For years, MSPs and MSSPs have focused on securing infrastructure—servers, endpoints, and networks. But in today’s hybrid and cloud-native environments, that’s no longer enough. Sensitive data is the true crown jewel, and it’s increasingly at risk from shadow IT, misconfigurations, and identity-based threats.
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) is the emerging category designed to solve this challenge. Recognized by Gartner and assessed in-depth by GigaOm, DSPM flips the model by putting data at the center of risk detection, classification, and remediation.
For service providers, DSPM isn’t just a new technology—it’s a way to:
- Increase visibility across every client environment.
- Prioritize real business risks, not just patch lists.
- Deliver compliance-ready evidence and reporting.
- Prove ongoing value to clients and reduce churn.
The Current State of Risk Management & Visibility at MSPs/MSSPs
MSPs and MSSPs today are under increasing strain—and it’s not just from cyberattacks. According to recent industry reports pressures include:
- Tool sprawl and operational complexity: Around half of MSPs report using 10 or more tools to monitor, secure, and support client networks. This proliferation leads to complexity, inefficiencies, and fatigue. Nearly 60% of MSPs say tool overload and lack of real-time visibility are major obstacles to fast, effective response.
- Resource constraints: Many MSPs are stretched thin—skilled cybersecurity professionals are in short supply, and internal risk assessments or exposure audits often take weeks or months due to manual processes.
- Blind spots in visibility: Shadow IT, unmanaged SaaS apps, stale/on-premises data stores, misconfigured cloud assets—all contribute to gaps. MSPs report that clients expect them to manage cybersecurity as well as IT infrastructure, but many struggle to see all the endpoints or assets they are responsible for.
- Slow risk-to-remediation cycles: Breaches are rising, and vulnerabilities are being exploited faster. For example, vulnerability exploitation (known vulnerabilities) has jumped notably in the latest Verizon Data Breach Report. Many organizations take too long to discover or remediate exposures—a risky lag.
These challenges combine to create a scenario where MSPs/MSSPs have visibility, but not always the clarity to translate that into prioritized actions or value messaging for clients.
Evolution of Attack Surface Management & Where DSPM Fits
To understand where DSPM steps in, it helps to see how Attack Surface Management (ASM) has evolved:
- ASM's original focus was primarily on external-facing assets—domains, IPs, web servers, open APIs, SSL certificates, etc.—anything visible from the Internet. It was reactive to known exposures.
- Over time, ASM has expanded into Internal ASM / CAASM, including devices, identities, cloud services, shadow IT, and configuration drift. This broader view allows service providers to see what they didn’t even know they needed to see.
- Another trend is merging ASM with continuous risk exposure / validation—not just “what’s exposed” but “how exploitable is it,” “how urgent is the risk,” and “what is the path an attacker could take.” This pushes ASM from being a discovery exercise into an operational discipline.
DSPM (Data Security Posture Management) sits squarely within this evolving space. It takes the visibility and risk context from ASM/CAASM and brings in:
- Full discovery and classification of data assets, wherever they live—cloud, SaaS, on-prem, unstructured, structured.
- Insight into who or what has access, how data is being used, where the exposures are.
- Mapping of exposures to business/compliance, not just technical severity.
- Continuous monitoring so risks don’t just get found—they get managed over time.
Why MSPs/MSSPs Need a Unified Platform
Given the state of tools, constrained resources, and rising client expectations, MSPs/MSSPs need a platform that ties together these capabilities—visibility, data-centric risk, compliance, and monitoring—because providers and their customers’ demand:
- Actionable insights over raw data: Clients don’t value dashboards—they value knowing what to fix next and what risk they avoided. A unified DSPM-capable platform helps map exposures to impact, not just to IPs or servers.
- Efficiency and scalability: Instead of hopping between tools, data sources, manual spreadsheets, and different dashboards, MSSPs gain leverage when everything—from discovery to reporting to compliance mappings—is built-in. That saves time, reduces human error, and lets smaller/security-stretched teams deliver high value.
- Client trust and retention: When your clients see continuous improvement—when you proactively flag risky exposures before they become incidents—they see your value. That trust is a powerful driver against churn.
- Differentiation in a crowded MSP/MSSP market: As more competitors claim to offer security services, providers with strong, data-focused posture capabilities stand out. Having DSPM built in, with clarity and context, becomes a selling point.
Why DSPM Capabilities Matter for Service Providers
When applied in practice, DSPM helps service providers overcome the most pressing challenges in today’s market:
- Visibility and Discovery: Automated discovery across on-prem, cloud, and SaaS environments exposes shadow IT and unmanaged repositories.
- Risk Prioritization and Context: Data classification and context tie risks to sensitivity and business impact—not just vulnerabilities.
- Operational Efficiency: Multi-tenant design and seamless integration reduce analyst workload and tool sprawl.
- Compliance Support: Built-in mapping to NIST, SOC2, CMMC and more provides audit-ready reporting.
- Client Value and Reporting: Executive dashboards and recurring assessments prove value beyond technical alerts.
- Cost and Resource Alignment: Lightweight deployment and channel-friendly pricing models make DSPM services profitable at scale.
These capabilities align directly to what MSPs and MSSPs need most: better visibility, reduced complexity, stronger compliance, and stickier client relationships.
The Cavelo Advantage
Cavelo was built by a former service provider, for service providers. That means it’s designed to fit seamlessly into MSSP workflows, without the complexity or steep learning curve of enterprise-first tools.
Cavelo brings together:
- Asset discovery (devices, endpoints, and unmanaged assets).
- Data classification across Windows, Mac, Linux, and cloud.
- File Permissions and access insights to pinpoint risky permissions.
- Vulnerability management that prioritizes exposures tied to sensitive data.
- System benchmarking against CIS, Microsoft, and industry best practices.
The result? A unified risk score that turns DSPM into a scalable, profitable service offering.
With Cavelo, you’re not just adding another tool—you’re delivering a turnkey DSPM-as-a-Service model that helps clients manage risk and compliance while strengthening your own margins.
Are You Ready?
The DSPM Readiness Checklist helps MSPs and MSSPs benchmark where they stand today.
Whether you’re just beginning to build data visibility or already close to delivering a managed DSPM service, this checklist provides a clear path forward. Download the DSPM Readiness Checklist and see how prepared your business is to lead with DSPM-as-a-Service.
Want to dive deeper into Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for MSPs & MSSPs?
Check out our DSPM Resource Hub—a one-stop destination with our solution guide, readiness checklist, solution brief, and practical blogs designed to help you streamline operations, reduce risk, and deliver compliance-ready DSPM services.
