How Cybersecurity Consulting Can Elevate Your Cybersecurity Strategy

Under the misconception that hackers primarily target large corporations, small and medium-sized operations sometimes see cybersecurity expenses as unnecessary. The hard data demonstrates nothing could be further from the truth. On the contrary, cybersecurity consulting services are not utilized nearly enough to mitigate the real risks faced by most businesses.

According to the Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigation Report, 61 percent of small and mid-sized businesses were targeted by hackers. And 46 percent of breaches struck companies with less than 1,000 employees. These startling statistics show why small and medium-sized companies require cybersecurity consulting equally if not more than large corporations.

• Ransomware Attacks: Upwards of 37 percent of impacted companies employed less than 100 people.
• Malicious Emails: Small businesses receive the highest rate of hackers’ electronic messaging schemes.
• Social Engineering: Small business workers experience 350 percent more attacks than those at big corporations.

This information highlights the fact that criminals are trolling the internet looking for businesses with lackluster cybersecurity defenses. Those are the reasons why 23 percent of small businesses rank cybersecurity threats as a primary concern.

A digital thief, banging away on a laptop in a foreign land where extradition is a non-factor, considers a U.S. company without a cybersecurity strategy low-hanging fruit just ripe for the picking. The good news for hard-working entrepreneurs and professionals is that outsourcing cybersecurity is cost-effective. You can utilize scalable services to create a cybersecurity strategy and harden your posture.

What a Cybersecurity Consultant Brings to the Table

A cybersecurity consulting firm identifies vulnerabilities by conducting a cybersecurity risk assessment. The process looks for inherent vulnerabilities that involve unsecured endpoint devices, outdated software, and a lack of cybersecurity awareness training. It may come as something of a surprise, but upwards of 95 percent of data breaches can be attributed to human error, according to the World Economic Forum.

The third-party firm compiles a report for leadership members that provides actionable intelligence regarding their risk. This allows them to make informed decisions about creating an effective cybersecurity strategy. By working with a cybersecurity consultant to regularly update the plan and defensive tools, the outfit can meet emerging threats.

Benefits of Hiring A Cybersecurity Consulting Firm

Working with a cybersecurity consulting firm can be an essential part of an organization’s growth projections. Third-party cybersecurity and managed IT providers work closely with businesses to deliver as-needed services. These rank among the most prevalent benefits companies gain by developing and managing their cybersecurity strategy with a third-party consulting firm.

• Reduce Overhead: Decision makers can either hire additional in-house IT staff to handle growing cybersecurity needs or outsource. This cost of new hires is generally more expensive than integrating monthly cybersecurity services into a budget. That’s largely because salaries have risen, and staff members will require ongoing training as well. A third-party outfit brings the latest cybersecurity thinking to the job every day at a reduced cost.
• Cutting Edge Tools: Third-party firms maintain a laser focus on emerging hacker threats and how to thwart them. They utilize the latest technologies and strategies to maintain the best possible defenses. Although hackers continue to devise new schemes, a cybersecurity consultant can help you create robust defenses to frustrate cybercriminals, so they try elsewhere.
• Prevent Lawsuits: When a network is breached, client and employee records are often exposed. They may be used to drain bank accounts, leverage credit cards, or be sold on the dark web. The losses suffered by clients and workers may prompt them to file a civil lawsuit for damages. If your organization did not adequately protect its sensitive data, the financial and reputational damage could put you out of business. Having a cybersecurity strategy in place demonstrates you did everything possible to protect their information.
• Disaster Recovery Plan: Although cybersecurity awareness training can be part of a sound strategy, even dedicated employees make mistakes. Should one of your front-line workers click on a malicious link or download a malware-laced file, a forward-thinking cybersecurity strategy involves a recovery plan. This may entail daily backups that secure data offline or in multiple Cloud locations. The point is that regardless of whether someone errs, your company can survive an attack.

In cases where organizations have an IT team in place, cybersecurity specialists can work with staff members to provide material support. This may involve handling portions of the cybersecurity strategy or monitoring the system after hours. The point is that a cybersecurity consultant can take on the entire process or supplement managed IT needs.

What Cybersecurity Consulting Can Do for Your Cybersecurity Strategy

There’s no reason your data needs to be harvested like low-hanging fruit. At CyberTeam, our managed IT and cybersecurity consulting experts have the experience and technology you need to protect your company from a data breach. We start by conducting a cybersecurity risk assessment to gain a clear understanding of your strengths and vulnerabilities. Then we work diligently with decision-makers to create and implement an effective cybersecurity strategy. Schedule a cybersecurity risk assessment today.