While two-factor authentication (2FA) added a much-needed layer of security beyond just a password, it still leaves room for vulnerabilities. That’s where three-factor authentication (3FA) steps in.

3FA is changing the game for IT teams by taking security a step further. It combines three layers of identity verification to make unauthorized access almost impossible! 😎

Read along to understand what 3FA is, how it works, and why it matters for SMEs like yours.

Understanding Authentication Factors

Authentication revolves around verifying that the person accessing a system is indeed who they claim to be.

This verification relies on three primary factors:

1. Knowledge factor (what you know): This includes passwords, PINs, or answers to security questions, where the user provides information that only they know. While this is the oldest form of authentication, it is also the most vulnerable to breaches.

2. Possession factor (what you have): This involves physical items such as a security key, authenticator app, or a TOTP (time-based, one-time password) sent to a registered device. The idea is that the person trying to gain access has possession of something unique.

3. Inheritance factor (what you are): Biometric authentication like facial recognition, fingerprints, or iris scans fall under this category. These methods leverage physical characteristics that are unique to the individual and difficult to replicate.

3FA leverages all three factors simultaneously to verify identity, making it exponentially harder for cybercriminals to bypass security protocols. ✌️

What Is 3-Factor Authentication?

As 3FA combines all three factors — knowledge, possession, and inheritance, it creates the most secure form of authentication available today.

While 2FA relies on just two of these factors (often knowledge and possession), 3FA adds another layer of assurance by requiring the user to authenticate with their unique biometric data as well.

For instance, when accessing a corporate system, a user might need to:

1. Enter their password (knowledge factor).
2. Verify their identity with a security key or authenticator app (possession factor).
3. Complete the process with facial recognition or a fingerprint scan (inheritance factor).

This additional layer ensures that even if two factors are compromised — say, someone steals your password and security key — they still can’t gain access without your biometric information.

Benefits of 3-Factor Authentication

With cybersecurity threats constantly evolving, SMEs often lack the robust security measures of larger organizations, making them prime targets for hackers. This is why 3FA is worth considering 👇

Stronger Security

By requiring three independent layers of verification, 3FA makes it incredibly hard for attackers to breach your systems.

Even if a hacker gets hold of a password and a stolen security key, they’ll still need biometric data, which is much harder to fake.

Regulatory Compliance

Many industries have strict data protection regulations, like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS. Implementing 3FA can help SMEs meet these requirements and avoid hefty fines.

Increased Trust

Whether it’s your employees, customers, or partners, people want to know that their data is safe. Using 3FA demonstrates a commitment to security, boosting confidence in your organization.

Future-Proofing

3FA positions your business as ready for the next wave of cybersecurity challenges, reducing potential liabilities!

Let’s now look at how 3FA actually works and its best use cases.

How 3FA Works in Real Life

Paint a picture of an IT manager logging into their system containing sensitive customer data. The 3FA process typically looks like this:

1. The manager types in their password.
2. They plug in their security key or open their authenticator app to generate a one-time code.
3. They finish the login process by scanning their fingerprint or using facial recognition.

Each step verifies a different aspect of their identity, creating a nearly foolproof barrier against unauthorized access.

3FA is especially effective in scenarios where the stakes are high, such as:

• High-security systems: Protecting sensitive business data and intellectual property from cyberattacks.

• Large financial transactions: Adding an extra layer of assurance for payments or account changes above a certain threshold.

• Remote work: Ensuring employees accessing systems remotely are thoroughly authenticated.

Challenges of 3FA (and How to Overcome Them)

While 3FA offers top-notch security, it’s not without its challenges:

1. Usability: Adding a third authentication step can feel tedious for users but the solution for this is to invest in tools, like facial recognition or security keys, that streamline the process without compromising security.

2. Cost: For tools like biometric scanners or secure hardware tokens, implementing 3FA requires a financial investment. This might feel daunting, but the long-term benefits of avoiding breaches and building trust are worth the cost! 🙌

3. Technology compatibility: As not all systems and devices support 3FA out of the box, SMEs need to assess their infrastructure and make upgrades wherever necessary.

