Gartner outlined several trends that will shape cybersecurity strategies between now and 2026, many of which are highly relevant for MSSPs and security leaders: 1. **Privacy regulations will expand quickly (through 2023)** - Government regulations that grant consumer privacy rights will cover **5 billion citizens** and more than **70% of global GDP**. - Organizations will need to manage and report on subject rights requests more efficiently (e.g., tracking **cost per request** and **time to fulfill**). 2. **Security Service Edge (SSE) will become mainstream (by 2025)** - **80% of organizations** are expected to adopt a strategy to unify web, cloud services, and private application access through a **single vendor’s SSE platform**. - This is driven by the hybrid workforce and data being accessible from almost anywhere. 3. **Zero Trust will be widely adopted, but not always effective (by 2025)** - **60% of organizations** will embrace **Zero Trust** as a starting point for security. - More than **half of those organizations will fail** to realize the full benefits because Zero Trust requires not just technology changes, but a cultural shift and clear communication tied to business outcomes. 4. **Third-party cyber risk will become a core business factor (by 2025)** - **60% of organizations** will use **cybersecurity risk as a primary factor** in third-party transactions and business engagements. - This reflects growing concern about attacks that originate from partners, suppliers, and other external parties. 5. **Ransomware will be increasingly regulated (through 2025)** - **30% of nation states** will pass laws that regulate **ransomware payments, fines, and negotiations**, up from **less than 1% in 2021**. - Paying ransom is seen as a **business decision**, not just a security decision, and organizations are encouraged to involve incident response teams, law enforcement, and regulators. 6. **Operational technology (OT) attacks will have real-world impact (by 2025)** - Threat actors are expected to **weaponize OT environments** in ways that cause **human casualties**. - Security leaders are urged to focus not only on data protection, but also on **safety and environmental impact**. 7. **Organizational resilience will become a CEO mandate (by 2025)** - **70% of CEOs** will require a **culture of organizational resilience** to handle overlapping threats such as cybercrime, severe weather, civil unrest, and political instability. - Traditional business continuity planning has shown limits, especially during COVID-19, so resilience needs to be reimagined as a strategic capability. 8. **Executive accountability for cyber risk will increase (by 2026)** - **50% of C-level executives** will have **risk-related performance requirements** written into their employment contracts. - Cybersecurity is being treated more as a **business risk** than a purely technical IT issue, shifting accountability from security teams to senior business leaders. For MSSPs, these predictions signal growing demand for services around privacy compliance, SSE implementation, Zero Trust enablement, third-party risk monitoring, ransomware response, OT security, and resilience planning.

Gartner’s predictions point to a shift in what clients will expect from MSSPs over the next few years. MSSPs will need to rethink and expand their offerings in several areas: 1. **Privacy and data rights support** - With privacy regulations projected to cover **5 billion people** and **70%+ of global GDP**, clients will need help operationalizing privacy. - MSSPs can add value by: - Monitoring and reporting on **subject rights request metrics** (e.g., cost per request, time to fulfill). - Integrating privacy controls into security operations and incident response. 2. **SSE and secure access for hybrid workforces** - As **80% of organizations** move toward a **single-vendor SSE platform** by 2025, MSSPs should: - Help clients **evaluate, deploy, and manage SSE platforms** that unify web, cloud, and private app access. - Provide ongoing **policy management, monitoring, and tuning** for hybrid and remote work scenarios. 3. **Zero Trust as a managed journey, not a one-time project** - With **60% of organizations** adopting Zero Trust but more than half failing to realize its benefits, MSSPs can: - Offer **Zero Trust assessments and roadmaps** tied to business outcomes. - Manage identity, access, and context-aware policies as ongoing services. - Support the **cultural and communication aspects** by providing clear reporting and education for stakeholders. 4. **Third-party and supply chain risk monitoring** - As **60% of organizations** use cybersecurity risk as a primary factor in third-party engagements, MSSPs can: - Provide **continuous third-party risk monitoring** and scoring. - Integrate third-party risk into **SIEM/SOC workflows** and executive reporting. - Help clients build policies that make cyber risk a standard part of vendor selection and contract management. 