Technology service providers are on the front lines of cybersecurity, responsible for keeping their clients’ systems secure and operational. Yet, many still rely on reactive security strategies, addressing breaches only after they occur instead of prioritizing breach prevention.
To stay ahead of cyber threats, providers must shift from a reactive mindset to a proactive approach. The reality is that breach prevention alone isn’t enough, and responding after an attack won’t mitigate all risks. True cyber resilience comes from anticipating, identifying, and eliminating risks before they escalate—adopting a left of boom security strategy.
What Does Left of Boom Mean for MSPs?
In military and intelligence operations, “boom” signifies the moment of crisis—an attack, an explosion, or a security breach. Actions taken left of boom occur beforehand, aimed at breach prevention and risk mitigation. Right of boom represents the response, including incident recovery and damage control.
For MSPs, MSSPs, System Integrators and the like, this translates to cybersecurity strategies:
Right of Boom: Incident response, EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response), MDR (Managed Detection & Response), and disaster recovery—reacting after an attack.
Left of Boom: Attack surface management, misconfiguration detection, shadow IT discovery, and security hardening—proactively preventing breaches before they occur.
Most MSPs already focus on right of boom services, such as SIEM monitoring, ransomware mitigation, and forensic investigations. However, without a strong left of boom strategy, they remain trapped in a cycle of reacting to attacks rather than preventing breaches.
Proactive vs. Reactive: A Holistic Security Approach
The most effective MSP security strategies combine both proactive breach prevention and reactive incident response into a comprehensive approach.
Proactive (Left of Boom) – Breach Prevention Strategies
- Continuous asset discovery & attack surface monitoring
- Misconfiguration & policy drift detection
- Eliminating unused or unknown accounts
- Assessing third-party and SaaS security risks
- Reducing shadow IT exposure
Reactive (Right of Boom) – Incident Response
- EDR & MDR
- Incident response & forensics
- Backup & disaster recovery
- SIEM & SOC monitoring
- Ransomware remediation
By integrating breach prevention strategies with their existing security offerings, MSPs help clients reduce the likelihood of breaches rather than just managing their aftermath.
More Than Security—A Business Opportunity
A left of boom approach isn’t just about hardening defenses; it enhances compliance, service offerings, and revenue opportunities.
Stronger Compliance – Many security frameworks, such as CIS Critical Security Controls, NIST, and ISO 27001, mandate proactive security measures. MSPs that implement breach prevention controls help clients maintain compliance and avoid penalties.
Stronger Revenue Streams – Offering attack surface management, continuous vulnerability detection, and security posture assessments elevates an MSP’s role from IT provider to trusted cybersecurity partner.
Stronger Client Relationships – Clients expect their providers to prevent breaches, not just respond to them. By embracing left of boom strategies, you provide proactive protection, strengthening trust and customer loyalty.
The New Choice: Reactive or Resilient?
IT service providers have a decision to make. Will they continue reacting to breaches after they occur, or will they evolve into cybersecurity leaders focused on breach prevention?
Cybercriminals are already thinking left of boom—scanning for misconfigured systems, unpatched vulnerabilities, and weak security policies. If IT service providers don’t discover these security gaps first, attackers will.
The best defense isn’t just adding more security tools—it’s seeing the attack surface before hackers do.
Will your MSP wait for attackers to find the gaps, or will you find them first?
Ready to take a proactive approach to cybersecurity? Connect with Liongard today!