GUIDE
Executive summary
MSPs are no longer just support partners. Increasingly, they’re being asked to shoulder responsibility for their clients’ cybersecurity and compliance posture.
Whether managing Microsoft 365 (M365) tenants, endpoint security, or hybrid identity, MSPs face higher expectations and more scrutiny than ever. Insurance providers, compliance auditors, and clients themselves want evidence that appropriate controls are in place, and that they’re being followed.
This whitepaper outlines how adopting a CIS-aligned approach to configuration management helps MSPs meet those expectations without unnecessary complexity. With Nerdio Manager for MSP, service providers can implement standardized security controls across tenants, automate enforcement, and maintain visibility across their managed environments. These capabilities reduce risk, ease compliance conversations, and offer new opportunities to differentiate in a competitive market.
The cost of scattered security
It’s easy to understand how tool sprawl happens. Over time, many MSPs accumulate a wide variety of third-party tools, each designed to solve a specific problem or address a particular client request. It starts with the best intentions—a password manager here, a backup tool there—but quickly snowballs.
Soon, you’re managing inconsistent configurations across dozens of tenants. Some users have MFA enabled and others don’t. Security policies vary from one client to the next, and you’re juggling different interpretations of what “secure” even means.
This lack of consistency isn’t just frustrating—it’s dangerous. Misconfigurations are one of the most common root causes of breaches, and environments that drift away from their intended state are more likely to miss critical updates, fail Microsoft Secure Score evaluations, or fall short in compliance checks. The more unique each tenant becomes, the harder it is to maintain visibility, enforce policies, or even spot when something is wrong.
Rather than react to each compliance requirement or security event on a case-by-case basis, MSPs need a better foundation—one that brings order to the chaos and puts consistent security within reach. That’s where the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks come in.
Building a better baseline with CIS
CIS Benchmarks are actionable, vetted security best practices developed by a global community of cybersecurity experts. They’re regularly updated to reflect the latest threats and are concrete, tested standards.
For MSPs, adopting CIS Benchmarks creates a consistent, repeatable security baseline aligned with industry standards. This framework can be rolled out across clients and environments, replacing ad hoc policies with intentional structure.
When MSPs implement CIS policies effectively, they ensure foundational controls: Only trusted applications run, devices meet compliance requirements, privileged access stays tightly managed, and logs are collected in investigative-ready formats. By aligning with CIS’ security controls, MSPs make meaningful progress in improving their Secure Score metrics, which they must maintain to keep their Microsoft partnerships and resale agreements.
These checkpoints build client trust. CIS-aligned policies help demystify your security posture, especially for clients in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, legal, and government sectors where compliance is mandatory.
Cyber insurers are also taking note. CIS alignment increasingly influences coverage eligibility and rates. A documented, enforceable, and auditable CIS-based approach addresses insurer concerns around access controls, configuration management, and recovery.
How Nerdio Manager makes it practical
Even with strong frameworks, consistent execution is where many MSPs struggle. Nerdio Manager fills that gap with practical, purpose-built features for the real-world challenges MSPs face daily. With Nerdio Manager, enforcing CIS Baselines becomes part of your routine operations. CIS Hardened Images can be deployed and updated across clients without manual reconfiguration. You can detect and fix configuration and policy drift as it happens and clearly demonstrate results to clients.
Built-in reporting and alerts surface issues early, while automation streamlines deployment and remediation and frees your team to focus on strategic work instead of repetitive tasks.
This proactive approach saves time and builds trust. You’re helping clients stay secure and compliant over time, strengthening long-term relationships. If something goes wrong, Nerdio’s one-click backup and recovery minimizes downtime and stress. Plus, it boosts the ROI of tools like Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Defender by simplifying configuration, monitoring, and enforcement—without needing to context switch between individual tenants or onboard another costly third-party platform.
In short, Nerdio Manager turns best practices into standard practices. It simplifies complexity, maximizes your existing investments, and helps deliver the security outcomes clients expect.
From chaos to clarity
Security is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing process that requires vigilance, adaptation, and clarity. The MSPs who succeed in this area are not necessarily the ones with the largest tool stack, but the ones with a clear plan, consistent execution, and confidence in their ability to demonstrate results.
CIS alignment gives you that plan. Nerdio Manager gives you the tools to execute it. It’s a powerful combination—one that turns reactive firefighting into proactive strategy.
Instead of explaining away one-off exceptions, you can show how policies are enforced and why they matter. Instead of managing a patchwork of configurations, you can deploy guardrails that apply across clients and scale with your business. Instead of waiting for an audit or breach to reveal a gap, you can surface issues early and fix them fast.
Ultimately, this approach changes the conversation. Rather than focusing on tools or troubleshooting, you can focus on outcomes. Predictable protection. Measurable compliance. Peace of mind. In an increasingly noisy market, that’s what stands out.
Ready to take the next step?
Whether you’re trying to improve Secure Score across your tenants, meet insurance requirements, or strengthen your overall cybersecurity posture, Nerdio Manager makes it easier to align with best practices and scale your security efforts.
Book time with a Nerdio expert to see how CIS-aligned enforcement, automated policy management, and security-focused efficiency can help you strengthen client relationships and scale your services with confidence.