Terry KS MALAYSIA, 5 OCTOBER 2026 – Global cybersecurity provider Sophos has released its 2026 MSP Perspectives Report, highlighting a significant shift in how organizations manage digital security threats and regulatory requirements.
The findings show that managed service providers are moving beyond traditional IT deployment to offer strategic risk guidance, with 46 percent of surveyed MSPs currently serving as Chief Information Security Officers for their clients. Looking ahead, 84 percent expect demand for CISO-level governance to increase over the next 12 months as companies attempt to navigate increasingly complex threat environments.
Compliance plays a key role in driving security investments, with regulatory demands influencing half of customer purchasing decisions. While 99 percent of MSPs deliver at least one cybersecurity compliance service, only 6 percent offer a complete end-to-end service stack. Furthermore, 53 percent of MSPs currently rely on fragmented, multi-tool setups, though unified platforms could yield operational time savings of up to 53 percent.
Scott Barlow, Vice President and Chief Evangelist at Sophos, noted that businesses require trusted advisors who can translate security investments into measurable business outcomes, creating a significant opportunity for service providers to deepen customer relationships.
To support this demand, Sophos announced the launch of Sophos CISO Advantage. Delivered via the AI-native Sophos Fusion defense system, the service uses agentic AI workflows to assist MSPs in delivering automated, board-ready security posture insights and compliance reporting.
The insights in the report are based on an independent survey of 800 MSP executives across the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Singapore, Australia, and Brazil, conducted by Vanson Bourne.