Nearly all cybersecurity clients would consider increasing their security spending in exchange for more strategic guidance, but relatively few managed service providers currently deliver those capabilities, according to new research from Cynomi.
The company’s 2026 State of vCISO Report, announced October 29, found that 95% of clients would be more likely to increase cybersecurity spending for proactive advisory services. Yet only 28% of service providers currently offer virtual chief information security officer (vCISO) services, with just 5% of MSPs offering them.
For providers, the findings point to an opportunity to generate additional revenue from existing clients rather than relying entirely on new customer acquisition.
“With the existing clients that you have today, they are looking for more,” Cynomi CMO Erin McLean told Channel Insider. “They’re still looking for your expertise.”
Why MDR alone isn’t meeting client expectations
Cynomi surveyed 200 service provider leaders and 200 end-client security leaders, examining the disconnect between cybersecurity services being delivered and what customers actually value.
Among clients receiving managed detection and response (MDR) services, none said their strategic security needs were fully met. Another 61% wanted additional guidance, while 39% said their provider focused exclusively on detection and response.
McLean said the problem often stems from service providers treating security operations and strategic advisory as separate businesses.
“There is a managed security services team and an advisory team, and never the two shall meet,” McLean said.
“We fail the client, and we miss their primary goal of reducing risk and ensuring business continuity when we’re just focused on break-fix, or we’re focused on security monitoring.”
The research reinforces the disconnect: 53% of clients identified reducing overall business risk as their primary goal, while 41% identified business continuity as important.
MSPs need to move beyond quarterly reviews
Despite growing demand for strategic guidance, 70% of providers still deliver advisory primarily through quarterly business reviews.
McLean argued that MSPs need to rethink that model by providing customers with ongoing visibility into their security posture, compliance progress, and next steps.
“They don’t just want to hear from you on a quarterly basis,” she said. “They want a more consistent understanding of their security posture and what they have to do next.”
That transition requires more than adding advisory services to an existing package.
“It’s very easy to say, it’s harder to operationalize when you’re used to operating in those silos,” McLean said.
She recommended starting with standardized security assessments and integrating advisory into existing managed security offerings. Cynomi partner Fit Technologies, for example, combines managed security and advisory within its Fit Secure 360 package.
AI could help MSPs scale advisory without cutting prices
The report also found that clients aren’t necessarily expecting AI-driven efficiencies to reduce their security bills.
Eighty-four percent said pricing should remain stable while providers improve service quality or scope. Customers instead prioritized better reporting (60%), improved outcomes (55%), and proactive recommendations (54%).
For McLean, AI presents an opportunity to extend scarce security expertise across larger customer portfolios that will require more attention and time.
“You can’t go and find 10 more of those individuals,” she said, referring to experienced vCISOs and senior cybersecurity advisors.
“We’ve got to find a way to standardize expertise, extend it across more junior team members, and empower members of your team with the right information at the right time.”
For MSPs facing tighter margins and increasing competition, the research suggests that demonstrating measurable security progress and delivering continuous guidance could become important differentiators.
Cynomi commissioned Global Surveyz to survey 400 U.S. respondents in August 2026.
READ MORE: Cynomi and SPECTRA announced a partnership earlier this year to offer warranty-backed protection to clients and potentially reduce cyber insurance costs.