Identity-first security is a modern approach that treats identity as the new perimeter for cybersecurity. With users, devices and applications accessing resources from anywhere, the traditional network perimeter no longer suffices.
Instead, every access decision is based on verifying the identity, device health, user behavior and contextual risk factors, and continuously enforcing policies throughout the session. This approach is critical for MSPs because identity-based attacks now dominate cybercrime, with about 75% of breaches involving valid credentials rather than malware.
Common principles of identity-first security
Moving away from IP ranges or network zones requires a shift in strategy. The common principles of an identity-first security approach include:
- Identities as the perimeter: Instead of relying just on IP ranges or network zones, access is granted or denied based on the verified identity of users, devices and services and their current risk level.
- Strong, layered identity controls: Identity-first security strategies center on IAM, MFA, phishing-resistant authentication, privileged access management (PAM) and continuous monitoring of identity activity.
- Context-aware and continuous: Policies consider device health, location, behavior and sensitivity of the resource, and are enforced not only at login but throughout the session, revoking or stepping up authentication when conditions change.
Identity is the primary battleground
The stats are clear: identity-based attacks now dominate cybercrime.
Recent data shows that identity is now the primary battleground, not malware. CrowdStrike reporting indicates roughly three out of four attacks now rely on valid credentials rather than malicious code, meaning attackers are logging in instead of breaking in.
Statistics paint a concerning picture for MSPs and their clients:
- Phishing is everywhere: Nearly 70% of organizations reported phishing as the most common identity-based attack in 2024.
- Credential theft is rising: Credential breaches cause almost 80% of web application compromises.
- Malware is adapting: Infostealer malware, designed specifically to target credentials, surged by over 260% recently.
These figures highlight how attackers focus on stealing and abusing identities, making traditional password-only defenses ineffective.
Prioritizing identity-first security measures
To combat these threats, MSPs should prioritize identity-first security measures such as phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) using hardware security keys, challenge auth or certificate-based methods. These are much harder to bypass than SMS or app-based codes.
You should also consider the following controls:
- Conditional access: Policies based on user location, device compliance and risk signals ensure that access is granted only under safe conditions.
- Privileged access management (PAM): Implementing PAM with just-in-time admin access and strict controls on elevated accounts reduces the attack surface for lateral movement and admin takeover.
- Device trust and continuous session evaluation: These further protect against token theft and session hijacking.
- Password managers: Tools like Keeper or LastPass should be utilized to ensure strong, unique passwords are used for each account.
Demonstrating value to your clients
Packaging these core identity-first controls as standardized MSP offerings enables MSPs to clearly communicate the value of identity security. This helps clients understand how protecting identities reduces their biggest cyber risks and differentiates their offering from their competitors.
By adopting this strategy, MSPs can show measurable reductions in credential and session-based risk to their customers over time, thus demonstrating the value their service brings.
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