The Modern Reality of Secure Access

24x7 support used to be a competitive advantage. Now it’s the baseline. Due to the rise in hybrid work, customer expectations, and vendor partnerships, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are navigating a complex operational reality: technicians need fast, secure access to client environments, any time, any day, from anywhere.

Unfortunately, that leaves some catching up to do. Many MSPs still rely on outdated credential-sharing habits, like storing logins in spreadsheets, sharing master passwords on Slack, or not revoking access promptly.

These gaps create risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, compromised systems, and other malicious activities. What’s more, they can slow down help desks, lead to financial loss, and limit scalability. The end result? Credential abuse continues to be the most common known initial access vector, at 22%, in non-error, non-misuse breaches, according to the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report. 

A Closer Look with Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report

Top 5 (or rather, 7) Industries Who Experienced Compromised Credentials 

1. Management: 33%

2. Administrative; Construction: 31%

3. Professional; Wholesale Trade: 24%

4. Transportation: 22%

5. Entertainment: 18%

Businesses with less than 1,000 employees had compromised credentials 34% of the time, while businesses with more than 1,000 employees had compromised credentials 29% of the time.

Therefore, strict access control measures are required to safeguard client data. Recently, our co-founders, Matthew Pincus and David Sohn, got to have a virtual chat with Martin White, the founder and CTO of TechIDManager. His team “automatically creates and manages unique accounts with appropriate rights for every MSP technician, on every domain, Azure tenant, and local machine, with automatic password rotation everywhere.” Tools like TechIDManager’s enable MSPs to simultaneously protect their clients’ infrastructure and provide rapid, efficient, and reliable support.

With this expertise in mind, let’s take a few minutes to:

• Review 10 best practices you need to implement

• Understand the non-security perks of upgrading your outdated habits

10 Best Practices to Implement 

1. Multi-Factor Authentication: Require users to provide multiple forms of verification before gaining access to sensitive information and systems. This is particularly important for externally-exposed applications and remote network access.

Quick tip: Use TOTP, the authenticator apps, as opposed to text- or email-based MFAs.

2. Multi-Tenant Architecture: Keep client environments clearly separated, so you can manage them by client, role, or technician, and prevent cross-client exposure.

3. Clear Access Policies: Ensure that there are clear policies defining who has access to what accounts, including conditions for granting, modifying, or revoking access.

4. Role-Based Access and Just-in-Time Permissions: Grant access based on technician level or job function, with temporary permissions where possible.

5. Routine Security Audits and Updates: Periodically review your security policies to uncover any vulnerabilities or areas for improvement, to stay ahead of potential threats and ensure compliance adherence.

6. Audit Trails and Session Recording: Track access activity and record sessions to train new techs, review escalated incidents, investigate client questions, and pass compliance audits.

7. Automation for Repetitive Security Tasks: Replace manual tracking with automated tools that handle management, rotation, complexity, expiry, and account inactivity.

Did you know that 60% of breaches involved a human element?
– Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report

8. Integration with Your Existing Stack: Ensure your tools can work together to autofill credentials, log in seamlessly, and gain quick access during live client calls.

9. Security-Focused Staff Training: Ensure your team is well-versed in the latest security protocols and best practices, as well as the latest threats and how to counter them effectively.

10. Defined Protocols for Unauthorized Access Attempts: Have well-defined incident response protocols in place so your team knows how to respond to unauthorized access, or attempts thereof. 

“If an adversary was able to obtain credentials to your environment and get in, how do you limit their reach? How far can they go until you challenge them to a second authentication factor?”
– Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report

Bonus Password Tip

• Drop complexity requirements and focus on pass phrases

• Encourage long passwords and credential protections on internal systems

(Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report)

Non-Security Benefits

• Improved operational efficiency: When credentials are properly managed and access is streamlined, your team spends less time chasing down logins and more time resolving real issues.

• Increased client satisfaction and trust: Give your clients peace of mind that their environments are secure and that your team is operating efficiently to build lasting loyalty and confidence in your services.

• Faster access, leading to quicker response and resolution times: With secure, role-based access in place, technicians get into the right systems instantly, which means faster resolutions and a higher first-touch resolution rate.

• Seamless onboarding due to built-in automation process: Say goodbye to clunky, manual onboarding processes. Automated credential provisioning means new techs get up and running quickly and securely, with the right access from day one.

• Increased growth ability without increasing risk: Outdated credential-sharing practices might work at a small scale, but they don’t scale well. Modern, secure access management allows you to take on new clients and expand your team confidently, without opening yourself up to liability.

• Increased competitive advantage as security-focused MSP: Today’s clients expect their IT partners to be proactive about security. By modernizing your access practices, you’re positioning your MSP as forward-thinking and security-first.

While security is the driving force behind strong access management, the benefits don’t stop there. When done right, privileged access management tools and best practices streamline day-to-day operations, improve technician productivity, and enhance the overall client experience. Managing credentials shouldn’t be a burden. It should be a silent engine that powers faster resolutions, smoother onboarding, and confident growth. By upgrading your approach, you're not just reducing risk; you're unlocking efficiency and scalability that gives your MSP a true competitive edge.

Conclusion

Once seen as just IT fixers in the background, MSPs have stepped into the spotlight. You are a trusted advisor and critical partner now. Will you rise to the occasion? It starts with owning the way your team accesses the systems that power your clients’ businesses. While the right tools may have been nice-to-haves in the past, they’re no longer optional. If you’re serious about security, service quality, and scalability, start tackling your outdated credential-sharing practices today. The faster you fix access, the faster you grow.

Ready to leave shared credentials behind? TechIDManager makes technician access simple, secure, and scalable–without the password chaos.

Need a support team that takes security as seriously as you do? Helpt delivers 24x7 U.S.-based help desk services that work seamlessly with your tools, your team, and your standards. Learn more today.

About the Author

Alyssa Reed

Content Writer at Helpt

After establishing her foundational skills as a content writer and marketing professional while working for small businesses and non-profits, Alyssa began working within the IT industry. Since then, she has specialized in crafting content for B2B marketing strategies for Managed Service Providers, as well as help desk and cybersecurity service providers. With a background in Journalism, she especially enjoys the social aspect that comes with being a writer. Whether it's interviewing a customer about a recent win for a case study or chatting with a coworker about their area of expertise for a slick sheet, it excites her that those stories can inspire action, add value, and increase trust. 

Connect with Alyssa Reed