Scale Your MSP: Three Strategic Approaches to Delivering Compliance as a Service

No business can ignore compliance. Key compliance requirements ensure minimal disruption and downtime when, not if, something goes wrong. And the likelihood of something going wrong increases year over year.

MSPs have all the tools to lead in delivering compliance as a service (CaaS), but becoming an expert doesn’t happen overnight. Fortunately, a wide variety of services will meet you wherever you are on your compliance journey, enabling you to scale while you gradually step into this space.

In this article, we explore three of these customized service models in more detail.

Scenario #1: MSP Seeks to Capitalize on Compliance Services Demand

You have a client (or clients) with unique compliance and/or security needs. Maybe they’re in a highly regulated industry, or they’re in an industry experiencing an uptick in cyberattacks. They lack the in-house expertise to do this work themselves, and they’ve asked their trusted service and security provider (i.e., you), to spearhead their program.

You recognize this as an opportunity to strengthen your business relationship and generate new revenue. While you offer standard security approaches, you know these clients require a more strategic and specialized service, and you don’t have any compliance experts on hand. You’re also well aware of the consequences of getting this wrong, such as legal repercussions and reputational damage.

How do you jump on this CaaS opportunity and scale your company?

The Solution — Service Model #1: Full-Service Compliance Management

Partner with a managed compliance services provider to deliver expert compliance solutions. While compliance can't be automated, this partnership provides the next best thing.

Through this partnership, you can offer virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services to your clients. A vCISO provides the same strategic guidance and expertise as an in-house CISO, but on an outsourced basis. These compliance experts will implement and manage compliance initiatives on your behalf, bringing specialized knowledge of industry-specific security challenges and regulatory requirements.

When your client needs compliance urgently, this service model allows for quick implementation with minimal setup. Since the expertise comes from your compliance partner, you can maintain focus on your core business strengths while still meeting your clients' compliance needs.

What it includes:

End-to-end compliance execution
Complete framework implementation
Managed documentation and reporting
Continuous monitoring and updates

Ideal for:

MSPs with no experience around compliance that want to serve:
- Regulated clients that must follow compliance controls to a tee
- Clients pursuing compliance/security certifications
- Clients with unique security challenges
- Clients requiring turnkey solutions

Scenario #2: MSP Ready to Expand Compliance Offerings

Does this ring familiar? You’re an MSP with a diverse client base, including clients from the finance, healthcare, and defense sectors. You have a wealth of experience with traditional security approaches, and you’ve worked with some regulatory frameworks before.

However, you need help staying efficient and organized, especially when trying to manage all the moving parts of various frameworks for various clients. You also lack expertise in areas such as policy and procedure documentation, reporting, and audit support, which can lead to errors that cost your client and hurt your business relationship.

You’re looking to capitalize on the growing need for compliance and risk management services. You know you have what it takes to sell these programs, but you could use some support.

The Solution — Service Model #2: Collaborative Compliance Partnership

With a collaborative partnership service, your MSP and the compliance experts work side by side, combining internal resources with external expertise. This allows you to co-manage compliance programs, focusing on what you’re good at, drawing from the experts in the areas where you’re lacking, and learning the ropes along the way.

The compliance experts provide your MSP with the tools you need to streamline compliance, such as software and integrations. With your combined effort, you can conduct more thorough risk assessments and inform effective risk mitigation strategies. Armed with their deep knowledge of various frameworks, you can offer any one of your diverse clients a compliance package that suits their business needs and objectives, and you can do it without any fear around audits and liability.

This method of scaling your MSP frees you up to expand your service offerings and generate additional revenue. It’s a way to improve client satisfaction and retention, attract new clients, and build a strong reputation as a trusted and proactive service provider.

What it includes

Hybrid approach combining expertise and tools
Shared responsibility model
Strategic guidance with client involvement
Flexible resource allocation

Ideal for:

MSPs with some compliance expertise that:
- Have time and resources to invest in learning compliance
- Serve a diverse range of clients
- Require balanced oversight

Scenario #3: MSP Wants to Take Compliance Service to Next Level

You’re a forward-thinking and proactive organization that has invested in building a strong internal security and compliance team. You have well-established processes that you use to help clients improve their security posture. You may even have helped clients implement and manage a regulatory compliance program or achieve some hard-to-attain certification.

You’ve got a lot of knowledge around industry standards, and you know the demand for compliance and security are only going to keep growing. To meet that demand (and maintain the reputation you’ve built), you need to stay three steps ahead of emerging threats and regulatory changes.

The Solution — Service Model #3: Self-Guided Compliance Solutions

For these MSPs, the answer is an empowered self-guided service that streamlines your operations through a compliance and security management platform. Software built by industry-leading experts enables you to independently execute your compliance initiatives with both confidence and autonomy.

With everything managed in one central repository, including reporting, you can provide data-driven insights and take informed security decisions. This solution allows you to automate routine tasks to improve your efficiency and allocate more time to providing high-quality services to clients. Plus, it easily scales to accommodate a growing client base with diverse requirements, so you can expand your reach and continue to grow.

What it includes:

Platform-driven compliance tools
Automated framework guidance
Independent execution capability
Built-in validation and tracking

Ideal for:

MSPs with strong compliance expertise that require:
- Software that streamlines compliance
- A solution for tech-savvy clients with their own internal resources

Transform Your MSP's Compliance Capabilities

When your clients call on you for compliance as a service, you should answer. Whether you're new to compliance or an established expert, offering CaaS helps build trust, generate revenue, and grow your client base. Compliance Scorecard provides customized service models to match your expertise level, from full-service partnerships to self-guided solutions.

Ready to expand your compliance offerings? Schedule your free demo today.