Identity Theft Is a Growing Business Threat: 5 Real-World Security Essentials
Identity theft is no longer just a problem affecting individual users – it’s a serious business threat. When companies lack a comprehensive, centralized security strategy, they remain exposed to identity-based attacks. Add to this the challenge of protecting both personal and corporate data in hybrid or remote work environments, and the risk becomes even more difficult to manage.
According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, more than one million phishing and credential theft incidents were reported in 2024, a 14% increase over the previous year. This steady rise highlights a key priority for organizations and the MSPs that serve them: protect digital identities before attackers exploit them.
But here’s the catch: the abundance of security tools often leads companies to build fragmented defenses. What they need instead is a unified, strategic approach that balances protection, usability, and scalability.
Here are five essential elements every organization, and every MSP, should consider when evaluating identity protection solutions:
1. Intuitive and Accessible Authentication
Many companies still rely on methods such as static, easy-to-guess passwords, which increases vulnerability exposure. In fact, 80% of data breaches are linked to weak or reused passwords.
Solutions like password managers, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and web-based single sign-on (SSO) can drastically reduce risk. But for real adoption, security must be intuitive and seamless. If users find login processes too complex, they’ll look for shortcuts ‒ or disable protection altogether.
2. Securing Remote Access
The shift to hybrid work has dramatically expanded the attack surface. Today, employees connect from everywhere, and that means your defenses have to follow them. Implementing conditional access policies, restricting permissions based on user roles, and applying Zero Trust principles help ensure that only the right people access the right data, no matter where they are.
Every access request should be verified in real time, not just once, but continuously. This reduces the impact of stolen credentials and adds an extra layer of security to your client's remote workforce.
3. Risk-Based authentication
Not all login attempts are created equal. If a user suddenly tries to log in from a new country or an unrecognized device, your security tools should raise a flag and respond accordingly.
Advanced identity protection solutions use behavioral patterns, context (such as device type or IP address), and adaptive policies to assess risk dynamically. When something seems off, additional verification kicks in. This proactive approach helps MSPs stop suspicious logins before a breach happens, not after.
4. Monitoring the Dark Web
Right now, more than 40 billion records containing personal (PII) and business credentials are circulating on the dark web. Attackers can buy access to corporate networks for as little as $3,000, a fraction of the cost of the average ransomware attack.
With dark web monitoring, MSPs receive instant alerts when exposed credentials from their clients appear in leaked databases. This gives you a crucial head start to reset passwords, lock accounts, and prevent unauthorized access.
5. Cloud-Centralized Identity Security
Managing identity security across multiple tools and platforms can be a nightmare. The answer? A cloud-based identity solution that centralizes security and syncs with third-party systems.
Features like automated token provisioning and centralized policy enforcement make it easier for MSPs to manage multiple clients efficiently while maintaining a consistent security baseline across all environments.
Protecting digital identity is no longer optional; it’s foundational. For MSPs, offering real-world cybersecurity means going beyond tool-stacking. It’s about delivering a cohesive, user-friendly strategy that’s easy to adopt and hard to bypass.
Focusing on these five key areas will strengthen your clients’ cybersecurity posture and build long-term trust and loyalty.
Want to learn how WatchGuard helps partners deliver real cybersecurity for the real world? Explore more on our blog or reach out to our team today.
