MSSP

MSSPs, It’s Time to Own Cyber Brand Defense

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COMMENTARY: In 2025, CISOs recognize that their responsibilities extend far beyond traditional cybersecurity measures like firewalls and endpoint detection. One of the most urgent—and frequently overlooked—challenges is safeguarding their organization's digital brand.

Cyber brand protection has evolved from being merely a marketing or legal issue to becoming a critical pillar of cybersecurity leadership. As digital threats increasingly intertwine with reputational risks, security teams must collaborate with MSSPs capable of providing scalable, agile, and intelligence-driven brand protection solutions.

The Reality of Brand-Based Cyber Threats

A recent RiskProfiler survey shows that 97.5% of CISOs express deep concern about brand risk. The conclusion is undeniable: No organization is exempt. These attacks now extend beyond data theft, increasingly targeting brand integrity through fake websites, social impersonations, account compromises, and counterfeit domains—many of which are propagated on the dark web, where anonymity and sophistication amplify the threat.

With the rise of advanced tactics like AI-generated content, deepfake technology, and phishing on high-engagement platforms like social media, the urgency for proactive, 24/7 brand monitoring has never been greater. From the open internet to the dark web, it’s not just necessary—it’s critical.

Why MSSPs Are Key to Modern Brand Protection

Traditional internal teams are often stretched too thin to respond swiftly to brand abuse. This is where MSSPs can step in and add real value by integrating cyber brand protection as a managed offering.

MSSPs can partner with platforms that offer these services to deliver cyber brand protection as a scalable, AI-powered managed service. Vendors in the space offer solutions that continuously monitor a brand’s digital footprint across the surface, deep, and dark web—as well as social media platforms, online marketplaces, and DNS infrastructure. These solutions proactively detect threats such as executive impersonation, counterfeit product listings, phishing domains, and unauthorized brand usage—enabling MSSPs to identify and neutralize risks before they impact brand trust or reputation.

By integrating brand protection capabilities, MSSPs can help clients:

  • Detect impersonation and phishing campaigns early
  • Monitor dark web chatter and breach marketplaces
  • Identify fraudulent sellers and counterfeit product listings
  • Automate takedown efforts and legal escalations
  • Provide executive visibility with compliance-ready reports
  • Cyber brand protection is no longer just a marketing problem—it’s a cybersecurity imperative. Platforms that offer cyber brand protection services empower MSSPs to deliver real-time visibility into brand abuse across both open and covert digital channels. In 2025, CISOs are seeking partners who don’t just react—they anticipate. This is MSSPs's opportunity to lead.

    MSSPs: Positioning Brand Protection as a Growth Service

    For MSSPs, brand protection is not only a critical service—it’s a revenue-generating upsell opportunity. Many CISOs are actively seeking brand monitoring solutions but lack the time or talent to manage them internally. Positioning this as a fully managed, outcome-driven service lets MSSPs step into a leadership role, offering strategic defense with measurable impact.

    Keys to Success:

    • Bundle brand protection with TPRM, digital risk, or phishing protection services
    • Provide reporting aligned with executive risk dashboards
    • Automate remediation to reduce incident response times
    • Educate clients on the evolving threat landscape and compliance implications
    • Future-Proof Your MSSP Offering

      Brand attacks are accelerating—and with AI rapidly advancing and attacker tactics multiplying, the threat landscape is more volatile than ever. MSSPs need platforms that combine intelligence, automation, and scalability to protect clients at the speed of threat.

      CISOs are no longer just looking for alerting—they’re looking for partners. Partners who understand that brand trust is now a core pillar of cybersecurity, and who have the foresight and technology to defend it proactively.

      MSSP Alert Perspectives columns are written by trusted members of the managed security services, value-added reseller and solution provider channels or MSSP Alert's staff. Do you have a unique perspective you want to share? Check out our guidelines here and send a pitch to MSSPAlert.perspectives@cyberriskalliance.com.

      Chirag Arora
      Chirag Arora is a New York–based cybersecurity leader with over 15 years of experience designing, implementing, and advancing security programs for organizations across a broad range of sectors. Recognized as both a strategic visionary and hands-on technologist, Chirag specializes in building cyber resilience through deep expertise in threat management, governance, compliance, cloud security, and enterprise risk.
      He currently serves as Chair of the GlobalCISO Leadership Foundation Advisory Board and as a Global Ambassador for the Center for Internet Security (CIS), where he contributes to both the Technical Advisory Board and Editorial Panel. He is also a Fellow at the Ponemon Institute and serves on advisory boards for Gartner, CDM Media, and the Santa Fe Group, bringing trusted insights to the global cybersecurity community.
      Over the course of his career, Mr. Arora has led global security teams, conducted a plethora of CIS Controls Assessments, and played a pivotal role in the development of key controls frameworks—including NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001, and the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix. His thought leadership has helped strengthen the cybersecurity posture of thousands of small and mid-sized businesses worldwide.
      As a trusted CISO across diverse industries—from insurance and retail to higher education—Chirag is known for translating complex, evolving risk into actionable, forward-looking security strategies. He holds a Master’s in Information Security from Johns Hopkins University and a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School, with a specialization in cybersecurity, data privacy, and AI policy.

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