This generally involves evaluating both software compatibility and hardware capabilities to ensure a smooth implementation.

The Future of Authentication Is Passwordless

Since passwords are easy to forget, easy to steal, and often reused across accounts, they are quickly becoming outdated. So, what’s next?

Passwordless authentication is the next big thing, and it pairs well with 3FA.

Emerging technologies like advanced biometric authentication and behavioral analytics are further changing the IT game. For instance, some systems are able to analyze how you type or move your mouse to verify your identity.

While 3FA is the gold standard today, the future of authentication promises even more seamless and secure options.

How to Implement 3FA in Your SaaS

To successfully adopt 3FA, make sure you:

• Evaluate current security protocols: Identify vulnerabilities and assess whether current systems support multi-factor authentication (MFA).

• Invest in advanced tools: Acquire the necessary tools such as security keys, biometric devices, and authenticator apps.

• Train employees: Educate employees on the importance of 3FA and provide step-by-step guidance on using authentication tools effectively.

• Monitor and optimize: Continuously review authentication logs and update systems to ensure ongoing protection against emerging threats.

JumpCloud streamlines this process by integrating MFA and other advanced security measures into a single, scalable solution. ⚡

Enhance Security with JumpCloud’s 3FA

With the rise in cybersecurity threats, SME IT teams need solutions that go beyond the basics and 3FA is one such advanced solution.

If you’re looking to strengthen your IT security and keep breaches at bay, adopting 3FA is a must. JumpCloud makes it simpler than ever by seamlessly integrating advanced authentication methods, including 3FA, into your existing workflows.

What’s more, with JumpCloud you can enhance security, ensure compliance, and build trust across your organization without sacrificing usability! Start a self-guided demo to see how.

Understanding the 2025 PCI 4.01 Update

In a move to strengthen payment card data security and align with global standards, the PCI Security Standards Council introduced PCI DSS 4.0.1. This update is not a complete overhaul but rather a refinement of PCI DSS 4.0, addressing feedback from stakeholders and clarifying several requirements that may have caused confusion.

Key clarifications include:

• Client-Side Security Requirements: The new update clarifies that while merchants are responsible for scripts running on their own pages, those running on PSP/TPSP iframes fall under the vendor’s responsibility. This ensures a clear division of duties, minimizing the risk of oversight.
• HTTP Headers and Scripts: Requirement 11.6.1 highlights the emphasis on systems impacting security, focusing on risks rather than broad protection for any HTTP header and script incidents.

The High Stakes of Non-Compliance

Failing to meet the guidelines within the stipulated timelines—by March 31, 2025—leaves your clients exposed to non-compliance risks, such as data breaches and hefty fines. It’s not just about ticking boxes; it’s about safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining client trust.

The most pressing challenge is ensuring that your clients understand their responsibilities and the potential repercussions of non-compliance. This includes navigating the complexities around script management and the new DMARC requirements, a critical measure to authenticate emails and prevent phishing attacks.

How MSPs Can Navigate the Compliance Landscape

1. Educate and Empower Your Clients

Start by educating your clients on the implications of PCI DSS 4.0.1. Break down the requirements into actionable steps and ensure they understand their responsibilities, particularly in managing scripts and HTTP headers. By providing them with knowledge, you strengthen their defenses against potential threats.

2. Leverage JumpCloud for Streamlined Compliance

JumpCloud offers a seamless way to align with many PCI DSS requirements. Its features, such as Zero Trust security, provide a strong baseline for compliance, making adherence to PCI standards less burdensome.

With JumpCloud, you can control which traffic accesses your clients’ sensitive data environments. You can set rules to deny all access unless users are part of a specific group, meeting PCI Requirement 1.3.

3. Proactively Monitor and Adapt

Begin by auditing your client environments now. Monitor their adherence to the updated requirements and offer solutions to address potential gaps. Being proactive positions you as a trusted advisor rather than a reactive technician.

