You most likely know that businesses’ spending on cybersecurity is jumping by billions annually. Top cyber security consults are making over $3k weekly. Average ones — over $2.5k. But what does a cyber security consultant do exactly? And is it really necessary for your business to spend THAT much on it? Let’s see.
What Does a Cyber Security Consultant Do?
Ok, what is cyber security consulting? Everyone knows (or, at least, has an idea of) what a personal bodyguard is. A security consult is somewhat the same but the threats they are handling are all digital. A good cyber security consulting company would normally consult you on all aspects of cybersecurity:
- IT, cloud, network, web application, Vanta implementation, incident response, etc.
- GDPR compliance & data privacy
- HIPAA, SOC2, ISO, etc.
- Virtual CIO, virtual CTO, etc.
They also help you to conduct audits (SOC audit, GDPR audit, HIPAA audit, etc.). Plus, consultants help you to ensure that everyone in the company knows what to do when trouble comes. They help to train staff to handle minor threats and comply with regulations.
Cyber Security Consultant Responsibilities
Now, what is a cyber security consultant in terms of responsibilities? That is, what exactly does this professional do for you?
Risk Assessment
You may think that you know all the risks your business is facing. But a cyber consultant may discover many more. That’s because you rely on your experience (the risks you’ve already encountered). They, in turn, rely on the investigation (risks that you’ve encountered plus those that exist and may potentially impact you).
More specifically, they
- look for weak spots where hackers could break in
- document these vulnerabilities in detailed reports
- chart out plans to fortify these weaknesses.
Policy Development
So the first thing a cyber consultant normally does is outline the context. Then, you need to do something with this knowledge and they assist you with that, too. They craft rules and guidelines about everything:
- How often must passwords change?
- How to encrypt data? And so on and so forth.
This might seem simple at first sight but, in reality, it requires huge expertise to ensure that all these rules comply with legal standards. That is, they protect you not just from hackers but from fines, too.
Incident Response
You assess risks, you prepare your defense, and then, this defense is breached. Yes, that sometimes happens (alas!). Under this scenario, the cyber security consultant role is to help you manage the issue as efficiently as it is possible. What they may do for you here is
- coordinate the response
- isolate affected systems
- analyze the breach (to bolster defenses for the next round).
Cyber Security Consultant Skills
As you’ve just seen, the scope of tasks a cyber consultant handles for you is pretty wide. This is why they must possess diverse skills. Below are just a few examples of those.
Technical Expertise
Needless to say, a cyber security consultant must, first and foremost, be an expert in
- cyber risk assessment
- ciso consulting
- cloud transformation
- compliance testing
- disaster recovery
- incident response
- network architecture
- penetration testing
- security audit, etc.
They must thus understand both how defenses work and how attacks are carried out.
Strategic Thinking
Strategy is required because attackers always come up with new “creative solutions.” You cannot implement security policies and security solutions that will consistently protect you for years. You need to always think several moves ahead.
Communication
Security training, for which cyber security consultants are, among all else, responsible, requires excellent communication skills. These professionals must know how to translate complex tech-speak into clear action steps for teams. Through communication, they ensure everyone from the boardroom to the break room understands the part they play in keeping the company safe.
Final Thoughts
So what is cyber security consulting in the long run? It’s three different types of consulting: one related to risk assessment, one that focuses on preparing the defense, and one that helps to deal with the risks if the defense didn’t work. It’s thus a hard job that cannot be performed by anyone else but a specially trained specialist.
FAQs
1. What are the most critical areas a cyber security consultant should assess first in a new client organization?
Initially, a cyber security consultant should inspect data storage practices, network security infrastructure, and employee access controls.
2. How can organizations measure the effectiveness of a cyber security consultant’s interventions?
They should monitor key metrics such as the number of security incidents before and after the consultant’s engagement, the response time to incidents, and employee compliance with security policies. Regular audits and penetration testing can also be helpful.
3. Can small businesses afford cyber security consulting, and what should they focus on?
Yes, they can. For small businesses, it should be smart to prioritize high-impact areas such as employee training, securing critical data, and basic cyber hygiene practices.
Also Read: Why Every Business Needs to Invest in Cyber Security Managed Services
