Research Finds MSPs Face Rising BYOD Security Gap
Study of 300+ MSPs reveals employee-owned devices as the last major unmanaged risk—Aura Business for MSPs introduces an identity-first approach to close the gap
A new Omdia-authored whitepaper, “The BYOD Opportunity: What MSPs Need to Close the Last Unmanaged Gap,” reveals that unmanaged personal devices have become a growing source of risk — and opportunity — for MSPs, driving a significant security gap across their client environments. This study was commissioned by Aura Business.
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The problem: BYOD management demand is rising — and so are security incidents
The demand for BYOD security is already established across the MSP market. In a survey of 319 U.S.-based MSPs conducted by Omdia in early 2026, 65% reported that at least one client had asked for help addressing the security or data-exposure risks of employee-owned devices in the past 12 months, with 45% saying multiple clients had raised the issue.
At the same time, the risk is no longer hypothetical. 55% of MSPs reported at least one BYOD-related security incident in the past 24 months. Despite this, most MSPs aren’t offering BYOD management. There is a 55-percentage point gap between corporate laptop monitoring (79%) and employee-owned device monitoring (24%), leaving personal devices, which regularly access corporate email, files and credentials — largely outside the managed perimeter.
The shift: identity is the real risk, not devices
Among the 177 MSPs who reported BYOD-related security incidents, reported causes included:
- 45% cited credential theft or account compromise
- 42% reported email or messaging compromise (primarily phishing)
Only 29% reported lost or stolen devices, which — Omdia notes — for years has been the primary mobile security concern. This signals a clear shift toward identity-based threats, where attackers exploit credentials and access points on personal devices connected to corporate systems, not the devices themselves.
The opportunity: a new category of security services
This gap represents more than just risk — it’s a clear business opportunity for MSPs.
The research shows that BYOD-related requests are not abstract, but structured and repeatable. Half of MSPs report that clients want help implementing technical controls, 46% are asked for best-practice recommendations, and 40% are asked to define or review BYOD policies — services that map directly to MSP delivery models.
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MSPs are already signaling intent to act:
- 92% said they could see a path to offering BYOD services
- 36% preferring to offer such services as an optional add-on to existing services
As traditional IT services face increasing pricing pressure, BYOD security stands out as a high-value, security-adjacent offering that can drive differentiation and recurring revenue.
Closing the gap with Aura Business for MSPs
Aura Business for MSPs was purpose-built to allow MSPs to:
- Enforce identity-centric security policies without taking ownership of the device
- Enable employee self-enrollment with no manual configuration
- Monitor device health and automatically restrict access when risks are detected
- Integrate directly with existing environments like Microsoft Entra
By removing the operational and liability burdens of traditional device management — and doing so without accessing personal data — Aura enables MSPs to deliver a scalable, privacy-first BYOD solution that fits into their existing service stack.
The data is clear: clients are asking for help, incidents are already happening, and most MSPs are not yet equipped to respond — making solutions like Aura Business for MSPs well-positioned to help providers adapt to this shift.
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