Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are no longer optional IT support partners - they are critical pillars in the cybersecurity and operational resilience strategy of businesses worldwide. But as MSPs deepen their role in securing client environments, they themselves are under increased attack and scrutiny.
According to ITPro, the MSP role has shifted dramatically - and MSPs are being targeted more frequently than ever.
MSPs Are Now Prime Cyber Targets
In 2025 research cited by ITPro, 69% of MSPs reported being breached two or more times in the past 12 months, and nearly half (47%) said they experienced three or more attacks over that period.
That means MSPs aren’t just defenders - they’re high-value targets. Because MSPs typically have privileged access to clients’ sensitive systems, a successful breach can expose hundreds of organisations in one strike.
And this attack surface isn’t theoretical. MSPs are under intense customer scrutiny: 77% of providers reported that clients are paying more attention to their security capabilities - indicating that trust now directly affects revenue and retention.
The Communication Gap in Incident Response
Security breaches are disruptive, but communications collapse can be even more damaging. When primary channels — email, ticketing systems, VoIP, Teams/Slack — go down due to an attack, MSPs struggle to:
- Notify clients of ongoing incidents
- Coordinate response actions
- Deliver accurate updates
- Maintain trust and assurance
Every second clients are in the dark, confidence erodes and contractual obligations are jeopardised.
This gap is the reason out-of-band (OOB) communication matters - it’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s a business-critical capability.
What Is Out-of-Band Communication?
Out-of-band communication means having a secure, independent channel that isn’t dependent on the MSP’s primary IT environment. It remains available even when corporate networks are compromised, ensuring continuity of communication and coordination. For MSPs, the benefits of an OOB solution provide:
✔ A resilient channel when email and internal systems are offline
✔ Access to critical recovery documentation, runbooks and plans
✔ A centralised, secure platform for client coordination and alerts
✔ Audit trails for compliance and post-incident assurance
Without this redundancy, MSPs often resort to insecure consumer tools or fragmented communications - which introduces risk and degrades the quality of their crisis response.
Why MSPs Need Out-of-Band Communication Now More Than Ever
Three trends from the CyberSmart MSP survey 2025 underline the urgency:
1. Frequent breaches make downtime inevitable
With the majority of MSPs reporting multiple breaches annually, downtime isn’t hypothetical — it’s a risk that must be planned for.
2. Clients increasingly demand proof of security posture
MSPs are no longer judged only on whether they deliver IT support, but on how resilient they are as partners.
3. Security investment is rising, but gaps remain
Most MSPs are investing in cybersecurity hires and technologies, but very few have adequately addressed communication resilience.
In this environment, your communication infrastructure becomes part of your cybersecurity posture — not a separate nicety.
A Competitive Edge with YUDU Sentinel
This is where solutions like YUDU Sentinel bring strategic value. Rather than leaving crisis communication to chance, MSPs can future-proof their services with:
- Independent, resilient communication pathways
- Role-based secure spaces for clients and internal teams
- Integrated alerts, documentation and incident workflows
- Audit and assurance capabilities for compliance and trust
With an out-of-band communication solution, MSPs can continue supporting clients even when the worst happens - an assurance most competitors can’t offer.
Conclusion
MSPs are increasingly at the heart of modern cybersecurity - but that position makes them targets and puts their clients at risk if communication fails during a crisis.
The statistics speak for themselves: MSPs are breached repeatedly and clients are watching closely - and that means MSPs must invest in resilience beyond prevention. Having redundant, secure communication channels isn’t just good risk management - it’s a strategic advantage.
If your MSP wants to deliver true operational resilience and client assurance, out-of-band communication isn’t optional - it’s essential.
