Introduction
Managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) are under increasing pressure to deliver strong cybersecurity outcomes in a landscape marked by rising threats and evolving compliance requirements. At the same time, clients want better protection without managing cybersecurity themselves. Service providers must balance these growing demands with the need to work efficiently, deliver consistent results, and scale their offerings.
Yet, many service providers still rely on manual processes that slow down delivery, make it harder to maintain consistency across clients, and limit the time teams have to focus on more strategic initiatives. Even experienced service providers can find themselves stretched thin as they try to meet rising client expectations while managing operational complexity.
In this environment, automation offers an opportunity to work more effectively and deliver greater value. By streamlining repetitive tasks, improving consistency, and freeing up time and resources, automation helps providers expand their services, strengthen client relationships, and grow sustainably.
We created The Service Provider’s Guide to Automating Cybersecurity and Compliance Management to help providers navigate the transition to automation. Inside, you’ll find a practical overview of current challenges, real-world examples, and guidance for identifying where automation can have the biggest impact.
The Hidden Costs of Manual Work
Tasks like risk assessments, policy development, framework mapping, remediation planning, and executive reporting often require 13 to 15 hours of manual work each. This level of effort places mounting pressure on internal teams, extends project timelines, and delays client outcomes all of which can restrict growth.
Over time, these inefficiencies quietly erode both profitability and service quality, making it harder to scale and compete effectively.
Key hidden costs include:
- Time delays that impact client satisfaction and slow down revenue cycles
- Inconsistencies across assessments and documentation, undermining trust
- Talent inefficiency as senior staff handle administrative work instead of strategic tasks
- Missed revenue opportunities due to limited capacity for upselling or onboarding new clients
Manual processes also create specific bottlenecks across five critical areas of service delivery:
- Onboarding & Assessments – Repetitive, slow, and often inconsistent
- Framework Mapping – Labor-intensive and prone to errors
- Remediation Management – Hard to scale and standardize
- Progress Reporting – Time-consuming and lacks consistency and clarity
- Service Customization – Manual adjustments reduce repeatability
Automation is key to overcoming these barriers and unlocking scalable, high-margin service delivery.
How Automation Can Help: 5 Key Use Cases
According to The State of the Virtual CISO 2025 Report, vCISO providers using AI or automation report a 68% average reduction in cybersecurity and compliance workload over the past year.
AI-powered technologies like Cynomi’s vCISO Platform automate and standardize vCISO workflows end-to-end, cutting manual efforts by up to 70%. Here are five key areas where automation can make a measurable impact:
- Risk Assessments & Onboarding: Interactive, guided questionnaires and centralized data capture replace emails and interviews, cutting hours from onboarding timelines.
- Policy Development: Automated platforms generate client-specific policies mapped to frameworks like NIST and ISO.
- Compliance Tracking: Tasks are automatically mapped to frameworks and updated as standards evolve, reducing oversight and error risk.
- Remediation Planning: Tasks are prioritized and assigned automatically, allowing teams to track progress and outcomes in a centralized hub.
- Progress Reporting: Client-branded, progress reports are generated in clicks, turning security activity into clear, business-focused insights without the usual delays.
- Standardizing Service Delivery: Automation streamlines core tasks like onboarding and compliance management, allowing providers to deliver consistent, high-quality services across clients without reinventing the wheel each time.
The ROI of Automation
One of the most effective ways to measure automation’s value is through work hours saved. Tasks that once took over 13 hours can now be completed in just a few, freeing up nearly 10 hours per task to reinvest elsewhere. Multiply that across clients, and the impact on margins and capacity becomes substantial.
As Steve Bowman, Business Partner at Model Technology Solutions, noted, “When we started, it was four or five months before I’d have somebody doing an assessment on their own. Now it’s down to one month.” This dramatic improvement in ramp-up time underscores the transformative effect automation can have not only on day-to-day operations but also on long-term scalability.
Here are some examples of time-consuming tasks and the time savings service providers achieve through automating them:
For more real-world insights into how much time automation can save across key cybersecurity functions, explore The Service Provider’s Guide to Automating Cybersecurity and Compliance Management. It includes practical examples and a straightforward formula to calculate ROI in both hours and dollars, so you can instantly see the measurable benefits automation can bring.
How to Implement Security and Compliance Automation
Here’s a practical roadmap for managed service providers aiming to integrate automation into their vCISO or compliance operations.
- Assess Current Processes: Start by mapping your existing workflows, including onboarding, assessments, remediation planning, and reporting. Identify manual, repetitive tasks that slow you down or create inconsistencies.
- Define Automation Goals: Clarify what you want to achieve through automation, such as reducing task time, increasing capacity, or improving service consistency. Measurable goals help prioritize efforts and guide platform selection.
- Select a Deployment Model: Explore three options: build your own tools, use a GRC platform for compliance, or adopt an all-in-one cybersecurity and compliance management platform like Cynomi. Each varies in complexity, scalability, and resource demands.
- Pilot Before Scaling: Test your automation strategy with a single client or team to identify strengths, challenges, and integration needs before broader rollout.
- Train Teams and Clients: Provide tailored training and maintain open communication to ensure smoother adoption and build confidence in the new platform.
- Measure Impact and Optimize: Track key metrics, such as time saved and reporting turnaround. Use these insights to refine processes and maximize ROI.
Conclusion: Automation Is the New Differentiator
In today’s cybersecurity landscape, automation through AI has become a strategic necessity. It empowers service providers to streamline operations, deliver consistent value, and scale without increasing overhead. Those who embrace it, position themselves to move faster, serve more clients, and elevate their role from technical support to trusted business advisor.
Whether you’re just starting out or refining your current approach, The Service Provider’s Guide to Automating Cybersecurity and Compliance Management provides practical insights into current challenges, real-world examples, and guidance on what to automate, what to keep manual, and how to choose the right tools to scale effectively.
