Why MSPs Are the Best Answer to the CISO Gap

Small and mid-sized businesses usually have plenty of security tools. What they often lack is someone who can turn technical findings into business decisions. In this episode, Charles Weaver explains why MSPs are in a strong position to fill that role. He also discusses how to move beyond ticket handling without taking ownership of the client’s internal governance, and why the contract must be clear about authority, responsibility, and risk. 

Key Topics 

• The core issue is a CISO gap, not a product gap 
• Most small and mid-sized businesses lack security leadership, not security tools 
• MSPs are well positioned because they already have ongoing access, trust, and operational context 
• Tools alone cannot create governance, risk understanding, or executive decision-making 
• MSPs must not take legal ownership of a customer’s internal CISO responsibilities 
• Strong contracts should define service boundaries, authority, and risk allocation 
• The vCISO concept is framed as a service model, not a title problem 
• A major part of the role is separating recommendations from the client’s acceptance of risk 
• Cyber insurance is used as a practical example of translating technical deficiencies into business impact 
• A partial CISO operating model includes roadmap ownership, decision rights, escalation paths, evidence, and executive reporting 
• MSPs should segment customers by risk and leadership maturity, then build a baseline assessment and roadmap 
• Quarterly executive risk reviews should complement, not replace, standard QBRs 
• MSPs must choose to build the capability, partner with specialists, or clearly define the role