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Finding the right fit: 13 tips for selecting the right cyber security partner

October 19, 2020 | by

You need to find the right cyber security partner for your business. A suitable partner should provide peace of mind that your organisation and its data are safe – but they also need to champion your success.


How can you find a company that really stands out?

Finding a great cyber security partner is a must

Today’s digital society is replete with threat – so much so that enterprises must work with a security partner and integrate risk management into their business operations in order to survive. In addition to simply safeguarding data, businesses are also faced with pressures to keep up with technological innovations to drive growth in productivity.

Taking these issues into consideration, we can assert that the modern business challenge is finding ways to simultaneously secure, support and grow your organisation in the midst of ongoing information and cyber security issues. Perhaps meeting your goals while continuously uplifting security is not just a matter of finding the right cyber security partner – it is a matter of finding an exceptional one. 

Enter outsourcing

Outsourcing is a fairly commonplace practice; employing and maintaining inhouse expertise is only growing more and more costly. This is largely owed to the skill shortage in the cyber security sector, paired with the growing demand to keep on top of persistent threat.

Choosing the right partner is a standard issue for most businesses in today’s competitive market. It is a difficult feat to select a provider who ensures you are getting the peace of mind and level of security that you need, especially when they are all promising similar services and solutions.

When you’re looking at the industry from the outskirts, the market seems fairly homogenous – how do you truly distinguish the right cyber security partner for you?

As a baseline, these are three things that every cyber security provider should deliver:

1. Proactive protection of your company’s data

This lies at the heart of information and cyber security. Cyber criminals and other threat-actors want to steal this data for their own gain. Your partner should always keep you one step ahead.

2. Protection of your company’s reputation

Society is growing increasingly intolerant towards security breaches. Your provider needs to secure your and your clients’ data so as to secure your brand and client trust.

3. Promotion of your company’s business goals

Your chosen provider should ultimately promote the longevity of your business and integrate solutions that will uphold your success.

But you’re looking for excellence, right? Your business needs a cyber security partner that achieves the above while exceeding expectations.

Here are 13 things you should look for when selecting your cyber security partner. These are also qualities that set an exceptional provider apart from the rest:

1. An understanding of the true value of cyber security

Top information and cyber security advisors have to champion and set the directive for security as a process, rather than just as a product they are selling. They will be knowledgeable on past, present and potential future attack trends – and further understand that security is a status that needs to be continuously upheld.

2. Great people with good governance

An excellent cyber security provider should be able to provide expert guidance and executive communication. They should specialise in planning, responding, recovering and reporting security incidents and provide oversight to ensure risks are adequately managed.

3. Compliance expertise

Data security is regulated by a complex set of compliance standards. An outstanding cyber security provider will understand and keep up with the everchanging legislative and regulatory environment.

Further – they will apply this knowledge and experience to your business, ensuring that you are not only meeting your compliance requirements, but remaining compliant.

4. Managed services

This is particularly important for smaller and medium sized businesses that do not have an extensive IT security team. You might want to consider a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that can take-over responsibilities and offer you 24x7x365 monitoring and management of evolving threat.

5. Industry expertise

Top-rated cyber security partners and MSSPs will have clients across a variety of industries and will be able to demonstrate their understanding of industry specific issues. Further, they will actively demonstrate their expertise in catering to the sector.

6. Technical expertise

Understanding the hardware, software and cloud-based solutions that they are working with is key. An exceptional cyber security company will exercise some level of mastery over the technology they are implementing within your organisation – and will ensure that this is the best fit for your needs.

7.The ability to integrate with your team

While dedicated security advisors set themselves apart by offering fully managed services, they also need to demonstrate excellent collaborative skills. A partner should never exclude your IT team, security managers or C-suite from the process.

8. An understanding of supply chain vulnerabilities

You need a provider that will act as a fortified bridge between you, vendors and suppliers. You need to maintain, but also manage your supplier relationships and the best advisors will help you understand the specific third-party risks your organisation is susceptible to. 

9. The ability to get everyone on board

A great information and cyber security firm will assist you in creating a cyber security culture – whether this is through security awareness programs, training, or simply implementation of new projects. They will work towards making everyone feel as if they are part of a cyber security solution – not the problem.

10. The ability to change

Your cyber security partner should display their capacity for change in conjunction with the threat landscape and your organisation’s needs. They need to prove consistent and reliable quality, paired with adaptability and flexibility.

11. Scalable or custom solutions

A lot of companies advertise a wide range of packaged services – but ensure that yours has the capacity to provide you with a custom solution, scaled to your unique needs. An excellent partner will look at your existing controls and clear up confusion about which combination of products you need.

12. Great communication and interpersonal skills

A great partner will act like a seamless extension of your business. They will practice regular communication and relay reports and other information in a timely, accessible manner.

13. A holistic partner

Your cyber security advisor should make it very clear that their goal is to uplift your business – not only your security posture. They will understand their role in your business journey and ultimately add value to your business – whether that may be in productivity, profit, improving your bottom line or helping you gain and maintain compliance.

For more information please contact our cybersecurity professionals today.

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