Managed Security Services Shift as AI Reshapes Risk

Managed security services are entering a new phase of growth (and complexity) as AI accelerates both cyberattacks and defense strategies. For MSPs and channel partners, that dual pressure is forcing a shift in how security is delivered, packaged, and monetized.

From bundled service offerings to tighter vendor alignment, providers are rethinking their role as strategic security advisors while helping customers navigate a threat landscape that is evolving faster than ever.

AI drives both cyber risk and security innovation in 2026

Many of the highlights out of RSAC 2026 in March prove that AI is the name of the game for nearly every security vendor in the market. 

Research from Flashpoint, published in March, suggests AI-powered cybercrime has surged 1,500% in 2025. 

As AI enables bad actors to do more with less at a global scale, businesses of all sizes are paying the price.

“SMBs really face the same risks as enterprise organizations do now, at least when we’re talking about the sort of general attacks and not specific, targeted plays,” Coro CEO Joe Sykora told Channel Insider recently.

To counter that surge in activity, nearly every vendor selling security solutions have introduced new tooling to fight fire with fire and attract channel partners to leverage the technology as they scale their own security practices.

Legacy security gaps persist despite rising AI threats

Even with the onslaught of AI-enabled attacks, recent research from SonicWall shows that a majority of attacks are still exploiting basic gaps that have existed for years.

“What was old is new, in some ways,” Optiv CRO John Hurley told Channel Insider recently. “Most companies have always been the most concerned with protecting their intellectual property, and that’s no less true now with AI. The challenges in some ways aren’t changing, but the speed at which things need to happen is much faster now.”

This focus has long been a tension point between security experts, who have warned repeatedly about the impacts security issues have on businesses, and executives who don’t always understand the need to prioritize security spending.

Now, though, security is a top priority for many companies, and partners are the prime support option for those ready to commit.

“I’ve definitely seen over the last 12 to 18 months that more customers are prioritizing security beyond just the essentials needed for compliance, and they’re finding the budgets to back that priority up,” Omega Systems CEO Mike Fuhrman told us in April. 

Fuhrman also said that he thinks high-profile attacks like the one that took Stryker out of operations in March are getting leaders’ attention and prompting them to act.

MSPs expand security roles as customer expectations rise

As we’ve covered repeatedly over the past year, MSPs are facing the pressure of evolving to meet their customers’ demands for more strategic advisory services and AI-enabled efficiencies.

“So many of us started as a small mom and pop shop 20 years ago, and there wasn’t a whole lot of variety necessarily in what you needed to offer,” Fuhrman said. 

“But now, security and even other things are so much more complicated and there are tons of things you can add-on to the core services to give your customers what they need. It’s certainly a different time,” he continued.

SonicWall’s SVP and GM of Managed Security Services, Michael Crean, told Channel Insider earlier this year that he thinks MSP owners should get more comfortable with seeking expertise beyond their own business.

“I think MSPs get lost and overwhelmed because they think they need to have the answers for everything,” Crean said. “But that’s just not possible in security now. Primary care doctors refer patients to specialists, and I think MSPs should take that approach, too.”

“We have to remind ourselves it’s okay to say, ‘I don’t know,’ and go find someone who does,” he added.

Omega Systems bets on bundled services to simplify security

Omega Systems recently announced the launch of bundled offerings that bring together technology and wraparound services into one solution addressing the needs of the provider’s customers across healthcare, financial services, and other highly-regulated industries.

To Fuhrman, the offerings, which are available in three tiers based on capability from basic needs to a more advanced security posture, signal how MSPs need to communicate with customers based on business outcome and not technical jargon.

“It’s a win-win, because it’s easier for us from a go-to-market perspective to articulate the value of the offerings through a tiered format. Customers can understand the differences in options without being experts in the tech itself,” Fuhrman said.

Furhman also told Channel Insider that the tiered bundles ultimately save customers money on their total spend with Omega Systems, something he knows might sound counterintuitive in a tight market facing margin pressure.

“In the best case scenario, reducing the cost will return budget back to the customer that they can then reinvest with us in additional services or projects they wanted to get started and now can,” Fuhrman said. 

“But even if that doesn’t happen, we hope this shows our customers that we operate with their best interests in mind, and then when it’s time to discuss their renewal in a year, that conversation is that much easier because we built trust and respect,” he continued.

Vendors face pressure to deliver deeper MSP alignment

With all of this in mind, MSP executives like Fuhrman are auditing their vendor relationships to focus on a core group of strategic partnerships that will build lasting success. 

“I’m really looking for the three to five vendors who aren’t just signing a contract with us but who are going to understand our goals and recommend ways to leverage their technology to build growth over time,” Fuhrman said.

“It’s a heavy lift for an MSP to rip and replace something from their tech stack, for sure, but I’m going to do it if I don’t feel like I’m getting enough from that vendor and we can get more from someone else. I do think more vendors need to start understanding that perspective,” he added.

That push to re-examine the traditional players and seek a refreshed business relationship might be one of the factors driving the amount of program refreshes we’ve seen so far in 2026. 

Still, according to many executives we’ve spoken to, the IT channel is in for a disruptive year that echoes changes in technology and workflows across the broader tech industry.