet-facing infrastructure, knowing exactly what's connected to your clients' networks becomes your first line of defense.
The 46% of vulnerabilities exploited before patching highlights a critical timing problem. Manual vulnerability checks can't match the speed of automated attacks.
Implementing continuous vulnerability scanning across all client networks helps you identify potential risks before attackers can exploit them. This continuous approach dramatically reduces the window between vulnerability disclosure and protection — directly countering the acceleration in attack speeds documented in the DBIR.
Beyond known vulnerabilities, effective security analysis requires identifying unusual patterns that signal potential compromise. This includes monitoring for:
With such a large percentage of breaches involving third parties, monitoring for unusual access patterns is particularly critical for MSPs who hold privileged access to client environments.
Detection without action creates security theater, not security. Your network security analysis must connect directly to remediation processes that close vulnerabilities quickly.
This integration ensures that when threats are detected, they trigger immediate response workflows — whether automated patches, configuration changes, or team escalations. This closes the gap between identification and resolution that attackers exploit.
The regulatory landscape continues to evolve alongside security threats. Continuous compliance management tracks alignment with relevant standards like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and others that affect your clients.
This ensures that security efforts align with compliance requirements and creates additional value by addressing multiple client needs through a single security program.
The final component turns security data into business value. Customizable alerts ensure you respond quickly to critical issues, while detailed reporting demonstrates the ongoing value of your security services to clients.
When the DBIR shows rising exploit rates and third-party breaches, these metrics help prove how your ongoing security analysis identifies and mitigates the very risks that are compromising other organizations. By implementing these components as a unified security analysis strategy, you build a continuous defense system that matches the persistent nature of today's automated threats.
Network security analysis separates leading MSPs from the pack in 2025. Here's how you can leverage these capabilities:
The threat data is clear: attackers have automated their operations to exploit vulnerabilities faster than traditional security approaches can address. Your clients need MSPs who can match this persistent threat with continuous network security analysis.
ConnectSecure's vulnerability and compliance management platform gives you the tools to deliver comprehensive network security analysis across all client environments. With automated vulnerability scanning, continuous monitoring, detailed reporting, and streamlined remediation workflows, you can provide the protection your clients need while building a more profitable security practice.
Start your free trial today and see how ConnectSecure can enhance your network security analysis capabilities.
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