How to Find a Cyber Security Provider That Won’t Let You Down

How to Find a Cyber Security Provider That Won’t Let You Down 

At first blush, cyber security can seem like a commoditised service. Most vendors look and sound the same and offer similar services, so it doesn’t matter which company you choose, right?

Not quite.

If you dig a little deeper, you’ll soon see just how varied cyber security providers can be. Go far enough, and the differences between them can be substantial. 

In this article, we’ll help you separate the wheat from the chaff. By assessing potential vendors against the following five criteria, you’ll quickly find the one who best protects your business. 

Technical Ability

The first thing to know about protecting your business from cyber security attacks is that IT support and IT security are different. 

Just because your local IT vendor can help you set up a network and troubleshoot problems with your company laptops, doesn't mean they can build a robust firewall or proactively monitor your network — let alone instil a culture of cyber security in your employees. 

Only consult IT vendors that have a proven technical ability to handle cyber security projects. The service pages on a provider’s website are a start, but read case studies and customer success stories to see if they’ve actually delivered these services to real businesses

It’s great if you can get general IT support and cyber security support from the same provider. But don’t put your business at risk by working with a general IT vendor that lacks the technical chops to keep you safe. 

Customer Satisfaction

Does your current or prospective IT provider declare their customer satisfaction scores? 

No? Then they either aren’t tracking them, or the scores are nothing to write home about. Both are problems

If IT vendors aren’t tracking customer satisfaction scores, it means they don’t care much about the customer experience. After all, the only way to improve your experience is to measure it first. With no way to measure satisfaction levels, there’s no way to improve. 

Poor satisfaction scores can be a bigger problem. Customers don’t tend to leave bad reviews on a whim. There’s usually a reason customers aren’t happy. And if an issue is causing one customer to be unhappy, what’s to stop it from affecting your business, too?

These are the reasons why we emphasise our customer satisfaction scores. Current and prospective clients deserve to know how effectively we handle problems, which is why you’ll find our scores on almost every page of this website. 

Yes, they are very high, but that’s because our clients are our priority. It’s not down to luck that we’ve had a client satisfaction score of 100% since August 2023!

Industry Expertise

There’s a world of difference between partnering with a general cyber security vendor and one with years of experience in your industry. 

The former may do a good job, but the latter will be familiar with all the little intricacies and quirks that make your business unique. Consider your industry’s approach to remote or hybrid work or the level of data protection your industry requires. The needs of a solicitor who stores a lot of client data are going to differ vastly compared to those of a marketing agency. 

They’ll also have a greater understanding of your industry’s cyber security threats. That’s right; threats can vary fairly significantly from one industry to another, so partnering with an industry expert can significantly improve your security posture. 

Value for Money

Is the price too good to be true? Then it probably is. This adage is as appropriate in the cyber security industry as it is anywhere else. 

Just because you’re getting the cheapest quote doesn’t mean you’re getting value for money. 

When the average cost of a cyber security attack is £1,100, opting for a cheaper and less effective vendor could threaten your business's bottom line. 

In almost every case, businesses will get significantly better value for money by choosing a slightly more expensive provider with much more technical experience. It also pays to work with a firm that takes a proactive approach to your cyber security needs, identifying issues or threats before they become a problem. 

Industry Certifications

Would you hire a boiler repair person who isn’t Gas Safe Registered? Or work with an accountant who the ICAEW or ACCA doesn’t recognise? 

No? Then why would you work with a cyber security partner that doesn’t have relevant cyber security certifications?

We recommend businesses only work with security vendors that have Cyber Essentials certification and are ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 accredited. These are the highest cyber security certifications businesses can get and are a testament to the vendor’s knowledge and adherence to safety standards. 

If you want further proof of a potential provider’s capabilities, consider choosing a vendor that is a Cyber Essentials Plus Certification Body. This makes them one of a handful of providers that can carry out Cyber Essentials audits on behalf of IASME, including your own certification. 

Trust Method IT With Your Cyber Security

Choosing the right cyber security partner is an important business decision and one that can have a significant impact on your business’s ability to protect itself from threats. 

If you’re looking for a provider with exceptional customer satisfaction rates, that provides excellent value for money and has all of the relevant cyber security certifications, then speak to a member of our team today. 

At Method IT, we specialise in the accountancy and legal sectors, but can offer cyber security advice to just about any business. With 100% customer satisfaction ratings for the past six months, you can trust us to do an exceptional job.  

Find out whether we’re the right partner for you by booking a free consultation or giving us a call on 0345 521 6111. 

Find out how Method IT can assist you to gain your Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

https://method-it.co.uk/contact