# 4 Steps to Proactive Security for MSPs

## The New Reality of Cyber Security for MSPs
The reality of cyber security is simple – breaches will occur – and reactivity will always be the losing strategy. With data breaches costing millions, proactive cyber security is no longer optional — it’s a business imperative.

### Why MSPs Need to Act Now
AI has fundamentally changed the game. Attackers—no matter how unsophisticated—can now launch high-volume, targeted campaigns at unprecedented speed. This means:
- Manual threat management can’t keep pace.
- Margins will shrink, incidents will rise, and customers will start questioning value.

From Buzzword to Action Plan: “Proactive Cyber security” can sound abstract. This guide outlines a 4-step proactive security framework designed specifically for MSPs to strengthen resilience, reduce risk, and create a scalable growth engine.

## Transforming Security Pressure into Business Growth
### The Hidden Threat to Profitability
SMBs are under attack like never before—experiencing nearly 4x more incidents than enterprises. They need enterprise-grade protection and are turning to MSPs to deliver it. 
- Customers now rely on you for security, compliance, and risk reduction.
- The rising cost and complexity of keeping customers secure with growing threats is a significant challenge.

**Statistics:** 
- Labor costs represent 60-70% of your cost of goods. 
- 39% of a team's time is spent on manual tasks. 
- 88% of breaches involve Ransomware.

## The Answer: Proactive Risk Reduction
Forward-looking MSPs don’t just react to incidents — they stay ahead of them. By prioritizing prevention before automation and adopting a proactive security model, you reduce risk before it becomes a crisis.

### A 4-layer strategy to scaling profitably
1. **Map the Attack Surface** - Minimize Attack Surface
2. **AI-Driven Prevention** - Maximize prevention with highest catch rates.
3. **Detect & Respond** - Handle only what gets through.

## Step 1: Discover What’s at Risk — Asset Visibility
You can’t protect what you can’t see. Start mapping your customers’ public-facing assets — cloud workloads, web apps, APIs, and SaaS applications.

- SMBs rely on ~60 SaaS apps on average, which presents vulnerabilities.
- Check Point’s External Risk Management gives MSPs continuous visibility.

### Key Insights
- 84% of SaaS apps are prone to data leaks.
- 58% of breaches start with an exposed asset or stolen credential.

## Step 2: Reduce Exposure — Secure Users and Access
Minimize exposures. Anything that doesn’t need to be online should be hidden from attackers.

- With Check Point SASE and zero trust architecture, users benefit from secure access regardless of user location.

## Step 3: Stop More Threats with AI-Based Protection
Some assets will always need to be accessible. Robust prevention is critical.

- Check Point’s AI-powered threat prevention delivers top detection rates while reducing false positives.

## Step 4: Focus on What Matters — Smart Threat Response
When prevention is strong, fewer alerts require human attention, allowing teams to focus on high-value services.

- The Check Point MSP program offers managed detection and response (MDR) solutions to empower MSPs.

## Backed by the Check Point MSP Program
The Check Point MSP Program supports your leadership journey with:
- Pay-as-you-grow licensing.
- Unified security management.
- Broad portfolio of managed services.

### Be the MSP That Leads
By embracing proactive security, you stand out as a trusted name in managed security, capable of keeping customers safe and compliant.