Your clients want proof. Their insurers want proof. And increasingly, the two are asking for the same thing in different vocabularies.
Having security tools deployed is no longer the bar. MSPs are being asked to demonstrate that their services are resilient, repeatable, and aligned with what customers and carriers expect — with documentation to back it up. That’s an operational problem, not a tooling problem, and it’s the one we built Blacksmith to solve.
Today we’re announcing a strategic partnership with SPECTRA, a cyber-resilience certification and risk-management platform serving the MSP ecosystem. Beginning October 1st, the SPECTRA framework will be available inside Blacksmith.
What SPECTRA evaluates
SPECTRA’s Business Advantage Program assesses the people, processes, technologies, and service delivery practices behind an MSP’s ability to protect customers and respond effectively to cyber incidents. It’s a certification built around verified performance and insurer-aligned resilience requirements.
That’s a meaningful scope — and it’s exactly the kind of scope that turns into a scramble if it lives in a spreadsheet and gets revisited once a year.
What changes when the framework lives in Blacksmith
Adding SPECTRA to the platform means certification requirements stop being an annual assessment event and become ongoing compliance work with owners, evidence, and a due date. Concretely, MSPs will be able to:
Map existing security operations and controls to the SPECTRA framework
Identify and remediate the gaps that affect resilience and certification readiness
Organize evidence and documentation inside a centralized compliance workflow
Produce clearer, more defensible records of cybersecurity practices for customers, partners, and insurance-related assessments
Connect security maturity to cybersecurity performance warranties and easier access to broader insurance coverage and lower premiums, for the MSP and its clients
“MSPs are being asked to prove that their services are resilient, repeatable, and aligned with customer and insurer expectations. Having security tools in place isn’t enough,” said Mike Zbarsky, Co-Founder at Blacksmith. “Bringing SPECTRA into Blacksmith helps providers make that work practical. They can manage requirements, collect evidence, and maintain the operational discipline needed to build a stronger security posture.”
Where the business case sits
This is the part worth paying attention to if you sell security services.
SPECTRA’s certification-based Business Advantage Program is intended to give insurers and brokers validated information about the security services and resilience practices supporting an organization. Certified providers may help clients qualify for preferred coverage programs and more favorable cyber-insurance terms — subject to carrier underwriting and program eligibility. SPECTRA has reported that qualified programs can provide premium reductions of up to 35 percent.
In other words, the compliance work has a downstream number attached to it. That’s a different conversation than the one most MSPs are having about frameworks.
“Cybersecurity and cyber insurance have historically operated as separate conversations,” said Edouard von Herberstein, CEO at SPECTRA. “This partnership with Blacksmith helps close that gap by making the work of achieving and maintaining cyber resilience more visible, measurable, and operational for MSPs. Together, we are helping providers turn strong security practices into a meaningful business advantage for themselves and their customers.”
Beyond checkbox compliance
The partnership reflects a shared view of where this market is going. As carriers increasingly expect clearer proof of risk management and security performance, the providers who do well will be the ones who can produce that proof on demand rather than reconstruct it under deadline. Blacksmith and SPECTRA are giving MSPs a more streamlined way to manage the underlying controls, evidence, and operational practices those expectations rest on.
>> View the Spectra + Blacksmith case study!
Availability and early access
SPECTRA framework support arrives in Blacksmith on October 1st. MSPs interested in early access or in learning more can visit blacksmithinfosec.com or spectracyber.com.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the SPECTRA framework?
A: SPECTRA is a cyber-resilience certification and risk-management platform for managed service providers. Its Business Advantage Program assesses and validates an MSP’s security capabilities, operational practices, and service resilience, helping equip qualified providers with cyber warranties and connect MSPs and their customers to preferred cyber insurance programs through broker and carrier partners.
Q: When will SPECTRA be available in Blacksmith?
A: The SPECTRA framework will be available in Blacksmith beginning October 1st, 2026.
Q: Can SPECTRA certification lower cyber insurance premiums?
A: Certified providers may help clients qualify for preferred coverage programs and more favorable cyber-insurance terms, subject to carrier underwriting and program eligibility. SPECTRA has reported that qualified programs can provide premium reductions of up to 35 percent.
Q: How does SPECTRA certification work inside a compliance platform?
A: Operationalizing the framework in Blacksmith turns certification requirements into actionable compliance work, evidence collection, and ongoing accountability rather than a one-time assessment.