PCI DSS 4.01 Is an Opportunity for Leadership

The 2025 PCI 4.01 update is not just a regulatory hurdle—it’s a chance for MSPs to demonstrate leadership. By guiding your clients through compliance changes, you’re not only safeguarding their businesses but also positioning yourself as a key player in their success.

Familiarize yourself with JumpCloud’s offerings and see how it can seamlessly integrate with your compliance strategies. Your role as an MSP is more critical than ever, and the right tools can elevate your impact. Learn more about JumpCloud for MSPs and check out our MSP Quickstart Compliance Guide for additional compliance resources with valuable insights and actionable tips.

So many organizations these days just don’t need (or can’t financially justify) an investment in in-house IT departments managing services, devices, and security threats. But you also can’t function today as a business or organization without some technical expertise; the IT environment is complex and always changing. MSPs provide expert support with the ability to quickly scale, adapt, and respond to evolving compliance, cybersecurity needs, user demands, and technology.

Overview of Managed Service Provider Market

The current IT landscape requires expertise in an expanding range of services, and very few smaller organizations have the resources or personnel to handle it effectively. While size is not the only factor that determines use, it generally holds true that the smaller your organization is, the more likely it is to engage with an MSP to handle services you would otherwise be unable (or even unwise) to provide in house.

By outsourcing tasks like cloud and SaaS management, device and user controls, compliance, and security services to an MSP, businesses get the benefit of specialized knowledge, skills, and automated technology that can help fill in their tech gaps and maximize their IT spend.

Definition and Role of MSPs

Managed service providers act like an extension of an IT team — but there’s a big difference in how they operate. While traditional IT services are reactive, responding to user or network issues as they’re notified of them, MSPs are proactive with a focus on preventing issues from happening in the first place.

MSPs provide active network monitoring, data center and services management, security solutions, and keep up to date with the latest compliance regulations. With an MSP, your IT department will gain a lot more flexibility, reduced downtime, and confidence knowing that operations will run smoothly.

Importance of MSPs in Today’s Business Landscape

MSPs are becoming increasingly critical across all industries for organizations of all sizes. Large organizations with complex compliance and security needs like finance and healthcare benefit from an MSP’s active monitoring, advanced cybersecurity, and ability to adapt quickly to new regulations. Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can take advantage of top-tier IT services and support without the expense of hiring an in-house team.

As the working world continues migrating to the cloud, MSPs ensure that the transition is secure and provides more efficient technology solutions moving forward.

Key Market Statistics and Figures

Recent surveys show that use of MSPs is growing, with security at the top of the list for many organizations.

• Almost 90% of SMBs currently use an MSP to handle some of their IT needs or are considering it.
• 78% of organizations view MSPs as a solution for Internet of Things (IoT) management.
• Roughly 60% of large organizations across the globe use MSPs to streamline IT and cloud services.
• 60% of respondents said cybersecurity was the top challenge, which led them to partner with an MSP.
• 48% cited device management and migration to remote work as areas MSPs could handle better than traditional IT.

Managed Services Market and Growth Trends

The use of MSPs is growing due to cost benefits, more predictable budgeting, and scalability. The latest trends in technology are mirrored in the managed services market, with cybersecurity, AI tools, and cloud services leading the way.

Global Market Size and Projected Growth

The MSP market is growing in 2024 and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The market is expected to reach almost $350 billion globally by the end of the year and soar to over $1 trillion by 2033, at a CAGR of 12.9%.

Key Trends Driving Market Expansion

Security, adoption of cloud technologies, and automation are areas where MSPs excel over traditional IT departments.

MSPs enhance security through continuous network and data monitoring, password management and passwordless login technologies, device management, and improved compliance. Many MSPs provide advanced data backup and disaster recovery solutions that significantly shorten recovery time in the event of a breach.

MSPs utilize automation to streamline operations and manage resources better. They make repetitive tasks more efficient and remove the risk of human error that can lead to security holes or extended outages.

With cloud operations expanding and many organizations relying on multi-cloud environments, MSPs consolidate management and provide infrastructure to deploy multiple services efficiently.

