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TL;DR: MSSP vs MSP
- What is an MSP? A Managed Service Provider manages IT infrastructure, networks, help desk, cloud services, and software updates
- What is an MSSP? A Managed Security Service Provider focuses on cybersecurity — 24/7 threat monitoring, incident response, and compliance
- Main difference between MSP and MSSP: MSPs handle IT operations; MSSPs handle security operations
- Can an MSP provide security? Yes, but only baseline protection. MSSPs offer specialized, SOC-level defense
- Do you need an MSP or MSSP? Many organizations use both for complete IT and security coverage
- What’s changing? Automation is bridging the MSP-MSSP gap, enabling faster response and broader capabilities
You’ve seen the acronyms. MSP. MSSP. MDR. But do you know the difference between them?
The primary difference between a managed service provider (MSP) and a managed security services provider (MSSP) is the scope of their offerings. One keeps your IT lights on. The other keeps attackers out.
In this blog, we’ll break down exactly what MSPs and MSSPs do, where they diverge, and why automation is becoming the great equalizer for both. Whether you’re a CISO evaluating service providers or a security architect building your defense strategy, understanding this distinction could mean the difference between operational efficiency and a costly breach — IBM reports the average now tops $4.88 million.
What is an MSP?
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) functions as your outsourced IT department. They deliver comprehensive technology services that keep your business operations running smoothly. They’re the ones who make sure your employees can actually do their jobs without screaming at frozen screens.
MSPs handle the operational backbone of your technology stack:
- Network management and infrastructure support
- Cloud migration and hosting services
- Help desk support and troubleshooting
- Software deployment, maintenance, and updates
- User access management and provisioning
- Data backup and disaster recovery
Their goal is to keep your IT systems operational and efficient, handling the technology backbone so your team can focus on core business objectives.
The catch? While MSPs typically include baseline security services like antivirus management and patch deployment, security represents just one component of their broader service portfolio. While MSPs do offer some level of security services, such as antivirus and firewall management, their services are not as specialized as those provided by MSSPs.
For organizations without the budget or headcount for a full internal IT team, MSPs provide instant scale. They’re invaluable for keeping operations running. But when sophisticated threats come knocking — and they will — you’ll need a specialist.
What is an MSSP?
A Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) is a different animal entirely. MSSPs operate at a higher level of specialization. They build and run a dedicated security operations center (SOC) or leverage one through a partnership.
MSSPs don’t dabble in general IT. Their singular goal is protecting your organization from cyber threats — 24/7, 365 days a year. While your MSP ensures employees can access their email, your MSSP ensures attackers can’t.
Some MSSPs also offer Managed Detection and Response (MDR) — a more focused service that combines advanced threat detection, real-time monitoring, and active incident response. Where traditional MSSP services might stop at alerting you to a problem, MDR goes further by investigating threats and taking action to contain them. Think of MDR as the rapid-response team within the broader MSSP model.
Other core MSSP capabilities include:
- Continuous threat monitoring and detection
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) operations
- Incident response and remediation
- Vulnerability assessments and penetration testing
- Compliance management (HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, SOX)
- Threat intelligence and hunting
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR)
MSSPs specialize in monitoring, detecting, and responding to cybersecurity threats. They evolved to address a brutal reality: modern security environments are too complex for generalists to handle. According to (ISC)², the global cybersecurity workforce faces a shortage of approximately 4.8 million unfilled positions; most organizations simply cannot build a capable internal security team.
A single good security analyst can cost over $120,000 per year. To cover your business 24/7, you’d need at least five of them. An MSSP delivers that entire team — plus the technology stack — for a predictable monthly fee.
MSSPs are particularly critical for organizations in highly regulated industries like finance, healthcare, government contracting, and e-commerce, where the stakes of a breach extend far beyond dollars to include regulatory penalties, legal exposure, and reputational damage. According to the World Economic Forum, two-thirds of organizations face additional risks because of cybersecurity skills shortages, making external security expertise more valuable than ever.
MSSP vs MSP: 6 Key Differences
The line between MSPs and MSSPs isn’t just semantic; it defines your organization’s risk posture. Here’s how they stack up:
| Factor | MSP | MSSP |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | IT operations and infrastructure management | Cybersecurity and threat protection |
| Core Objective | System uptime and operational efficiency | Risk reduction and incident response |
| Security Depth | Baseline security (antivirus, patches) | Advanced security (SIEM, XDR, threat hunting) |
| Operating Model | Reactive — responds to IT issues as they arise | Proactive — continuously monitors for threats |
| Operations Center | Network Operations Center (NOC) | Security Operations Center (SOC) |
| Compliance Support | Limited | Comprehensive (HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, etc.) |
MSPs are generalists focused on reliability and IT operations. MSSPs are security specialists focused on risk reduction and incident response.
The distinction matters because the MSSP needs to provide clients with 24/7 protection and availability to combat security incidents through speedy detection and response. Most MSPs struggle with this simply because of limited resources and experience.
That said, the line is blurring. SOAR is out. Hyperautomation is in. The difference: More integrations, cloud-native scalability, and AI-powered automation that actually works. This technological shift is enabling both MSPs and MSSPs to expand their capabilities in ways that were impossible just a few years ago.
How Hyperautomation Transforms Both MSPs and MSSPs
Here’s where it gets interesting. The traditional boundaries between MSPs and MSSPs are dissolving — and automation is the catalyst.
