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Remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools are a growing cybersecurity concern for managed service providers (MSPs) because attackers can misuse the same trusted remote access that technicians need for support. ChannelE2E reported Huntress findings of a 277% year-over-year increase in RMM abuse and RMM involvement in 45% of endpoint-related incidents in early 2026. Those figures signal a risk worth addressing, but the article does not disclose the sample or definitions behind them, so they should not be read as rates for every MSP.
Why RMM tools are attractive to attackers
RMM platforms let technicians remotely administer customer systems. That legitimate role also makes them useful to an intruder who gains access: remote-control activity can resemble routine support, and the access can persist. The central challenge is therefore not simply spotting an unfamiliar tool. It is deciding whether a familiar tool is being used by the right person, on the right system, for an expected task.
ChannelE2E describes RMM platforms as offering persistent access that can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate activity. Its October 6, 2026 report attributes the concern and figures below to Huntress. Read the ChannelE2E report.
What the reported numbers do—and do not—show
| Reported finding | What is established | What remains unclear |
|---|---|---|
| 277% year-over-year increase in RMM abuse | ChannelE2E reported this as a Huntress finding in October 2026. | The accessible article does not specify the denominator, population, or calculation details. |
| RMM involvement in 45% of endpoint-related incidents in early 2026 | ChannelE2E reported this as a Huntress finding. | The article does not define “involvement” or describe the incident sample. |
These are reported findings, not universal rates or a forecast for an individual MSP. An indexed summary of the Huntress 2026 Cyber Threat Report separately describes RMM abuse as 24% of all observed incidents. That is a different measure from the 45% endpoint-related figure; without the original definitions and report pages, the values cannot be directly compared. View the IntelliOS report index.
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How to reduce exposure from RMM access
The reported risk points to a practical priority: limit who can use remote-management systems, then monitor what happens during and after access. The following steps are defensive implications, not configurations that the cited report tested or prescribed.
1. Limit access to operational need
- Review which technicians and service accounts can access each RMM platform.
- Remove dormant or unnecessary accounts and privileges.
- Give each account only the access needed for its assigned work, rather than relying on broad standing access.
2. Monitor sessions in context
When reviewing RMM activity, consider the account, customer endpoint, time, session, and administrative task together. Investigate activity that does not fit a technician’s normal responsibilities or the customer environment. Because legitimate and malicious use can look similar, a tool name alone is not a reliable way to judge whether activity is authorized.
3. Watch for activity after authentication
Authentication is not the end of the investigation. The ChannelE2E report connects the issue with authenticated sessions, mailbox rules and manipulation, and adversary-in-the-middle activity. Extend monitoring to session behavior, identity changes, and mailbox configuration so suspicious activity is not missed simply because a login succeeded.
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4. Treat multifactor authentication as one layer
Multifactor authentication (MFA) can strengthen account protection, but the report discusses identity threats that can bypass traditional MFA. That is a reason to combine authentication controls with session and identity monitoring, not to abandon MFA. A FIDO2 security key may be an option for privileged accounts when the identity provider supports it; verify compatibility and account-recovery procedures before relying on one.
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What the report cannot establish
The accessible ChannelE2E article does not explain the population studied, incident definitions, comparison period, or methodology behind the 277% and 45% figures. It also does not identify a validated configuration or security product that solves the problem. The numbers are best treated as a warning about a dual-use access path, while an MSP’s controls should be shaped around its own accounts, customer environments, and monitoring capabilities.
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