4 Reasons Why MSPs & MSSPs Need to Enhance Attack Surface Management

Last updated at Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:38:40 GMT

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) face increasing challenges. As businesses expand their digital footprints, MSPs and MSSPs are under pressure to deliver comprehensive security services while managing costs, streamlining operations, and addressing client-specific vulnerabilities. Operating without a robust Attack Surface Management (ASM) solution can leave significant gaps in security, efficiency, and scalability—limiting growth and leaving clients vulnerable to modern threats.

Here are four key reasons why enhancing attack surface management should be a top priority for MSPs and MSSPs:

1. Streamlined Onboarding with Automated Asset Discovery

The Challenge: For many MSPs and MSSPs, onboarding new clients can be a time-consuming process, particularly when it comes to manual asset discovery and correlation. Without automation, teams often spend weeks sorting, deduplicating, and organizing data across different tools, delaying time-to-value for clients.

Why ASM Matters: An effective ASM solution automates asset discovery and provides near real-time insights into a client’s digital footprint. This reduces onboarding times significantly, allowing MSPs and MSSPs to bring more clients on board faster. By eliminating manual inefficiencies, teams can focus on delivering strategic services, enhancing client satisfaction, and scaling operations.

2. Improved Risk Assessment and Cost Predictability

The Challenge: Accurately predicting operational expenditures (OpEx) can be challenging  without full visibility into a client’s vulnerabilities and risks. This uncertainty often leads to unexpected costs during service delivery, affecting both profitability and client relationships.

Why ASM Matters: With a comprehensive ASM solution, MSPs and MSSPs can assess risks upfront and forecast potential costs with greater accuracy. Knowing the full scope of vulnerabilities before committing to a client engagement allows for better resource allocation and informed decision-making.

The Opportunity: Risk assessment powered by ASM not only helps avoid financial surprises but also builds trust with clients. By providing clear, data-driven projections, MSPs and MSSPs can confidently structure pricing, demonstrating their value as proactive and reliable partners.

3. Enhanced Service Offerings and Revenue Opportunities

The Challenge: Many MSPs and MSSPs struggle to differentiate their services in a crowded market. Without advanced tools to uncover vulnerabilities or prioritize remediation efforts, security offerings may appear standardized , making it harder to justify premium pricing.

Why ASM Matters: An ASM solution enables providers to offer more advanced, proactive services such as continuous monitoring, exposure mitigation, and tailored remediation plans. These capabilities not only enhance the value of core services but also create opportunities to upsell additional offerings like managed detection and response (MDR) or threat intelligence services.

The Opportunity: By leveraging ASM, MSPs and MSSPs can position themselves as strategic partners, delivering measurable results that align with client objectives. This differentiation fosters client loyalty and opens the door to new revenue streams.

4. Breaking Down Operational Silos for Better Collaboration

The Challenge: Operational silos between NetOps, SecOps, and CloudOps can hinder effective communication and delay incident response. When teams work in isolation, identifying and addressing vulnerabilities becomes a fragmented process, increasing response times and risks.

Why ASM Matters: A unified ASM platform provides a single pane of glass for all operational teams, enabling seamless collaboration. With shared access to real-time data, teams can align on priorities, streamline workflows, and coordinate remediation efforts effectively.

The Opportunity: Better collaboration leads to faster response times, reduced operational friction, and stronger client outcomes. By eliminating silos, MSPs and MSSPs can deliver a more cohesive and reliable service, strengthening their reputation and competitiveness.

Why Consider Rapid7 Exposure Command?

While the need for a robust ASM solution is clear, not all platforms are created equal. Rapid7’s Exposure Command delivers advanced capabilities designed to meet the unique challenges faced by MSPs and MSSPs, including:

• Comprehensive Visibility: A continuous 360° view of attack surfaces across hybrid environments.
• Proactive Mitigation: Threat-aware risk context to prioritize and eliminate high-priority exposures.
• Enhanced Scalability: Automation and integrations that support efficient scaling as your business grows.

By adopting these solutions, MSPs and MSSPs can future-proof their services, providing clients with the security and reliability they need in today’s threat landscape.

The Bottom Line

Incorporating a strong ASM strategy is no longer optional for MSPs and MSSPs. It’s a necessity for staying competitive, delivering exceptional client value, and unlocking new revenue opportunities. By addressing onboarding inefficiencies, improving risk predictability, enhancing service offerings, and fostering cross-functional collaboration, ASM empowers providers to rise to the challenges of modern cybersecurity.

If you’re ready to take your attack surface management capabilities to the next level, consider Rapid7’s Exposure Command. With this tool, you can confidently navigate today’s complex threat landscape and set your business apart as a leader in managed security services.