In this article, you will learn:
- Why email security is a major growth opportunity for MSPs serving SMBs
- How to implement DMARC authentication across your client base
- Practical steps for building layered email defenses that stop modern attacks
- Why security awareness training fails and how to fix it
- The monitoring and incident response capabilities that set top MSPs apart
Email is still the front door for attackers targeting small and midsized businesses — and it’s wide open. About 94% of malware still lands in inboxes despite the prevalence of secure email gateways and anti-phishing solutions. And business email compromise costs average victims $137,000 per incident.
Your clients know the threat is real. They’re counting on you to shut it down.
Data from 2025 shows the managed services market is on track to hit nearly $70 billion, with cybersecurity growing faster than any other category. At the heart of that growth is email security, now compounded by bad actors weaponizing AI for things like brand impersonation.
Steps MSPs Can Take for Stronger Email Security
Here are five ways to strengthen your offering and become the MSP your clients trust.
1. Implement DMARCAcrossYour Client Base
DMARC (domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance) stops attackers from spoofing your clients’ domains. Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo now require it for bulk senders. But its real value goes beyond compliance.
Without DMARC, criminals can send emails that look like they’re coming from your client’s CEO, finance team, or support address.
Only about 18% of the world’s top domains have valid DMARC records. Most of your clients are probably exposed right now.
What to Do
- Audit every client domain for existing DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records.
- Find all legitimate sending sources, like email marketing platforms, CRM systems, and helpdesk tools.
- Start DMARC in monitoring mode, then move to enforcement over 4-8 weeks.
- Offer managed DMARC as a recurring monthly service.
2. LayerDefensesBeyond Native Email Protection
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace include basic email security. But that alone is not enough.
Research shows native protection often misses BEC attacks because these messages don’t contain obvious malware or phishing links. They’re just well-crafted social engineering.
In 2025, an estimated 14% of BEC phishing emails were AI-generated, with over 51% of all spam email originating from AI. These attacks read like normal business communication and sail right past traditional filters.
What to Do
- Add a secure email gateway for spam filtering and malware scanning.
- Implement post-delivery protection that removes threats discovered after emails land in inboxes.
- Deploy URL and attachment sandboxing to catch time-delayed attacks.
- Add brand impersonation detection to spot lookalike domain attacks.
3. Make Security Awareness Training Actually Work
Traditional compliance training doesn’t change behavior. People sit through a video, pass a quiz, and forget everything within a week.
In fact, 74% of security breaches still involve human error.
Rahul Powar
What to Do
- Run continuous training with monthly touchpoints instead of annual sessions.
- Deploy regular phishing simulations so people build recognition muscle memory.
- Give immediate feedback when someone clicks on a simulated attack.
- Track click rates and report rates to show improvement over time.
- Recognize employees who report suspicious emails to reinforce good habits.
4. Build Incident Response Capabilities
You won’t prevent every attack. A client likely will face an incident. So, you need to be ready.
What to Do
- Create documented playbooks for common incidents, such as account compromise, BEC payment fraud, and malware delivery.
- Define response time commitments and communication procedures before anything happens.
- Run quarterly tabletop exercises to find gaps in your procedures.
- Consider SOC partnerships for 24/7 coverage if you can’t staff it internally.
- Build relationships with specialized incident response firms for major breaches.
5. Set up Continuous Monitoring
Security degrades over time. Configurations drift. New sending services get added without proper authentication. Threats change.
Without continuous monitoring, today’s protection becomes tomorrow’s gap.
What to Do
- Check DMARC, SPF, and DKIM health across all client domains weekly.
- Track threat intelligence relevant to your clients’ industries.
- Build unified reporting that answers three questions for clients:
- Are we protected?
- What threats did we face?
- What should we do next?
- Use security posture data to show value during quarterly business reviews.
The Bottom line
Email security is one of the strongest growth plays in the MSP market. Every client needs it. Most businesses aren’t protected nearly well enough, and the cost of failure is high enough that they’ll pay for true expertise.
Start with DMARC. It’s the foundation for everything else. Next, layer in the right protections based on your clients’ risks and your capabilities.
As an MSP, build real email security muscle now. As a result, your clients will stick with for years.
FAQs
Q: How long does DMARC implementation take?
Most implementations take 16 weeks or more from audit to full enforcement. The timeline depends on how many sending services the client uses and how quickly you can configure authentication for each one. That said, leading providers offer DMARC enforcement in as little as 6-8 weeks.
Q: What’s the minimum email security stack an MSP should offer?
Start with a secure email gateway, DMARC enforcement, and basic security awareness training. Add advanced threat protection and brand impersonation detection based on client risk and budget.
Q: How do I convince clients that native Microsoft 365 security isn’t enough?
Lead with data. BEC attacks slip past native protection all the time. Offer a free assessment showing what’s actually reaching their inboxes despite existing filters. Microsoft does not provide a native first-party DMARC solution. However, it can recommend a few that are part of their Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA).
Q: How do I handle a client hit by a BEC attack?
First, contact the client’s financial institution to recall any fraudulent transfers. Within 24 hours, preserve evidence, figure out the scope, secure affected accounts, and put more controls in place. Report to FBI IC3 regardless of whether you recover funds.
Q: How often should I review client email configurations?
Monthly at a minimum. Automated monitoring catches many issues, but periodic manual review makes sure nothing slips through as clients add new services or switch providers.
Q: What certifications help with email security services?
Your technical staff should understand email authentication protocols and common attack techniques. Vendor certifications from your primary security tools add credibility. For incident response, GIAC or CompTIA Security+ show clients your team knows what they’re doing.
Rahul Powar is CEO and founder of Red Sift, a cybersecurity company making the internet fundamentally safer. Trusted by 1,200-plus teams worldwide, Red Sift makes it simple to deploy proactive security across email, web, and PKI.
Featured image: InfiniteFlow — stock.adobe.com