According to MSSP Alert, manual responses won’t be able to keep up with AI-assisted adversaries, making security automation the only viable path forward. In 2026, the MSSPs gaining the most market share will be the ones shifting their operating model from human-led workflows to AI-driven automation. But this shift isn’t exclusive to MSSPs. Forward-thinking MSPs are leveraging automation platforms to punch above their weight class and deliver MSSP-level capabilities.
For MSPs expanding into security:
Hyperautomation platforms enable MSPs to automate security workflows without requiring a dedicated security engineering team. This includes automated compliance checks, standardized response actions, and cross-tool orchestration that previously demanded specialized expertise.
For MSSPs scaling service delivery:
Forward-thinking MSSPs implementing AI-driven automation with Hyperautomation platforms are already achieving 90–95% autonomous Tier-1 alert handling, effectively eliminating the most resource-draining portion of SOC operations. The result? They can onboard more customers with fewer analysts, unlocking higher margins without adding headcount.
Torq Hyperautomation™ enables both models to unify monitoring, response, and compliance across managed environments. Whether you’re an MSP looking to add advanced security services or an MSSP scaling to meet growing demand, the platform provides:
- Unlimited integrations with existing security and IT tools
- AI-driven case triage that eliminates noise and surfaces real threats
- Automated response playbooks that execute at machine speed
- Multi-tenant architecture built for service providers
The shift from manual to automated operations isn’t just an efficiency play; it’s an existential one.
Choosing Between an MSP and MSSP Provider (and Why Many Choose Both)
So which do you need? The honest answer: it depends on your current capabilities, risk tolerance, and regulatory requirements.
Consider an MSP if:
- You lack internal IT resources and need comprehensive infrastructure support
- Your security needs are relatively basic (compliance isn’t heavily regulated)
- You’re a small business looking to outsource IT operations cost-effectively
Consider an MSSP if:
- You have IT resources, but need dedicated security expertise
- You operate in a highly regulated industry (healthcare, finance, government)
- You require 24/7 threat monitoring and rapid incident response
- Your organization handles sensitive data that attackers actively target
Consider both if:
- You need comprehensive IT operations AND advanced security capabilities
- You want a clear separation of duties between IT management and security
- Your organization is scaling rapidly and needs both operational efficiency and robust protection
For businesses with larger, more complex IT environments, a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of both MSPs and MSSPs can offer a more complete, strategic solution.
Tip: Ask how prospective providers are leveraging automation. The managed services landscape is rapidly bifurcating between providers stuck in manual, human-led workflows and those embracing AI-driven operations. The former will struggle to keep pace with evolving threats. The latter will deliver faster response times, better coverage, and stronger outcomes.
The MSP vs MSSP Debate Ends Where Automation Begins
MSPs and MSSPs serve different but complementary functions. MSPs keep your IT operations humming. MSSPs keep attackers at bay. Confusing the two — or assuming one can fully cover the other’s domain — creates gaps that adversaries will exploit.
But here’s the real takeaway: the MSP vs MSSP debate is becoming obsolete. Automation is rapidly bridging the gap between IT management and security orchestration. The managed service providers winning market share aren’t just hiring more analysts; they’re deploying intelligent automation that enables machine-speed detection and response while freeing human experts to focus on strategic work.
For MSSPs and MDRs, that means solving the challenges that have plagued the industry for years: analyst burnout from triaging low-value alerts, slow customer onboarding, and margins squeezed by headcount-dependent delivery models. Torq’s AI SOC addresses these head-on with:
- 95% of Tier-1 cases auto-investigated and enriched — clearing out low-impact work so analysts focus on what matters
- 18x faster customer onboarding — spinning up new customers in minutes, not weeks
- Multi-tenant architecture — centralized automation with segmented environments for performance and SLA management
- AI SOC Analyst (Socrates) — a 24×7 on-call agent handling Tier-1 and Tier-2 cases autonomously, escalating with full context when human judgment is needed
Whether you’re evaluating external providers or looking to enhance your internal capabilities, the question isn’t just “MSP or MSSP?” It’s “How are they automating security operations?”
Ready to see how Torq powers the next generation of managed security?
FAQs
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a third-party company that remotely manages an organization’s IT infrastructure and end-user systems. MSPs handle tasks like network management, cloud services, help desk support, software updates, and data backup — essentially functioning as an outsourced IT department.
A Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) is a specialized third-party provider focused exclusively on cybersecurity. MSSPs deliver services like 24/7 threat monitoring, incident response, vulnerability management, and compliance support, typically operating from a dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC).
The primary difference is focus. MSPs concentrate on broad IT operations and keeping systems running efficiently. MSSPs specialize exclusively in cybersecurity, providing advanced threat detection, incident response, and compliance management that goes far beyond the baseline security services MSPs typically offer.
Yes, many MSPs include basic security services like antivirus management and patching. However, these offerings typically lack the depth, 24/7 monitoring, and specialized expertise that MSSPs provide. Some MSPs are expanding into MSSP-level capabilities by leveraging automation platforms like Torq Hyperautomation™.
Torq Hyperautomation enables MSSPs to automate Tier-1 alert triage, incident investigation, and response actions across multiple client environments. With AI-driven case management, unlimited integrations, and multi-tenant architecture, MSSPs can handle more customers without increasing headcount, reducing MTTR from minutes to seconds while improving service margins.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is a specialized cybersecurity service that combines advanced technology with human experts for continuous monitoring, threat hunting, and active remediation. While an MSP manages general IT infrastructure, MDR focuses specifically on detecting and responding to threats. MDR is typically a service that top-tier MSSPs provide as part of their security offerings.
