Summary: MSPs can leverage the global adoption of AI to expand their offerings and become trusted advisors for secure AI implementation.
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how companies operate, while also introducing new attack vectors and security challenges. For managed service providers (MSPs), this shift represents one of the biggest business opportunities since the rise of cloud computing.
Similar to the early days of cloud adoption, many organizations today are eager to use AI tools but don’t yet know how to do so safely. MSPs have a unique opportunity to step in as trusted guides, helping their clients use AI securely. This allows them to open new revenue streams and position themselves as go-to experts in advanced cybersecurity solutions.
If you’re an MSP, you know firsthand how radically the world your clients operate in has changed over the last few years. AI is leaving its mark across nearly every industry. More and more businesses are using it to create content, analyze sensitive customer data, and streamline their operations.
At the same time, cybercriminals are exploiting artificial intelligence to improve the targeting and personalization of their attacks, increasing their severity like never before. This is the new normal, and traditional security measures alone are no longer enough.
For managed service providers, this is a pivotal moment. One immediate opportunity is to use AI internally. From automating routine tasks to detecting threats with unprecedented speed, AI can significantly boost MSP’s operational efficiency and enable their teams to focus on higher-value work.
For instance, AI can scan massive amounts of security data in minutes, spotting subtle anomalies that could take humans hours—or even days—to detect. MSPs that adopt these tools gain a distinct advantage, positioning themselves as more capable and responsive partners in a field where cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Meanwhile, MSP clients are facing two major challenges: fear and uncertainty. They worry about becoming the next data breach headline yet feel pressure to adopt AI quickly—even if they aren’t sure how to use it securely. MSPs can help them manage this transition.
In other words, the MSP value proposition is evolving: it’s no longer just, “We manage your IT.” Now it’s, “We help you use cutting-edge technology responsibly.” By guiding clients through secure AI implementation, MSPs can become indispensable partners in this new reality.
Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool for good. It can also be a powerful weapon in the hands of cybercriminals. One of the most concerning threats it enables is hyper-realistic social engineering.
Imagine receiving a deepfake video or audio message that sounds exactly like your direct manager or a close colleague, asking you to transfer funds or share sensitive information. AI is making these highly personalized phishing campaigns not only possible but increasingly common. Since humans have always been the weakest link in cybersecurity, AI makes that vulnerability even more dangerous.
But the risks don’t stop there. AI is enabling entirely new types of cyber threats. Threat actors use it to automate vulnerability discovery, develop malware that can change to avoid detection, and even poison AI training data to manipulate model behavior. These techniques highlight how rapidly cyber threats are evolving.
And then there’s shadow IT. Employees often use public AI tools for work-related tasks—like summarizing sensitive data or debugging code—sometimes without oversight from the IT department. This can result in sensitive information ending up on third-party servers, potentially being used to train public AI models, which creates serious compliance and security risks.
Managed service providers can make a real difference by helping clients implement clear policies and practical safeguards, ensuring AI is used safely and responsibly.
For MSPs, entering the AI cybersecurity space presents a few complexities that require careful consideration. One major hurdle is the growing skills gap. Securing and managing AI solutions demands expertise in machine learning and deep understanding of AI vulnerabilities. Hiring or training this talent can be costly and time-consuming, creating a barrier for many providers.
Data management is another critical issue. AI models rely on high-quality data, but collecting and standardizing security data from multiple client environments can be overwhelming. Poor data quality leads to inaccurate detection and false positives, which can erode trust in AI tools and contribute to alert fatigue for analysts who must process the excessive warnings.
Regulations and compliance add another layer of complexity. AI laws covering data privacy, ethical use, and responsible deployment aren’t fixed. MSPs must manage these challenges while helping clients remain fully compliant. It is essential for building trust and delivering reliable AI cybersecurity services.
AI is opening new opportunities for MSPs to provide essential security services. These innovations allow them to grow their business, build client trust, and deliver greater value.
The rise of AI gives MSPs a big opportunity to become trusted experts in protecting client data. When sensitive information is misclassified or used by the wrong AI tool, the risk of a serious data leak grows. MSPs can help clients prevent these incidents by putting safeguards in place to protect important information and build trust in how data is handled.
This goes far beyond simple file backups. It involves implementing a strong, AI-ready Data Loss Prevention (DLP) strategy. MSPs can support clients in identifying and classifying all their data, then setting clear policies for which AI tools—internal or external—can access it. By managing data at the source, MSPs can reduce the risk of accidental misuse and defend against malicious data poisoning.
As AI adoption accelerates, organizations are confronting an increase in shadow IT. Employees often choose unapproved AI applications in their daily workflows, often without IT’s awareness. This unmonitored use of AI tools, now referred to as “Shadow AI,” creates significant security and compliance challenges.
MSPs can help by first providing the visibility organizations lack. This starts with identifying every AI application and service in use, whether approved or not. The next step is categorization and governance. MSPs can support IT and leadership teams in establishing a clear, risk-based classification for each tool and defining rules to block or restrict access to unapproved AI applications.
Human error has always been a weak point in security, but with AI, employee mistakes can become more frequent and harder to detect. Cybercriminals now use generative AI to craft highly personalized phishing emails, fake voice messages, and realistic video calls that most employees cannot recognize as scams. AI-powered attacks can even mimic a manager’s style and timing, removing the usual cues that reveal a scam. As these tools become easier to use, both the number and sophistication of attacks are expected to grow.
This creates a clear opportunity for MSPs to provide AI-focused security awareness training that actually makes a difference. By teaching clients how to use AI chat tools safely, avoid sharing sensitive data with public models, and follow practical verification steps—such as codewords for calls or out-of-band checks for high-risk transactions—MSPs can help organizations strengthen their overall cybersecurity hygiene.
With AI being rapidly adopted across industries, many companies are operating in a state of continuous risk. They implement AI solutions without fully understanding the ethical, legal, or technical implications, leaving their systems vulnerable to a range of threats.
Managed services providers can deliver formal AI risk assessments that go beyond the usual penetration tests. These assessments can examine a client’s current and planned AI stack for vulnerabilities such as AI model inversion and membership inference attacks. On top of that, MSPs can specify which tools can safely integrate with existing IT systems and help prevent AI-related risks from spreading across other networks or platforms.
AI security isn’t something organizations can check off once. It’s an ongoing challenge that will grow as they adopt more AI technologies. That’s where MSPs have a real opportunity.
By offering a comprehensive, all-in-one service that combines AI risk assessments, data governance, and AI-driven security tools, they can create a single subscription package that generates steady monthly revenue.
This could take the form of AI Security-as-a-Service, where MSPs manage the day-to-day aspects of AI security, monitor systems for vulnerabilities, and guide clients on using AI safely. It’s a way to relieve companies of the complexity of AI security while building a reliable, recurring revenue stream.
AI is changing the digital environment by the minute, but some fundamentals remain as crucial as ever. Solutions like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, and proper access management are still key to mitigating risks.
For MSPs, a smart move is to use strategic vendor partnerships to access these proven security practices. Partnering with a provider like NordLayer gives you all these core capabilities and more, so you can deliver a complete, future-ready cybersecurity solution to your clients.
With NordLayer’s support and your expertise on AI implementation, you can offer a security experience that covers all the bases, helping clients stay safe in a complex digital world. Become a partner of NordLayer today to expand your service offerings and boost your growth.
Maciej Sikora
Senior Copywriter
A man on a mission to engage audiences with creative wordplay, Maciej knows every complex idea can be broken down into simple words—and that’s his driving force. When he’s not writing, you’ll find him making music, taking a walk with his dog, or watching yet another movie.
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