BYOD Requests Reach 65% of MSPs — 55% See Client Incidents
This data comes from Omdia research in partnership with Aura Business based on a survey of 319 U.S. managed service providers (MSPs) conducted in early 2026. The report shows what those incidents involved and how often they happen on unmanaged personal devices, which remain one of the last areas with limited monitoring.
MSPs report monitoring 79% of corporate laptops but only 24% of employee-owned devices, even as these personal devices access corporate data and apps. It also shows how MSPs plan to offer BYOD services.
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Methodology
Omdia conducted the survey in Q1 2026 with 319 U.S.-based MSPs. All respondents derived more than half of their revenue from managed services. Thirty-eight percent reported more than $10 million in annual recurring revenue. Sixty percent of respondents held director-level roles or higher. Fifty-nine percent served clients with at least 100 employees.
Omdia designed the study, collected the data, and produced the analysis. Aura Business partnered on the report and contributed an example showing how MSPs can enforce access policies on employee-owned devices.
1. Clients are already asking for BYOD support
Sixty-five percent of MSPs said at least one client asked for help securing employee-owned devices in the past 12 months. Forty-five percent said multiple clients raised the issue.
These requests are specific. Fifty percent of MSPs said clients asked for help implementing technical controls. Forty-six percent were asked for best-practice recommendations. Forty percent were asked to define or review BYOD policies.
2. More than half of MSPs report BYOD incidents affecting clients
Fifty-five percent of MSPs reported at least one BYOD-related security incident in the past 24 months.
- Sixteen percent reported a confirmed data breach.
- Twenty-one percent reported an incident with no confirmed data loss.
- Eighteen percent reported a near miss that was caught and remediated before impact.
MSPs with more monitoring infrastructure reported higher incident rates, which the report attributes to greater visibility into personal device activity.
3. Most incidents are identity-based, not device-based
Most incidents involve compromised credentials, with fewer tied to lost devices. Among MSPs that reported BYOD incidents, 45% cited credential theft or account compromise.
Forty-two percent cited email or messaging compromise, primarily phishing. Forty percent cited malware. Thirty-one percent cited data leakage, including files, screenshots, and messages. Twenty-nine percent cited lost or stolen devices.
Download the full report
Employee-owned devices are now part of everyday business access, but they are still handled differently from other endpoints. This report sets out to see how MSPs are starting to respond. Download the full report for the complete dataset and detailed findings.
For the complete findings, download the full report: The BYOD opportunity: What MSPs need to close the last unmanaged gap (PDF) →
About us
Aura Business helps MSPs manage work access on employee-owned devices without taking control of the device or requiring complex setup.
It can be used on its own or alongside existing tools like mobile device management (MDM). Learn more about how Aura Business can support MSPs →