5. **Ransomware readiness and compliant response** - With **30% of nation states** expected to regulate ransomware payments and negotiations: - MSSPs should offer **ransomware readiness assessments**, backup and recovery validation, and tabletop exercises. - Build playbooks that include **coordination with incident response partners, law enforcement, and regulators**. - Provide guidance that frames ransomware as a **business-level decision** supported by technical insight. 6. **Operational technology (OT) security and safety** - As OT attacks increasingly threaten **physical safety and the environment**, MSSPs can: - Extend monitoring and incident response to **OT environments**, not just IT. - Partner with OT specialists to understand **industrial processes and safety implications**. - Help clients prioritize controls that reduce the risk of **human and environmental harm**. 7. **Resilience and executive-level reporting** - With **70% of CEOs** expected to mandate organizational resilience and **50% of C-level executives** having risk-related performance metrics: - MSSPs should provide **business-focused dashboards and reports** that link security posture to resilience and risk. - Align services with **business continuity and crisis management** functions, not just IT. - Help clients reimagine resilience as a cross-functional capability that includes staff, stakeholders, customers, and suppliers. In short, MSSPs that move beyond traditional monitoring and incident response to include privacy, SSE, Zero Trust, third-party risk, ransomware governance, OT safety, and resilience consulting will be better positioned to support clients in line with Gartner’s outlook.

Based on Gartner’s outlook, security and risk leaders can focus on a set of practical priorities to prepare their organizations for the next few years: 1. **Embed privacy into operations** - Assume that privacy regulations will apply to your organization as coverage expands to **5 billion citizens** and **70% of global GDP**. - Start tracking **subject rights request metrics** (volume, cost per request, time to fulfill) to identify where automation and process improvements are needed. 2. **Plan for a unified access and security model (SSE)** - Evaluate how you will move toward a **single-vendor SSE platform** in line with the trend that **80% of organizations** will do so by 2025. - Prioritize consistent security controls across **web, cloud services, and private applications**, especially for hybrid and remote workers. 3. **Treat Zero Trust as a cultural and strategic shift** - Recognize that **60% of organizations** will adopt Zero Trust, but more than half will not see the full benefits. - Define Zero Trust as both a **security principle and an organizational vision**: - Replace implicit trust with **identity- and context-based, risk-appropriate access**. - Communicate clearly with business leaders about goals, milestones, and expected outcomes. 4. **Integrate third-party cyber risk into business decisions** - Prepare for a world where **60% of organizations** use cybersecurity risk as a **primary factor** in third-party transactions. - Build or enhance processes to: - Assess and monitor third-party cyber risk in near real time. - Make cyber risk a standard input into **procurement, legal, and vendor management** decisions. 5. **Develop a structured ransomware response approach** - Anticipate that **30% of nation states** will regulate **ransomware payments and negotiations**. - Clarify that paying ransom is a **business-level decision** supported by security input. - Establish playbooks that include: - Engagement with **professional incident response teams**. - Coordination with **law enforcement and relevant regulators**. - Communication plans for executives and the board. 6. **Expand focus to operational technology and safety** - Recognize that by 2025, threat actors are expected to **weaponize OT environments** in ways that can cause **human casualties**. - Work with operations and safety teams to: - Identify critical OT assets and processes. - Implement monitoring, segmentation, and incident response tailored to OT. - Prioritize controls that reduce **real-world hazards** to people and the environment. 7. **Build a culture of organizational resilience** - Align with the expectation that **70% of CEOs** will mandate a **resilience-focused culture** to handle cybercrime, severe weather, civil unrest, and political instability. - Move beyond traditional business continuity plans by: - Integrating cyber, physical, and operational risk scenarios. - Engaging staff, stakeholders, customers, and suppliers in resilience planning and exercises. 8. **Prepare executives for formal risk accountability** - Anticipate that by 2026, **50% of C-level executives** will have **risk-related performance requirements** in their contracts. - Provide executives with **clear, business-oriented risk reporting** so they can make informed decisions and meet their obligations. - Position cybersecurity as a **core business risk** and ensure that ownership is shared across the leadership team, not isolated within IT. By prioritizing these areas, security and risk leaders can reimagine their programs to better align with emerging regulations, evolving threats, and growing executive accountability.