Regional Market Analysis and Differences

These are the key statistics as organizations implement MSPs across the globe:

• With the U.S. driving demand, North America makes up the largest share of the MSP market, expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% by 2033.
• Europe is the second-largest region, with a CAGR of 12.5% by 2030.
• Asia is the fastest growing region for MSPs.

Economic Impact of MSPs

Most organizations using MSPs feel a major economic impact.

MSPs increase productivity by making IT operations more efficient and secure, allowing businesses to apply funds that would be spent on internal IT teams to other needs. Advanced single sign-on (SSO) and device management technologies improve the experience for all users and make it more likely that protocols will be followed.

The advanced cybersecurity features of MSPs prevent breaches and can potentially save millions in legal fees, fines, and ransoms.

Cost Savings and Efficiency Improvements

By teaming up with an MSP, organizations can contract for the specific services they need rather than having to hire, build, and train an entire in-house IT team. With technology and compliance changing faster than ever, the use of an MSP makes it much easier to keep up, without the cost of additional personnel or certifications.

The tools used by MSPs are leveraged across their client base, making it more cost-effective to develop advanced technology that makes systems more efficient and secure.

Research shows that organizations using MSPs experienced significant savings.

• Organizations that contract MSPs can reduce overall IT costs by 20-30%.
• MSPs increase productivity by 15-25% through improved efficiency and reduced downtime.
• MSPs reduce the risk of cyberattacks by up to 50%.

Revenue Generation Areas for MSPs

MSPs create value by providing advanced technology solutions for business.

Many of the services they provide wouldn’t be financially or logistically feasible with an in-house IT team. With highly trained specialists dedicated to areas like network and user management, cloud services, data protection, and cybersecurity MSPs can devote more time and resources to developing technology that makes online environments more productive and secure.

Because MSPs work at scale they can partner with a wide variety of clients, opening up revenue streams to build and maintain their own services more efficiently than any individual in-house IT team.

Comparison of In-House IT vs. Managed Services

In-house IT teams and MSPs vary in a few key ways. By understanding the differences, you can see how to leverage both to get the most out of your IT services.

In-house IT teams tend to be better at daily operational tasks and supporting unique environments and requests. They can be faster to respond to some issues that are specific to the organization, but overall their response times are slower to systematic issues like breaches or misconfigurations. Generally, they’re also slower to adapt to emerging cyberthreats and compliance changes. Some of the biggest challenges in-house IT departments face are scaling, budgets, and skills shortages.

MSPs excel when it comes to security and scalability. Technologies like continuous monitoring save on salaries and unexpected costs like breaches or compliance management. They can also detect and manage misconfigurations faster. All of this reduces downtime and leads to faster fixes, for a more secure and productive work environment. Most MSPs offer flexible payment structures so that organizations can take advantage of advanced services without breaking their budgets. While MSPs do provide a lot of economic advantages, it can be more challenging for them to handle one-off projects or unique requests.

Market Segmentation and Services Offered

Some MSPs specialize in a specific service, while some offer a full range of combined services. Some MSPs offer a suite of services in a customized package to address specific client needs like compliance, network management, or device management.

Breakdown by Service Type

There are three main services that MSPs provide. Managed network services (MNS) focus on maintenance and management of network systems and hardware, as well as providing IT support to keep technology current and services operating steadily. Managed cloud services (MCS) manage and optimize cloud services, which could include user management and security, deployment, and unification. Managed security services (MSS) detect threats, manage firewalls, and handle endpoint security and data encryption. They also make sure systems are compliant with the latest regulations and privacy laws. Managed security is currently the most in-demand service due to increasing threats in the cybersecurity space.

Deployment Models: On-Premises vs. Cloud

When working with an MSP, you’ll need to know the best way to deploy services for your organization.

On-premises solutions give your organization the most control over your IT infrastructure. With this approach, sensitive data is stored and managed on-site at the company. This can be a great model for organizations that have strict security and compliance needs. However, on-premises deployment can take a lot of investment and can be costlier to update and maintain.

