Article written by Mark Jackolski, ShellProof Security
Offering compliance services isn’t just a defensive move, it’s a catalyst for growth, cutting through the uncertainty and demonstrating leadership. By offering tiered packages, such as Bronze, Silver, and Gold, that align with cybersecurity frameworks like CIS Implementation Groups, you can build value incrementally while meeting clients where they are in their compliance journey.
The benefits of positioning your services around compliance means:
- Enhanced Credibility and Trust
When you position your offerings around compliance, you’re not just selling a service you’re building trust. Clients see you as a reliable partner committed to protecting their business, elevating your status beyond “just the IT guy.”
- Becoming a Trusted Advisor
By aligning your services with compliance frameworks, you transition from a general service provider to a trusted advisor. This shift positions you as a strategic partner who understands the complexities of cybersecurity and compliance, earning long-term client loyalty.
- Standardization for Scalability
Compliance frameworks like CIS provide a structured roadmap that standardizes your offerings. This consistency not only makes your services scalable but also ensures efficiency and quality across your client base.
- Shifting from Reactive to Proactive
Building services aligned with compliance allows you to move from firefighting mode to a proactive approach. You’re not just responding to incidents; you’re preventing them, helping clients stay ahead of threats.
- Protecting Your Own Business
In an industry that demands “eating your own dog food,” aligning your services with compliance demonstrates that you practice what you preach. This protects your business and prepares you for the inevitable moment when clients ask for proof of your own compliance practices.
- Differentiation in a Crowded Market
Generic MSPs may claim to handle compliance, but few truly can demonstrate how. By creating packages explicitly tied to frameworks like CIS Implementation Groups, you stand out as a leader in the market, providing specialized expertise others lack.
- Unlocking New Revenue Opportunities
Let’s not forget the bottom line that compliance focused services open the door to recurring revenue streams. With tiered packages, you can upsell clients as they grow, creating opportunities to deepen relationships and increase profitability.
Here’s how your existing services could align better with compliance:
- Create a policy tailored to your service offering within a specific security package.
- Implement a daily automated patching process via RMM or similar tools, with failure alerts routed to a dedicated team through your PSA.
- Set up a recurring monthly ticket to review patching success reports and ensure oversight.
- During the monthly review, include a step to compare RMM agents/Antivirus/EDR counts against active machines to identify and address gaps in security deployment.
MSP services should prioritize proactive, measurable, and predictable practices that align with their delivery model to ensure compliance is provable, scalable, and practical. This means implementing processes like automated monitoring, routine reporting, and consistent oversight to provide clear evidence of compliance.
A clear list or library of documented projects and recurring services, along with the specific compliance gaps they address within a framework, ensures consistency and accountability. Each service or project should include defined delivery requirements and an accompanying policy to create a clear, repeatable standard. Standardizing actions, such as implementing automated patching with documented reviews, allows services to scale efficiently while maintaining transparency. A structured approach not only fulfills compliance requirements but delivers measurable value and building client trust.
Compliance often requires documented, measurable processes to demonstrate adherence to standards. For instance, a generic policy might state, “We ensure robust security by applying system updates regularly.” A more effective approach would specify, “Daily automated patching must be applied to all systems, with alerts addressed within one hour. Monthly reviews of patching success will ensure oversight and continuous improvement, with documentation maintained for compliance.” These are strategies that you can apply directly to the services you offer to your customers.
