A new study by Heimdal and FutureSafe reveals that the security tools designed to protect managed service providers (MSPs) are increasingly working against them.

Surveying 80 North American MSPs, the report found that 89% struggle with tool integration and 56% experience daily or weekly alert fatigue—a state that significantly increases the risk of missing genuine threats. With the average MSP now operating five separate security tools—and some juggling over ten—the constant stream of alerts, many of them false positives, is overwhelming teams and creating dangerous blind spots.

The problem extends beyond security operations. Disconnected platforms force MSPs to waste time switching between dashboards, managing manual workflows, and handling fragmented billing and onboarding processes. Compliance reporting becomes more complex, and in large environments—those managing over 1,000 clients—fatigue is reported daily. “MSPs are drowning in complexity, not from threats, but from the tools meant to stop them,” said Jesper Frederiksen, CEO at Heimdal. FutureSafe CEO Jason Whitehurst added that this complexity isn’t just a technical problem—it’s a business risk.

Despite widespread awareness of the issue, only 20% of MSPs have taken steps to consolidate their security stacks. Those who have report fewer alerts, faster incident response, and better staff morale. The study underscores that reducing tool sprawl is not just about streamlining technology—it’s about protecting both the business and its people from burnout and missed threats. The full State of MSP Agent Fatigue 2025 report is available for free at heimdalsecurity.com/msp-agent-fatigue-report.