How to Hire a Cybersecurity Company?
There are many key considerations when looking to hire a cybersecurity company. Depending on your needs, you will be looking for a company to either build your entire cybersecurity strategy or looking for a specific solution that requires a specialist, capable of working in specific areas of cybersecurity with the ability to execute a project in a very specific field.
So, what are core questions that you will want to answer before you hire a cybersecurity company?
1. How long have they held onto their clients?
How many clients have retained their services and/or have been engaged repeatedly by their customer base? You want to know that the company has a good, loyal and longstanding customer base, as this indicates the customer satisfaction of their clients and likely shows a consistency in team staffing as well. Listing clients on the company website is always a red flag, since this attracts unnecessary attention to both clients and the company, increasing the risk of attacks for both.
2. Can the company work with large and small budgets?
Your cybersecurity needs will change and evolve over time and you need a partner that can adapt to those changes as well. Evaluating what types of clients each cybersecurity company retains on their roster will give you an idea of whether that company can adapt to your budget, whether it is big or small. Some companies will be able to adapt to both.
3. Is cybersecurity the core business of the company?
This is a key consideration as more companies are now offering cybersecurity services to their clients. If cybersecurity isn’t a core service in their business, you will need to understand how experienced their team is and how knowledgeable is the company about the always changing cybersecurity landscape. If the company doesn’t maintain seasoned , they are less likely to understand the environment and even less likely to understand how to hire a cybersecurity team to manage their clients needs. They will be more focused on selling you a point solution, rather than being able to help guide you strategically.
4. Is the company security or sales focused?
Is the company focused on security or sales? For instance, are there 20 engineers, but 30 sales executives. That tells you that they are really sales focused rather than investing in the development of their technical expertise and team. It also may be an indicator that they don’t have the staff to properly execute the projects, as they are spending more on resources to hunt for new sales opportunities than growing the implementation team. This often leads to less client retention. So, ask how often they are turning over clients and request more referrals so you can understand how well they can handle your business. You will also want to know that the team who sold you on the company will be the team that works on your strategy and manages the execution.
5. What is the team composition of the cybersecurity company?
How experienced is their team? What is the depth of experience in the team and in what areas of cybersecurity? Today, you have many different specializations in cybersecurity and it’s hard for even a generalist to comprehend more than five or seven areas of cybersecurity. And if they are a specialist, they are probably focusing on one, two or maybe three areas of cybersecurity. While architects may still be generalists, you may require something more specific for your needs. If this is the case, you have to ask how much in-depth knowledge and skill and experience the engineer has in the particular field you need.
6. What is the customer service level during the execution of the strategy and what is after the execution post-launch?
When you’re looking for a cybersecurity company, you’re looking for a long-term partner and not somebody who comes in, executes the engagement and moves on. You will want to know what you can expect from the service levels of the team during the execution, frequency of contact and expectations for collaboration. You will also want to know if you have access to the original team who can perhaps meet with you once a month and discuss some additional issues, regardless of whether additional opportunities will come up, or not post project.
7. Finally, Is the company technology agnostic or are they primarily focused on one or a few types of technology?
Your cybersecurity strategy will require technology as part of the solution. You will want to understand if the company you are considering is primarily focused on one or two technology solutions or are they technology agnostic. This is important because you want the best solution tailored to your specific business needs. You also want to understand if the cybersecurity company is receiving payment for implementing any technology as well as their direct fees to you.