Pentesting for MSPs: Real-World Workflows and Use Cases
- Anup Ghosh
- Sep 3
- 4 min read
For many MSPs, pentesting feels like something reserved for big enterprises with big budgets. Annual red-team exercises, thousand-page reports, and a team of specialists parachuting in for a week; this is the traditional image.
But the reality today is different. Pentesting has become more accessible, more automated, and more mainstream, even for the SMB space. That means MSPs can finally bring the value of pentesting directly to their clients, without needing an army of security engineers.
The real question isn’t whether MSPs should be doing pentesting—it’s how to make it part of your standard service delivery card. Let’s look at where pentesting fits in the MSP workflow and how it creates tangible value for clients.
Pentesting for Prospecting
One of the best ways to distinguish yourself from the competition is to conduct a cyber security risk assessment on prospects. You will not only prove yourself to be a competent cybersecurity first firm, but also be able to uncover any exploitable vulnerabilities the incumbent IT team has left wide open.
In addition, for your own liability protection before you sign up to manage an environment, you need to know what you’re walking into. Automated pentests can surface issues—like exposed services, misconfigured Active Directory, or insecure SaaS apps—that might otherwise go unnoticed until they become a problem.
Think of the environment you are assessing as the current “baseline.” Just as you’d inventory hardware and software, you should also inventory security exposures. Even better, an automated pentest provides an actual inventory of the hardware/software assets on the network so you have ground truth on what you will be managing. Presenting those findings to the prospect early demonstrates your value, sets expectations, and provides a clear roadmap for remediation.
Pentesting as Part of Compliance Cycles
Many SMB clients face compliance requirements—PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, or even cyber insurance questionnaires. These frameworks often require proof of security testing, and a vulnerability scan alone, while necessary, isn't sufficient.
Pentesting fills that gap.
By weaving pentests into quarterly or annual compliance reviews, MSPs can give clients evidence they need for auditors while also uncovering issues before they’re flagged by someone else. Done right, this becomes a recurring, billable service that positions the MSP as not just an IT provider, but a compliance partner.
Pentesting for Continuous Security Validation
Attackers don’t wait for annual audits, and neither should MSPs. With automated tools, pentests can be scheduled quarterly, monthly, weekly, or even daily. This transforms pentesting from a one-off exercise into an ongoing validation layer that sits alongside patch management, backup testing, and endpoint monitoring.
For clients, this means they’re not relying on hope between security reviews. For MSPs, it means you’re always armed with fresh data to show your value, prioritize remediation, and keep the conversation focused on proactive security rather than firefighting.
Pentesting After Major Changes or Incidents
Another key use case is validation after change. Migrated a client to Microsoft 365? Rolled out a new firewall? Brought a new SaaS platform online? A pentest can confirm the changes didn’t introduce new exposures.
The same goes for post-incident situations. If a client experienced a breach, or even a suspicious event, a pentest can help verify whether attackers left behind backdoors, misconfigurations, or other weak points. It’s a way to give both you and the client peace of mind.
Turning Findings into Value
Of course, running pentests is only half the battle. The real value comes from how MSPs present and act on the findings. This is where many traditional pentest providers fall short—they deliver dense reports, but little business context. MSPs have an opportunity to do better.
By framing vulnerabilities in terms of business risk, eg, “this flaw could allow attackers to access payroll data”, rather than “CVE-2024-12345 found”—you make the results actionable.
By prioritizing findings based on exploitability and client impact, you avoid overwhelming clients with a laundry list of issues. And by integrating remediation into your existing workflows, you turn pentesting from a point-in-time service into an ongoing cycle of improvement.
Why Pentesting Matters for MSPs
Pentesting is no longer just a compliance checkbox or an enterprise luxury. For MSPs, it’s a way to:
Win trust quickly with new clients
Build recurring revenue through ongoing testing
Strengthen compliance offerings
Prove value with clear, prioritized reporting
Stay ahead of attackers by continuously validating defenses
In other words, it’s a service that makes your clients safer and your business stronger.
The Road Ahead
This brings us full circle in our series on AI pentesting. From the origins of pentesting, to the rise of automation, to the emerging role of AI and Pentest GPT, the message is clear: pentesting isn’t going away. It’s evolving into something faster, smarter, and more MSP-friendly.
The MSPs that embrace this evolution will be the ones who not only protect their clients better, but also stand out in a crowded market. Pentesting isn’t just about finding weaknesses—it’s about proving value, every single day.
Ready to start on your pentesting journey? ThreatMate is here to help. Sign up for a demo today.
