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2026 MSP Reset: The Six Key Forces Poised to Change Managed Services

IT channel and business news with a focus on regulatory compliance.

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Blacksmith Team
December 10, 2025

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🗓️ The 2026 MSP: AI Threats, Business Risk, and the New Model for Growth

Modern research on SMB security and MSP trends points in the same direction: the future favors providers that combine intelligent automation, real risk management, and outcome‑based services that tie directly to business impact. In this article, we'll explore how that shift is unfolding and what MSPs can do to stay ahead of it…

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⚒️ Compliance Isn’t Paperwork in 2026: How MSPs Prove Security (and Keep Clients Insurable)

Compliance and cyber insurance have effectively merged in 2026. Regulators, auditors, and insurers now expect hard evidence of controls, not just policies and promises, and MSPs sit right in the middle of that scrutiny. For many SMBs, their ability to stay compliant and insurable now depends on how well their MSP can prove what’s actually in place.​

What’s changing in 2026

  • Tougher frameworks and enforcement (CMMC 2.0, NIS2‑style rules, industry‑specific privacy laws) are raising minimum security expectations for smaller organizations.​

  • Cyber insurers are tightening questionnaires and asking for proof of controls like MFA, EDR, backups, and incident response readiness before binding or paying claims.​

  • Larger customers are pushing supply‑chain and vendor‑risk requirements down onto SMBs, and MSPs are expected to help answer those due‑diligence checks.​

What MSPs now need to prove

You are no longer just “doing security”; you need documented, repeatable proof of:

  • MFA coverage across critical accounts and remote access

  • EDR or equivalent endpoint protection deployed and monitored

  • Regular, tested backups with immutable/offsite options

  • Patch and vulnerability management with evidence of cadence

  • Email security and user awareness controls for phishing resilience

  • Incident response planning and at least basic tabletop testing​

Fast‑start checklist for MSPs

Over the next 3–6 months, focus on:

  • Mapping at least one key client to a named framework (NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CMMC, etc.) and using that as your internal template.​

  • Standing up simple, repeatable compliance reporting: backup test logs, MFA coverage reports, patch status summaries, and security awareness participation.

  • Reviewing client cyber insurance applications and aligning stack, policies, and evidence so nothing on the form is aspirational or outdated.​

  • Packaging “compliance and insurance readiness” as a visible, billable service rather than hidden, unpriced effort.

⚠️ Threat Updates

đź”´ November Ransomware Wave Targets IT and Supply Chains (11/2025)

Threat intelligence from November shows supply‑chain ransomware attacks nearly doubling since April, with 38 supplier‑focused compromises and heavy targeting of IT, manufacturing, and professional services. Adversaries increasingly use exfiltration of technical documentation, contracts, and source code to pressure victims and their customers simultaneously. MSPs should treat vendor platforms and third‑party integrations as high‑value assets, with continuous monitoring, vendor risk review, and tested incident‑sharing processes.​ » More Info

🔴 Qilin Ransomware Turns MSP Breach into 28‑Victim Financial Sector Incident (11/26/25)

A South Korean managed service provider serving banks and financial firms was compromised in a sophisticated supply‑chain attack, enabling the Qilin ransomware group to steal roughly 2 TB of data across 28 downstream victims. Exfiltrated information reportedly includes financial records, contracts, and sensitive customer data, significantly amplifying regulatory and reputational risk for every affected client. MSPs are urged to harden RMM access, enforce strict identity controls, and segment management infrastructure from customer environments to limit blast radius in similar attacks.​ » More Info

🗨️ Parting Words

“It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are.” — Clive James

Are you a vCISO or MSP looking to operationalize security programs? Let’s discuss how Blacksmith Infosec proves that compliance is an opportunity, not a struggle that has to be packaged in FUD!