Cloud deployment is extremely flexible and scalable, providing your organization with a much greater degree of adaptability at a lower cost. Cloud providers host data and services remotely, which reduces the need for in-house staff, hardware, and maintenance. Some organizations might be hesitant to use cloud deployment due to their security needs.

For some organizations, hybrid models are the most effective model of deployment. In a hybrid environment, sensitive data is administered on-site, while less critical functions like SaaS management are handled by the MSP remotely. Though hybrids can provide the best of both worlds, they’re more complex to manage and require specialized IT skills.

Industry-Specific Solutions and Verticals Served

There are MSPs for every type of organization. Fields like finance, government, and healthcare benefit from MSPs that focus on cybersecurity, compliance, automation, and monitoring. Retail and manufacturing use MSPs to optimize supply chain management, IoT integration, and analytics.

Future Outlook for Managed Service Providers

MSPs will continue to play a major part in IT moving forward. As technology evolves, regulators issue new laws to protect consumers, and cybercriminals deploy AI and advanced tools, MSPs will be critical to ensuring organizations maintain their systems and data. MSPs will develop new ways to maximize efficiency and safety that influence IT protocols across the industry — and to do that they’ll also need to find new ways to support their own business.

Emerging Trends and Technologies

MSPs have already started to expand into new technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT to enhance the services they provide.

AI automates processes that help tighten security by detecting threats faster and making fixes more effectively. MSPs also improve predictive analytics to identify issues earlier and reduce downtime.

MSPs are exploring blockchain technologies to enhance cybersecurity and data integrity. Using decentralized technology like blockchain can make networks more secure against attacks by eliminating single breach points.

MSPs help integrate IoT devices across existing networks, and are using AI to find new ways to manage and analyze the data created by the influx of devices.

Now that hybrid and remote work models are the new normal, MSPs will need to keep building new tools that support remote environments. Cloud integration, unification, Zero Trust frameworks, and device management are all areas we can expect to see continued advances. Shadow IT is becoming a persistent threat and is often difficult for in-house teams to get in check.

Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a new development that uses intelligent software to bring storage, computing, and networking together under one umbrella and replaces legacy data management systems.

Challenges and Opportunities in the MSP Market

While MSPs continue to grow rapidly, there are a few challenges on the road ahead. As the market grows, the field will get more crowded with new players. This will create more competition among MSPs but could drive further innovations, but it also means MSPs will need to increase marketing efforts to stand out.

With cybercriminals using new technologies MSPs need to move fast to stay ahead of emerging threats to their clients and their own networks. Investing in cyberinsurance, new security tools, and hiring experts could drive up costs for MSPs.

Supplying new technologies like AI and blockchain will also require more investment and resources from MSPs. But with both SMBs and large organizations facing many of these same challenges, plenty of opportunities remain for MSPs to take on the increasingly complex tasks that other organizations can’t handle. As MSPs bring on additional clients, managing all of them together could pose its own challenge.

Strategic Recommendations for MSPs

If you’re an MSP, it’s all about filling in the technology gaps that other organizations don’t have the time or the resources for.

Identifying industry needs hones focus on the areas organizations are concerned about taking on. Cybersecurity is a huge concern for organizations across the board right now, and many are counting on MSPs to provide a solution. Monitoring and automation technologies are areas that can give businesses a big boost in efficiency. Migration to cloud services is an area that creates a lot of challenges for in-house IT teams.

MSPs can build stronger relationships with clients by providing solutions to the problems traditional IT can’t deal with effectively.

By partnering with cloud-based platforms or other providers, MSPs can expand their services and streamline their own operations to provide cost-friendly options for all of their clients.

By keeping current to take advantage of trends and staying ahead of emerging cyberthreats, MSPs will continue to be a valued component of every organization’s IT infrastructure.

Learn More About JumpCloud for MSPs

See how JumpCloud for MSPs enables you to give your customers a seamless, secure IT experience from a single open directory platform.