Data storage. If you provide storage services, you bear a big responsibility for keeping data safe from attackers. Security specialists can help, but only you have access to all layers of the storage infrastructure and the knowledge to secure each one.

Networking. The network is one of the biggest attack surfaces at most organizations. To keep it safe, you need to build in defenses against a number of different types of attacks, from DDoS intrusions to the installation of malicious traffic sniffers. Security vendors can help here by setting up firewalls or network monitoring software, but that on its own is not enough.

Hardware. MSPs who supply and manage desktops, servers or other devices as part of their service offering need to make sure that those devices are free of malware. Otherwise, they could be responsible for bringing malicious software inside an organization.

Website maintenance. If you build and maintain websites for your clients, you have to keep security in mind for two reasons. First, you need to make sure the Web software that you run on behalf of your clients is up-to-date and hardened against attacks that could be directed against it. Second, in order to protect your clients’ reputation with their own customers, it’s important to make sure malware that targets website visitors does not end up on the site you manage.