A recent study conducted by Heimdal and FutureSafe surveyed 80 Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in North America during the first half of 2025, combining quantitative data with thematic analysis of over 300 responses.

The findings reveal that tool overload is significantly impacting MSPs, with 89% struggling with tool integration and 56% experiencing alert fatigue on a daily or weekly basis.

On average, MSPs manage five security tools, with 20% juggling between seven to ten tools and 12% managing more than ten, which leads to considerable operational challenges.

Despite acknowledging these issues, only 20% of MSPs have consolidated their security solutions; those who have reported benefits such as fewer alerts and improved employee satisfaction.

The study highlights that 25% of security alerts are considered meaningless, with some MSPs stating that up to 70% of alerts are false alarms, contributing to high levels of alert fatigue.

This high alert fatigue paradoxically increases the likelihood of missing genuine threats, as the very tools designed for security create blind spots due to operator exhaustion.

Agent fatigue extends beyond security operations, affecting critical business processes such as billing, client onboarding, and compliance reporting, posing broader risks.

Jesper Frederiksen, CEO of Heimdal, emphasized that the complexity and noise from multiple security tools degrade the protection that MSPs are meant to provide.

Among MSPs managing over 1,000 clients, all reported experiencing daily fatigue due to the overwhelming number of alerts and tools they must handle.

Key survey findings also indicate that 56% of MSPs experience monthly alert fatigue, with fatigue levels nearly doubling among those using more than seven tools.

The study underscores a critical issue in the MSP industry, where tool overload not only hampers efficiency but also threatens the overall effectiveness of security measures.