Key Takeaways

  • The vendor introduced a new tiered MSP Partner Program aimed at easing cost pressure and expanding revenue opportunities for service providers
  • Survey data shows MSPs are struggling with AI-driven phishing, identity attacks, and DNS-layer blind spots that traditional endpoint tools rarely catch
  • Industry analysts highlight DNS as a strategic control point, reinforcing why MSP-focused DNS security programs are gaining traction

The latest channel expansion in protective DNS lands at a critical moment for managed service providers. Security tooling costs continue to rise, customer expectations are getting tougher, and the threat landscape is shifting toward attacks that materialize before an endpoint agent even has a chance to react. Against that backdrop, DNSFilter announced an enhanced MSP Partner Program structured to align incentives with partner maturity. The announcement arrives with research pointing to a widening capability gap among MSPs, reshaping the economics of outsourced security.

The company disclosed that 85% of MSP leaders surveyed say there is at least one security capability they cannot effectively deliver today. Many MSPs have stitched together overlapping systems, resulting in more time spent managing tools rather than mitigating actual network threats. In the same survey, 49% cited licensing costs as their biggest roadblock to growing security revenue, followed by 26% grappling with unwieldy tech stacks and 23% struggling with training demands.

The threats MSPs are most worried about over the next 12 to 18 months are shifting toward the DNS and web layers. Those threats include AI-generated phishing, identity-based attacks, supply chain exposure, and autonomous AI agent access. These issues form a clear pattern: users click, a domain resolves, the site loads, and only then might an endpoint detect something. By that point, prevention is significantly harder. The research notes that 38% of MSPs feel they cannot deliver adequate protection against AI-generated threats, and 30% lack network-level visibility beyond the endpoint.

Analysts have been tracking similar patterns. According to Gartner in 2023, more than 90% of DNS traffic now originates from cloud applications and services, which places DNS in a strategic position for early threat detection and policy enforcement. Meanwhile, IDC reported that global managed security services spending exceeded $45 billion in 2023 and is growing around 12% annually through 2027. This growth is driven in large part by small and midsize businesses shifting security responsibilities to MSPs, clarifying why DNS-layer controls are gaining attention within the MSP ecosystem.

Forrester’s 2023 findings show that roughly 68% of SMBs rely on MSPs as their primary security provider. Because so many businesses lean on MSPs, partner programs increasingly shape margins, enable cross-selling, and determine how quickly a provider can scale protections across clients. The vendor appears to be leaning into that logic with a program designed to match support and investment directly with partner commitment.

The newly structured program categorizes partners across Select, Accelerator, and Strategic levels. Providers at the entry tier gain immediate access to the platform's multi-tenant console, a partner portal, white-label marketing assets, and volume-based pricing with minimal friction. The no-application and no-contract approach is intended to encourage easier adoption, particularly for MSPs that want rapid deployment without administrative hurdles.

Mid-level partners are either invited or accepted through an application, receiving a named account manager, sales engineer participation for demos, co-marketing support backed by market development funds (MDF), and an annual business review. The structured enablement track is designed for MSPs actively growing their security portfolios and aims to reduce guesswork in revenue forecasting.

The highest tier receives the deepest engagement, offering custom enablement, joint selling motions, ongoing MDF, and a dedicated support team. This level caters to providers making protective DNS a foundational part of their security architecture. The company’s CEO and co-founder noted that partner success translates into more businesses being protected, positioning the program as both a commercial and security investment.

Notably, DNSFilter has been building toward this moment. More than 6,000 MSPs already use the platform, and the company expanded its capabilities last year by acquiring Zorus and launching CyberSight. That move helped identify phishing infrastructure and lookalike domains before they reached customer networks. It also reinforced that the provider sees DNS-layer intelligence as an increasingly critical input in modern cyber defense, a stance supported by guidance from federal bodies like CISA and frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Vendors including Cisco Umbrella, Webroot, and Akamai’s Enterprise Threat Protector compete in the protective DNS and content filtering space. While many cater to MSPs, the new program emphasizes partner experience to actively reduce operational friction. Industry feedback in the announcement signals that ease of use and multi-tenant design are important differentiators. Leadership at Mainstay Technologies described DNS protection as non-optional for every client they onboard, and representatives from ShowTech Solutions highlighted trust built on platform reliability and support responsiveness.

MSPs are currently being pulled in multiple directions. They must keep pace with AI-augmented threats, support hybrid workforces, maintain compliance reporting, and manage customer expectations around response times. A vendor that lightens the operational load or improves margin reliability can have an outsized influence on an MSP’s business model. Market consolidation is also driving this trend; as MSPs expand their security offerings, many gravitate toward fewer platforms that provide broader capabilities. The categorized structure plays directly into that shift, offering different levels of engagement that align with a provider’s specific stage of growth.

The company’s 2026 MSP Research found that 47% of leaders cannot effectively deliver security posture reporting for compliance or cyber insurance needs. This gap leaves clients exposed during regulatory audits or insurance claims, because transparent reporting is often the core of customer trust. It is also a recurring revenue opportunity when packaged as an ongoing service. The strategic move to deepen partner support aims to help MSPs turn a compliance burden into a billable outcome.

While no single program can resolve every operational strain MSPs face, structured partner models can create functional breathing room and make it easier for providers to standardize their security offerings. DNS-layer protection tends to work quietly in the background, yet it routinely catches threats early enough to prevent a cascade of follow-on problems. In an environment where new phishing domains are generated by AI at unprecedented speeds, early visibility at the DNS layer operates less like an add-on and more like a core network requirement.

The expanded program lands at a moment when MSPs need new ways to manage cost pressure and strengthen client defenses. It delivers a pathway to scale security services while mitigating infrastructure complexity, validating why many providers prioritize DNS-layer controls in their enterprise stacks. By directly aligning operational support with revenue goals, the initiative equips MSPs with necessary leverage to navigate an increasingly challenging cyber landscape.