Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

MSPs are no longer simply being asked to manage technology; increasingly, customers are expecting them to provide cybersecurity leadership, deliver compliance programs, and guide security investment. Sophos’ 2026 MSP Perspectives Report reveals how demand for cybersecurity leadership, maturing compliance offerings, and the battle for scale are all shaping the managed services market.

The European Commission has published its first official guidance to help businesses implement the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)—the EU regulation establishing cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements. The timeline is critical: reporting obligations for actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents take effect on September 11, 2026, while the core CRA requirements will become mandatory from December 11, 2027.

A reliable service desk earns confidence. A trusted business partner earns a place in decisions about risk, growth and continuity. For Australian MSPs, that distinction matters because clients increasingly need more than a list of tools. They need clear advice about which risks to address, which outcomes to prioritise and how technology supports the business. Australian Cyber Security Centre guidance encourages organizations to scrutinize the cybersecurity measures used in outsourced ICT services.

The MSP landscape is evolving. Customers increasingly expect more than technology management, they want trusted partners who can help them understand, reduce, and manage cybersecurity risk. WatchGuard's upcoming “Provider to Advisor: The MSP Shift Toward Risk Leadership” webinar explores exactly this opportunity.

MSPs are expected to understand their clients’ technology environments. They know which endpoints are managed, which applications are business-critical, which systems require patching or maintenance, where sensitive data resides and who has access to it. Increasingly, however, critical technology decisions are now being made without IT or MSP involvement. Across client environments, this can take many forms: And each instance can occur without the MSP ever knowing.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future consideration for MSPs because it is already reshaping how leading providers run their businesses, protect their clients, and create new revenue streams. Separating real business value from hype requires a clear-eyed, practitioner-driven perspective. Join Marc Laliberte and a panel of MSP and security operations leaders for a candid discussion on how AI is being deployed today.

MSPs are maturing endpoint security with patching, vulnerability remediation, and antivirus protection. But one high-impact risk still slips through in many client environments: unmanaged peripheral devices. A single unauthorized USB drive can copy sensitive client data in minutes and introduce malware into otherwise protected systems. This is why we've launched Device Control in MSP Central—an MSP-ready solution capable of governing every device that touches your client endpoints.

Employees are increasingly using AI tools, working across unsecured networks, and bypassing established security practices creating new risks that traditional security controls alone can’t address. Join WatchGuard’s Marc Laliberte, Director of Security Operations, on August 20 for an exclusive webinar exploring the findings from the 2026 Cybersecurity Hygiene Report.