The Short Answer
An MSP (Managed Service Provider) manages your technology infrastructure — computers, servers, Microsoft 365, help desk, backups, and day-to-day IT operations. Their job is uptime and productivity.
An MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) focuses on defending your business from active cyber threats — monitoring your environment 24/7, detecting intrusions, blocking attacks before they execute, and responding when something goes wrong. Their job is protection.
The average ransomware attack in Ohio costs $1.85 million in recovery, downtime, and remediation. An MSP alone cannot prevent it. An MSSP that isn't integrated with your IT cannot respond fast enough. You need both — and they need to work as one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Capability | MSP Only | MSSP Only | MSP + MSSP (Securafy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Help desk support 24/7 | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Patch management | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Microsoft 365 admin | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Backup & disaster recovery | ✓ | Sometimes | ✓ |
| 24/7 security monitoring (SOC) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ransomware prevention | ✗ | Detect/respond | ✓ Prevention-first |
| Zero Trust / application control | ✗ | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Endpoint detection & response | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compliance documentation | Basic | Security only | ✓ Full GRC |
| Incident response | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Single point of accountability | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Contractual response guarantee | Varies | Varies | ✓ 10 minutes |
Why the Separation Creates Risk
Most businesses either have an MSP with no real security layer, or they have an MSSP bolt-on that doesn't have visibility into the IT environment it's supposed to protect. Both create gaps.
When your MSP and MSSP are separate companies, they blame each other during an incident. Configuration changes made by the MSP can open vulnerabilities the MSSP doesn't know about. Response time suffers because two teams have to coordinate. The handoff is where breaches get worse.
The integration advantage
When IT management and security monitoring come from the same team, threat response is measured in seconds, not hours. The same engineer who knows your network topology is the one watching it for anomalies. When something changes, the security posture updates in real time — not in the next quarterly review.
What to Ask Any Provider
Whether you're evaluating an MSP, an MSSP, or a combined provider, ask these questions:
- Do you prevent ransomware from executing, or just detect it after the fact?
- What is your contractual response time — and what happens if you miss it?
- Do your IT and security teams share a ticketing system and a single view of my environment?
- Can you show me your compliance documentation process for my industry?
- Who is responsible during an active incident — your IT team, your security team, or both?
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an MSP?
- An MSP (Managed Service Provider) manages your IT infrastructure — help desk support, patch management, backups, Microsoft 365 administration, and device monitoring. An MSP keeps your technology running reliably.
- What is an MSSP?
- An MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) focuses on protecting your business from cyber threats. An MSSP provides security monitoring (SOC), threat detection, incident response, EDR, and security policy enforcement — around the clock.
- Do I need an MSP, an MSSP, or both?
- Most businesses with 10–500 employees need both. An MSP alone leaves you exposed to threats your help desk isn't equipped to handle. An MSSP alone leaves you without day-to-day IT support. An integrated MSP/MSSP provider delivers both from a single team.
- Is Securafy an MSP, an MSSP, or both?
- Both. Securafy is an award-winning MSP/MSSP headquartered in Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio. Our three service tiers — Essential-CARE, Secure-CARE, and Comply-CARE — combine IT management and security protection in a single all-inclusive monthly investment.