Managed service providers encounter a steady stream of cyber threats, and communicating those risks to clients is both an art and a diplomatic exercise.
“The fact is, if I told my clients about every single threat I saw every day, they would either tune me out or be so panicked they’d never get anything done,” said one MSP owner in Michigan, who asked not to name his company for fear of alienating clients. “I have to be selective in when and how I loop them in.”
Filtering noise from real risk
To manage that balance, the MSP keeps a daily “threat sheet,” pulling intelligence from multiple sources. “If I see an emerging, real-time threat that could affect clients in a specific vertical—like healthcare—I act on it,” he said, adding that he also follows a defined method for how the information is delivered.
“If the threat feels more distant, I’ll send an email and leave it at that,” the MSP owner explained. “And if it’s really making waves, I’ll send a text, which usually prompts a quicker response.”
The three buckets: prioritizing threats for clients
The Michigan-based MSP categorizes threats into three practical buckets to help guide communication:
1. Real, active threats
These are threats requiring immediate attention—ransomware campaigns actively circulating in a client’s industry, zero-day exploits being weaponized, or confirmed breaches at similar organizations. When an issue falls into this category, the MSP doesn’t wait. A phone call or text goes out, and mitigation steps are discussed in real time.
“This is the red-alert category,” he said. “There’s no sitting on this one. And sometimes, you do want your client to panic—this is where that urgency is justified.”
2. Possible threats
This middle tier covers vulnerabilities that have been identified but are not yet widely exploited, or attack techniques gaining momentum without clear evidence of immediate risk. Email communication is typically sufficient here—informative but measured. The goal is awareness without creating unnecessary alarm.
3. Emerging threats
The final bucket is a horizon scan: early discussions in the security community, newly discovered malware still under analysis, or geopolitical developments that could eventually drive new attacks. These are usually included as brief mentions in monthly reports rather than standalone alerts.
“The rest is just noise,” the MSP said. “When I frame things this way, clients can decide what matters to them, while I’m still keeping them informed and, most importantly, keeping their systems safe—that’s what they pay us for.”
Communicating risk without creating fear
Alan Heimlich, a San Jose–based attorney who specializes in cyber threats, says timing and method matter just as much as the message.
“MSPs often see a wide range of threats their customers aren’t aware of—new phishing techniques or emerging attack vectors, for example,” Heimlich told Smarter MSP. “These threats don’t always fully develop or become obvious until MSPs have had time to detect and assess them.”
As a result, clients may only become aware of threats once they escalate to a high level of severity.
That reality leaves MSPs with a critical challenge: how to share threat intelligence without alarming clients.
“The most effective approach is timely, transparent, and proactive communication,” Heimlich said. He recommends clearly showing clients how risks are being monitored and managed before they reach critical levels.
By pairing that communication with proactive readiness—such as patch management, regular updates, and employee security awareness training—MSPs can help clients feel informed and in control, rather than anxious. “That sense of ownership goes a long way toward reducing fear while strengthening security posture,” Heimlich added.
Photo: Who is Danny / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.