Why smart MSPs use Okta to secure business email

The fastest way to reduce risk and maximize value with IAM

As your customers increasingly rely on cloud services, remote workforces, and SaaS applications, identity and access management (IAM) has become the foundation of modern cybersecurity. At the heart of this identity-centric landscape lies a critical asset: business email.

Attackers see email as an avenue to extract sensitive data, commit financial fraud, and compromise entire systems. Without precise, well-designed identity protection, even a single compromised inbox can escalate into a full-scale breach.

MSPs operating in today’s cloud-driven technology landscape understand that identity is the new security perimeter and are considering (or have already chosen) industry-leading Okta to secure business email and protect customers with the best available technology.

But choosing Okta is just the beginning. The key to delivering real value and real security is in how you deploy it.

ZeroTek specializes in helping MSPs like you turn Okta’s powerful capabilities into simple, scalable, and secure deployments. We consider one principle essential:

👉 Secure your customers’ identity directories and business email in Okta before integrating anything else.

Applying this proven strategy immediately maximizes customer value, reduces risk, and sets the stage for long-term success. This isn’t just best practice—it’s how leading MSPs stay ahead.

Email is the #1 target for identity-based attacks

Business email systems are under constant siege. According to CISA, over 90% of cyberattacks begin with email. These attacks increasingly target the digital identity, not just credentials.

Identity-based attacks exploit the human element. A cleverly disguised phishing email, for example, can bypass traditional security measures, tricking users into revealing credentials or downloading malware.

The real cost of a compromised email account

When a single email account is breached, attackers can:

• Access sensitive communications.
• Reset passwords for other connected services.
• Impersonate executives in fraud attempts (CEO fraud).
• Launch internal phishing attacks (lateral movement).
• Steal confidential data undetected.

These aren’t hypothetical scenarios—they happen daily, especially to SMBs who often lack advanced security controls. For MSPs managing multiple clients, this risk is multiplied across every inbox they oversee.

Yes, it helps to educate and train users about cybersecurity and to use email security tools that help filter out malicious emails. ZeroTek recognizes most MSPs include such services in their security packages. That’s where securing business email with Okta becomes essential.

Why email and identity integrations should always come first

Some MSPs, eager to show progress on their customer’s new Okta deployment, consider integrating a few simpler, non-critical apps first. But here’s what ZeroTek advises, and what our experienced MSP Partners know:

Securing identity directories and business email with Okta first delivers faster, more meaningful benefits to both you and your customers.

Here’s why this phased approach works:

1. Email is the highest priority to secure

• It’s the most attacked vector. Attackers don’t aim for your customers’ project management tools or graphics apps—they target email. It’s the gateway to sensitive data, financial transactions, password resets, and executive communications.
• It’s interconnected. Email often acts as the recovery method for other accounts. Until email is secured, everything else is at risk.
• It’s essential to daily operations. Downtime or breaches cause immediate disruption and reputational damage.

2. Ensuring all users are “in Okta” before expanding Okta’s coverage

When MSPs start by integrating identity directories and protecting email systems in Okta, they:

• Set a foundation for success, by guaranteeing every user is actively using Okta before migrating everything else over.
• Deliver immediate value to customers, by giving users direct experience of security improvements (MFA prompts) and frictionless authentication through Okta.
• Drive immediate user engagement with Okta; email is the app users access constantly.
• Ensure smooth app rollouts in the future, by familiarizing everyone with Okta through a positive first experience.
• Catch and resolve directory sync issues early, before they cascade into greater challenges when more apps are added.
• Deploy Okta to customers in less than a day instead of waiting until every app is integrated.

This approach also provides a natural checkpoint. Once email and identities are stable and users experience how easy it is to authenticate with Okta, MSPs can confidently begin integrating other applications.

Fast, efficient deployments with Okta and ZeroTek

You might wonder:
“If we focus on directories and secure business email with Okta first, will that slow down deployment?”

Not at all. In fact, it’s the most effective way to accelerate Okta deployments.

Here’s why: guided by ZeroTek’s field-tested best practices for Okta directory integrations, you’ll spend less than two hours on each integration (on-prem AD, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace).

MSPs who use ZeroTek to deploy Okta don’t waste time figuring out how to optimize configurations. We guide you through:

• Simplifying Okta’s complexity for MSP use cases.
• Hardening security without sacrificing manageability for you or usability for your customers.
• Designing scalable deployments that grow with your customers.

Okta is powerful—but without the right approach, it can feel overwhelming. ZeroTek makes it simple.

Next steps: expanding Okta security beyond email

Once you securely integrate identity directories, protect email, and confirm everything works as it should, MSPs can strategically add more applications to Okta, such as:

• File storage platforms (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive)
• Collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams)
• Financial or HR systems
• Industry-specific SaaS apps

Thanks to Okta’s massive catalog of over 8000 pre-built app integrations, you can set up secure SSO access to most apps your customers need in minutes, not hours.

This incremental expansion ensures that each new integration benefits from a stable, secure identity foundation, reducing risk and simplifying management.

Conclusion: Secure what matters most, first

In cybersecurity, priorities matter. For MSPs, the smartest way to protect clients and deliver immediate value is to secure identities and business email with Okta before anything else.

This approach:

• Protects the most common and consequential attack vector.
• Ensures all users engage with Okta from day one.
• Creates a scalable, secure foundation for future growth.
• Enhances both security and user satisfaction.

At ZeroTek, we’ve helped countless MSPs implement this strategy successfully. By focusing on what matters most first, MSPs can turn identity management from a challenge into a competitive advantage.