10 Signs Your Company Should Hire an IT Security Consultant

How prepared are you for a cyber attack?

Business owners confident with their security will be quick to answer yes. In fact, over 87% percent of businesses say their cyber security is up to scratch. Yet, the massive volumes of data compromised every month suggest the opposite.

That means businesses are failing to identify when they need greater expertise. So how do you know when to admit you need someone with more knowledge?

Below, we’ve put together a list of 10 key signs your business should hire an IT security consultant.

Sign #1: You Haven’t Audited

Is your confidence in your security based on vague assumptions or a full security audit?

Many businesses don’t want to take the time or spend the money to perform a full security check-up of their systems. That’s not surprising. It’s disruptive and can mean entire teams end up pulled away from key tasks.

But it’s also not optional. Strong cyber security undergoes rigorous assessment. Without that, it’s just theory.

Carrying out a complete audit of your security policies is the only way to be confident they’ll work in practice. The best way to do that is to bring in a security consultant. They’ll look at your systems without bias and tell you where you’re weakest.

Sign #2: You’re Dealing With Outdated Tech

Know how hackers see outdated systems? A free lunch.

Hackers love obsolete hardware and software. They know its vulnerabilities, and they can be sure that patches haven’t removed them. Even if they’re not experts, hacking your system will be as simple as following a recipe written by someone who came before them.

But many businesses fail to keep on top of updates. Even large-scale organisations like the UK’s NHS run on outdated software—even on outdated operating systems. In many cases, these are systems their designers have stopped supporting.

This results in events like the WannaCry attack, as hackers use outdated architecture to seize control.

If you’re working with outmoded systems, you need a security consultant who can upgrade you to safe and supported technology.

Sign #3: Your Industry is Under Attack

It’s the nature of economics that some industries will become more prominent than others. That means the priority of hackers can also change over time.

If your industry has suffered attacks recently, it could be time to take a look at your own security. Security is preventative, after all.

Bringing in an IT security consultant could ensure you’re not the next big target in your industry to suffer a cyber attack. Treat the news like a severe weather warning.

Preparing yourself will be far better than trying to fix things afterwards.

Sign #4: You Lack Expertise

Even if you have an in-house IT team, you might not have the expertise to contend with cyber security.

Digital security is a very specialised field. It’s also changing all the time, as the arms race between hackers and security experts continues. For many businesses, it’s not economical to keep dedicated experts.

But without expertise, you leave yourself vulnerable. That’s where a security consultant can turn things around. Security is their core focus, so by default, they’ll know more about it than you.

They’ll understand how to apply that knowledge in a practical way.

Sign #5: You Don’t Have a Plan

No digital-enabled business can wholly protect itself against cyber threats. A dedicated hacker can beat even the best security and find new vulnerabilities.

That’s why having a plan of action is a vital part of your security. In the immediate confusion of an attack, defined processes will form your disaster response.

Without solid security processes, your response to a situation will end up confused and unfocused.

A security consultant can help you define your processes, including everything from data handling to crisis response. That reduces the chances of something happening in the first place, and also gives you a set of actions to take if it does.

A consultant is a shortcut to access better tech to replace your out-of-date systems. They’ll know the right systems for you, taking into account your budget and your business size.

The right consultant can work with you to build a bespoke plan for your business. That way, you’re spending for exactly what you need to protect yourself.

Your consultant will also help you handle implementation, to avoid another burden on day-to-day operations.

Sign #7: You’re Expanding

Businesses open themselves up to cyber threats when they expand.

It’s simple logistics. The larger your operation, the more points of failure you introduce. But it also goes deeper than that.

Project managers often place cyber security quite low down in their list of priorities. That means recently expanded systems are some of the most vulnerable. Security considerations only come with time, if they ever do.

Many businesses are also now making the move to the cloud. That’s a whole new arena of cyber security. It’s easy to overlook the implications of that. Cloud computing demands more rigorous security, both in tech and staff conduct.

Getting in touch with a security consultant will ensure your cyber security remains as strong as possible even as your business expands. They’ll draw up plans for how you can expand safely and adapt to new vulnerabilities.

The ability to expand quickly gives huge advantages to the modern business. You can take advantage of new trends without leaving yourself vulnerable to new threats.

Sign #8: You Can’t Meet Compliance Standards

If a few decades of digital movement have shown us anything, it’s that our laws aren’t yet ready to deal with our tech.

However, the way we handle tech is changing. Governments are placing increased focus on regulations to control the way businesses access and use data. Businesses can expect tougher compliance standards to meet as time goes on.

That also means a company will be liable for when things go wrong. A single data breach could bring down your business if the financial penalties are steep enough.

Recruiting a security consultant with specialist knowledge in your industry could help protect you. They’ll offer expert insight into how your company needs to change to meet compliance regulations. In the long run, that could save you from legal action and collapse.

Sign #9: You Want to Focus on Your Core Business

The pressure to multitask is the Achilles heel of many a modern business.

External pressures force companies to exert energy on non-core areas. IT, compliance, environmental policies, and a whole host of other concerns pull your focus away.

This can come at a crippling cost to your core business. It pulls valuable time and resources away from activities that will directly grow your company.

That’s why so many businesses look to consultants and managed services to keep their plates spinning. Hiring an IT security consultant can bring your cyber security up to scratch while paying just a flat fee. You can keep the rest of your resources where you need them.

If your competitors are trying to handle everything in-house, that gives you a huge advantage. You’ll continue to develop your business while they fall apart trying to keep up.

Sign #10: You Need Cost Efficiency

One of the big barriers facing modern companies when it comes to tech is the cost involved.

Some costs, like hardware and software licenses, are obvious. But less apparent is the cost of expertise.

Certification and qualification for modern IT professionals take a lot of time and money, so they expect wages to match. You’ll also pay out all the usual employee benefits.

There’s also the fact that you may only need security experts in the short-term. Monitoring your data security is much less labor-intensive than establishing it in the first place.

Working with a consultant could be the cost-effective way to upgrade your security.

For a fixed fee, you can get all the same advantages as hiring a new team – without the financial burden.

A Security Consultant Could Save Your Company

Ultimately, opting to reach out to a security company could save your company from reputation damage and extreme financial loss. Methods to overcome security grow more sophisticated every day.

No company is immune to cyber attacks. The first step to staying safe is to admit you’re not an expert and find someone who is.

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