I was at a security event last week, hanging out with some of the big brains in the MSP space. You know the type: sharp, seasoned, and absolutely certain they’ve got it all figured out.

One MSP owner—a regional player with 200 employees—told me, “We’ve got it dialed in. Full compliance team. HIPAA. PCI. FTC Safeguards. We’re good.” So I asked him a few questions. And just like that, the lights flickered on.

“Custom Homes” Built Out of Toothpicks

Turns out, they were doing what a lot of MSPs are doing right now:

  • Technical controls? Solid.
  • Administrative controls? MIA.
  • Policies? Detached from reality.
  • Training? Optional suggestion.

They were building custom compliance programs for each client, directly off the standard. No frameworks. No repeatable structure. Just a technician, a checklist, and a whole lot of duct tape. It’s like trying to build a luxury skyscraper on a Jenga tower. Sure, it looks cool—until the HVAC tech sneezes and the whole thing comes down.

The Hidden Cost of Compliance Theater

Here’s the real kicker. They were doing all this work—burning hours, dragging techs into the weeds, racking up costs—and for what? To check boxes. To make compliance look good, not be good. To give the illusion of security without actually protecting anything. And their clients? Totally disengaged.

When compliance is something done to you instead of with you, it’s just another expense line.

There’s a Better Way.

Stop treating compliance like a snowflake. Stop customizing every single plan like you’re a high-end architect designing for rich eccentrics.

Start treating it like what it actually is: a legal defense strategy.

Focus on cyber liability.

Build a program around gathering evidence.

Engage the client’s team to do the work—not yours.

Our team even built a patent-pending tool to gather that evidence automatically. So your techs stop building, and start reviewing. Less fragile. Less expensive. Less stupid. This is how skyscrapers get built. Not with duct tape and dreams—but with blueprints, standards, and rock-solid process.

Think You’re Safe? Let’s Test That.

Even if you’re doing everything right like this guy thought he was, you could still be at risk. In fact, that’s when the risk is highest—because you’re blind to what you’re not seeing.

Schedule a Cyber Liability Assessment.

We’ll show you exactly where your hidden liabilities are lurking inside your client base—and how to fix them before someone else finds them for you (in court).

Because when your compliance stack collapses, it’s not just your clients who pay.

It’s your name on the lawsuit.