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Managed Service Provider

What is Managed Service Provider?

A third-party organization that remotely manages IT infrastructure, systems, and services on behalf of client organizations.

Information Security

Frameworks that govern managed service provider

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0View framework →ISO 27001:2022View framework →

What the standards actually require on managed service provider

Requirements naming managed service provider across 4 standards, quoted from the control text.

Australian Information Security Manual3 controls

Managed service providers and their non-classified, OFFICIAL: Sensitive, PROTECTED and SECRET managed services undergo an Infosec Registered Assessor Program (IRAP) assessment, using the latest release of the ISM available prior to the beginning of the IRAP as...

ISM-1793 · Managed service providers and their non-classified, OFFICIAL: Sensitive, PROTECTED and SEC →
NIS2 Directive1 control

The Directive scopes this deliberately at direct suppliers and service providers, which makes the first artefact an inventory of who those parties are and which of them touch the network and information systems behind the service.

nis2-directive::Art.21.2.d · Supply chain security, covering the relationship with each direct supplier and service provider →
NIST SP 800-881 control

Address cloud-resident data and hosted storage scope per NIST SP 800-88 Rev 1 considerations (acknowledged in Section 3.6) + cloud-era guidance from NIST CSF 2.0 + NIST SP 800-145 + provider-specific documentation.

NISTSP88-8 · Cloud-Resident Data, Hosted Storage, and Scope Boundaries →
UK Telecommunications (Security) Act 20211 control

Assess and manage risks from equipment vendors and managed service providers. High-risk vendor restrictions apply. Must have contingency plans for vendor supply chain disruption.

UK-TSA-NET-03 · Supply Chain Security →

Questions people ask about managed service provider

What is Managed Service Provider?
A third-party organization that remotely manages IT infrastructure, systems, and services on behalf of client organizations.
Why is Managed Service Provider important for compliance?
Managed Service Provider is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding managed service provider helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Managed Service Provider?
Managed Service Provider appears in the requirement text of Australian Information Security Manual, NIS2 Directive, NIST SP 800-88, UK Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021. Across these standards we have identified 6 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Managed Service Provider?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how managed service provider applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Managed Service Provider applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

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Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.