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Security
MSPs increasingly rely on vendors, tools, and integrations that can introduce cybersecurity risk. This blog explains why supply chain security matters, how vendor risk assessments work, and what MSPs should consider when evaluating RMM security.
Level
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
MSP supply chain security matters because managed service providers depend on vendors, software platforms, cloud services, and integrations that can affect both their own operations and their clients’ environments. A 2026 CyberSmart MSP survey found that 43% of MSPs and their customers experienced a cyber incident caused by or originating from a supplier or third-party vendor in the past 12 months. For MSPs, this means supply chain risk is no longer just a procurement issue. It is now a cybersecurity, trust, and client retention issue.
MSP supply chain security is the practice of identifying, assessing, monitoring, and reducing cybersecurity risks from the vendors, tools, service providers, and software dependencies an MSP relies on.
For an MSP, the supply chain can include:
This matters because MSPs often sit between vendors and customers. A vendor issue can affect the MSP directly, the customer indirectly, or both at the same time.
NIST describes cybersecurity supply chain risk management as a process for managing risk across products, systems, and services that organizations acquire or use. For MSPs, that concept applies directly to the technology stack used to manage client environments.
MSPs are attractive targets because they often have privileged access to multiple customer systems. If an attacker compromises one MSP tool, account, vendor, or integration, the impact can spread beyond one organization.
That is why supply chain security has become a major concern in the MSP market. The 2026 CyberSmart report surveyed 350 MSP and MSSP leaders across the UK and Ireland and highlighted third-party risk as a growing issue for MSPs and their customers.
This reflects a wider cybersecurity trend. The SecurityScorecard 2026 Supply Chain Cybersecurity Trends Report notes that third-party risks are expanding while mitigation practices are not evolving fast enough. In simple terms, organizations are adding more vendors, tools, and integrations faster than they are improving oversight.
For MSPs, that creates a difficult position. Clients expect the MSP to recommend and manage technology securely, but the MSP also depends on external vendors. If those vendors lack transparency, weak documentation, or unclear security practices, the MSP inherits part of that risk.
A third-party incident does not always start inside the MSP. It may begin with a vendor, software update, integration, cloud service, or contractor. But the MSP may still be responsible for investigating, communicating, and helping clients recover.
Common impacts include:
The biggest issue is trust. MSPs are hired to reduce technology risk. When a vendor incident affects client operations, clients may ask whether the MSP properly evaluated that vendor before recommending or using it.
This is why vendor risk assessments for MSPs are becoming more important. They help show that vendor decisions are not based only on features and price. They also consider security posture, access levels, incident response maturity, and transparency.
A vendor risk assessment should help an MSP answer one core question: can this vendor be trusted with the level of access, data, and operational dependency involved?
For MSPs, vendor assessments should cover:
CISA encourages organizations to treat ICT supply chain risk management as an integrated part of security, not a separate administrative task. That is especially relevant for MSPs because vendor decisions can directly shape customer risk.
A simple but effective approach is to classify vendors by risk level. A low-risk vendor might only handle billing emails. A high-risk vendor might have privileged access to endpoints, credentials, backups, or customer infrastructure. The higher the access, the deeper the assessment should be.
RMM security deserves special attention because remote monitoring and management software often has broad endpoint visibility and administrative capability. For MSPs, an RMM platform is not just another tool. It is part of the operational control layer.
When evaluating RMM security, MSPs should review:
The goal is not to find a tool that claims to remove all risk. No vendor can do that. The goal is to choose a vendor that makes security visible, manageable, and reviewable.
This is also where security transparency matters. MSPs should be able to understand how the platform handles access, logs activity, protects customer data, and communicates security-relevant changes.
A secure MSP tech stack is not only about choosing reputable vendors. It is about designing the stack so that one vendor issue does not create uncontrolled risk across every client.
MSPs can strengthen their stack by applying a few practical principles.
First, reduce unnecessary access. Not every tool needs broad permissions across every customer environment. Access should match operational need.
Second, separate roles and responsibilities. Technicians, administrators, contractors, and billing users should not all have the same permissions.
Third, monitor activity. Logs, alerts, and audit trails help MSPs detect unusual behavior before it turns into a larger incident.
Fourth, document vendor decisions. MSPs should keep records of why a vendor was selected, what access it has, and how its risk is managed.
Fifth, review vendors regularly. A vendor that was acceptable two years ago may not meet today’s requirements. New features, ownership changes, incidents, integrations, or compliance expectations can change the risk profile.
ENISA emphasizes that supply chain cybersecurity depends on both supplier controls and customer-side governance. For MSPs, that means vendor security is shared work. The vendor must secure its product, but the MSP must configure, monitor, and govern its use responsibly.
Supply chain security is directly connected to RMM vendor trust, security transparency, and third-party risk assessments.
For MSPs evaluating RMM platforms, the question is no longer only, “Can this tool manage endpoints?” The better question is, “Can this tool support secure, transparent, and accountable endpoint management?”
Level fits naturally into this conversation because RMM software is part of the MSP supply chain. MSPs need tools that help them operate efficiently while still supporting responsible security practices, visibility, and control.
As MSPs face more client questions about vendor risk, they need clearer ways to explain their technology choices. That includes why an RMM platform was selected, how access is managed, how activity is monitored, and how the vendor supports security-conscious operations.
MSPs do not need to rebuild their entire vendor program overnight. The best starting point is visibility.
Start by creating a list of all vendors and tools used to support clients. Then identify which ones have access to customer data, credentials, endpoints, cloud environments, or internal systems.
From there, MSPs can prioritize the highest-risk vendors first. RMM, identity, backup, security, and documentation platforms usually deserve early review because they often hold privileged access or sensitive operational information.
Next, MSPs should create a repeatable vendor review process. This does not need to be overly complex. It should be consistent enough to prove that vendor risk is reviewed before adoption and revisited over time.
A basic review process can include:
Over time, this process helps MSPs build a more defensible security posture.
Supply chain security for MSPs is the process of managing cybersecurity risk from vendors, tools, cloud services, software platforms, contractors, and integrations used to deliver managed IT services.
MSPs are concerned because vendors can have access to sensitive systems, customer data, or operational workflows. If a vendor is compromised, the MSP and its clients may be affected.
RMM vendor trust is important because RMM tools often have administrative access to endpoints. MSPs need confidence that their RMM provider supports strong access control, monitoring, transparency, and secure operations.
MSPs should review vendor access, data handling, MFA, role-based permissions, logging, incident response, compliance posture, security documentation, and contractual responsibilities.
High-risk vendors should be reviewed regularly, especially when access changes, new integrations are added, security incidents occur, or customer compliance requirements change.
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