Key Takeaway: 71% of MSPs reported year-over-year revenue growth in cybersecurity in 2026, the highest of any service category. The transition from MSP to MSSP is not a single decision. It is a progression. If you are deploying EDR, managing cyber insurance requirements, and conducting security awareness training, you are already delivering MSSP services. The question is whether you are pricing them as such.
The fastest-growing revenue segment in managed services is cybersecurity. According to Kaseya’s 2026 State of the MSP Report, 71% of MSPs reported year-over-year revenue growth in cybersecurity, the highest of any service category. The MSP that has not built a security practice is watching its most profitable growth opportunity go to competitors who have.
The transition from MSP to Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) is not a single decision. It is a progression that most MSPs are already partway through without recognizing it. If you are deploying EDR, managing cyber insurance requirements, and conducting security awareness training, you are already delivering MSSP services. The question is whether you are pricing them as such and building the practice deliberately.
What Separates an MSP from an MSSP
The distinction between an MSP and an MSSP is not primarily about the tools. It is about the scope of responsibility and the depth of the security practice.
An MSP manages IT infrastructure and provides helpdesk support. Security is a component of the service, but it is not the primary focus. The MSP deploys security tools, manages patches, and responds to security incidents, but it does not typically provide 24/7 security monitoring, threat hunting, or the kind of deep security expertise that regulated industries require.
An MSSP makes security the primary focus. The MSSP provides continuous monitoring, threat detection and response, security advisory, and the compliance documentation that clients need to demonstrate their security posture to regulators and insurance carriers. The MSSP relationship is built around security outcomes, not just IT operations.
The practical difference for clients: the MSP that has a security incident will respond to it. The MSSP will detect it before it becomes an incident, respond to it faster when it does occur, and provide the forensic documentation that the client needs afterward.
The Three Paths to MSSP
Path 1: Build internally. Hire security-focused technicians, invest in security certifications, and develop the internal expertise to deliver MSSP services. This path produces the deepest expertise and the highest margins, but it requires significant investment in talent and time. The MSP that chooses this path should expect 12 to 24 months before the security practice is generating meaningful revenue.
Path 2: Partner with a security vendor. Many security vendors offer white-label MSSP programs that allow MSPs to deliver security services under their own brand, backed by the vendor’s SOC and expertise. Huntress, Arctic Wolf, and similar vendors offer programs that allow MSPs to deliver 24/7 security monitoring without building an internal SOC. This path is faster and requires less upfront investment, but the margins are lower and the MSP is dependent on the vendor’s quality and reliability.
Path 3: Acquire or merge. The MSP that wants to add security capabilities quickly can acquire a smaller MSSP or merge with a security-focused provider. This path is the fastest but the most complex, requiring integration of teams, tools, and client relationships. The PE-backed consolidation wave has made this path more common, but it is not accessible to most independent MSPs.
The Minimum Viable MSSP Stack
The MSP that wants to begin the MSSP transition without a major investment can start with the security services that are already in demand from existing clients.
Managed EDR with SOC backing. Deploying EDR is not MSSP. Deploying EDR backed by a 24/7 human SOC that reviews alerts and responds to incidents is MSSP. Huntress, at $8.99 per endpoint per month, includes a human-led SOC in the base price. This is the most accessible entry point into MSSP services for most MSPs.
Security awareness training. Ongoing phishing simulations and security awareness training are required by cyber insurance carriers and are a natural extension of the managed services relationship. KnowBe4 and Proofpoint are the market leaders. Huntress includes SAT in its base Managed EDR price.
Vulnerability management. Regular vulnerability scanning, prioritized remediation, and compliance reporting are MSSP services that most MSPs can deliver with existing tools. The MSP that is already managing patches can extend that practice to include vulnerability scanning and remediation tracking.
Incident response retainer. The MSSP that has a relationship with an incident response firm can offer clients an IR retainer as part of the security package. This provides clients with guaranteed access to IR expertise when they need it and provides the MSP with a differentiator that most competitors cannot match.
Pricing the MSSP Transition
The MSSP services described above should be priced separately from the managed services agreement, not bundled into the base fee. The client who pays $100 per user per month for managed services and $30 per user per month for MSSP services understands that they are paying for two distinct value propositions. The client who pays $130 per user per month for a bundle does not.
Separate pricing also makes the MSSP value visible. When the client’s cyber insurance premium decreases because of the security controls the MSSP has implemented, the client can see the connection between the MSSP investment and the financial outcome. That visibility is what drives retention and referrals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a SOC to be an MSSP?
Not necessarily. The MSP that partners with a vendor that provides SOC backing, like Huntress, is delivering MSSP services without building an internal SOC. The distinction is whether the client’s environment is being monitored 24/7 by humans who can respond to threats, not whether those humans are employed by the MSP or by a partner.
How do I explain the difference between MSP and MSSP to clients?
Use the analogy of a security guard versus a security system. The MSP is the security system: it monitors for problems and alerts when something goes wrong. The MSSP is the security guard: it monitors continuously, investigates anomalies, and responds to threats before they become incidents. Both are valuable. The MSSP is more expensive and more protective.
What certifications do I need to offer MSSP services?
The certifications that matter most are the ones that demonstrate expertise to clients in regulated industries: HIPAA compliance certifications for healthcare, SOC 2 for technology companies, and CMMC preparation credentials for defense contractors. General security certifications like CISSP and CompTIA Security+ demonstrate individual expertise. The MSP that wants to serve regulated industries should invest in the framework-specific certifications that those industries recognize.
About Brent Lacy: Brent Lacy is a technology advisor and the voice behind Rewired MSP. He is the author of Rewired MSP: Mastery, Scalability & Performance, vCIO Rewired: Virtually Conquering IT Obstacles, and Near Miss: Preventable IT Failures Threatening Your Business Security.
Related Reading
- MSP Cybersecurity Hub
- GRC as a Service: How MSPs Can Turn Compliance Into Recurring Revenue
- The MSP Starter Stack: What Tools You Actually Need
- The MSP Differentiation Problem: How to Stand Out
- MSP Vertical Specialization: Why Generalist MSPs Lose
