Surely, you don’t need to hear another alarming cybersecurity statistic to know that all modern-day organizations are in a constant battle to protect their data.

Today, a strong security posture is crucial to reduce the odds of a breach, protect your organization against financial losses, uphold your reputation, and avoid regulatory issues. But robust and sturdy cybersecurity doesn’t come easy. To succeed at a high level requires forward-looking leadership and the right mix of information security talent.

Increasingly, organizations are choosing to engage with third-party partners like who provide can strengthen their defensive armor. Let’s explore the four major reasons you should consider hiring a cybersecurity partner.

1) You’ve Experienced a Cyberattack Already

Cybercriminals are often lazy. They tend to target low-hanging fruits rather than well-fortified systems that require great cunning and finesse to exploit.

That’s why the moment news of a hack starts to make the rounds, copycats come out in force to see how much they can score with as little effort as possible. They probe your networks, looking for the same weak, misconfigured, or unpatched defenses that others used to success.

Studies show that two in three companies that experience an attack will face another one within a year. T-Mobile and MailChimp serve as striking examples of this in action.

• In 2022 and again in 2023, MailChimp, a popular email marketing company, had its IT systems breached by criminals using almost the exact same tactic. Both incidents resulted in attackers looting valuable email lists they later used in elaborate and wide-reaching phishing expeditions.
• The T-Mobile got it even worse. Hacker gangs breached the company a whopping five times in five years, with the most recent attack compromising 37 million customers. This followed on the heels of an even bigger breach in 2021 that involved 77 million people and cost the company $500 million to settle.

Let these stories serve as valuable lessons: If hackers smell blood in the water, they will attack you again and again.

2) You’re Internal IT Staff is Struggling with Cybersecurity

Most small-to medium-sized organizations don’t have the resources to hire a dedicated cybersecurity team. Security duties at these places are typically the responsibility of under skilled IT workers who are juggling multiple roles at once.

You should always aspire to be better than this. If you find that your organization is inadequately protected and vulnerable because your tech staff is stretched too thin, hiring a cyber defense partner is the way to go. Let’s look at why:

Reduce Costs
The cost to hire and retain even a barebones cybersecurity team ranges from $300,000 to $400,000 annually. It can quickly double after you’ve included all the plush benefits and perks that more seasoned IT talent will command. We haven’t even touched on the cost to buy software subscriptions and new hardware to build out your security infrastructure.

However, remember that the biggest cost savings are achieved by preventing cyberattacks! IBM recently estimated that the average cost of recovery after a breach is $4.45 million.

Focus on Business Outcomes
Unless cybersecurity is your organization’s central mission, each moment it draws your leadership’s attention is time not devoted to core business tasks. A lack of focus equates to lost revenue and missed growth opportunities.

Putting your core responsibilities in the back seat isn’t a winning business strategy. With a partner, we bear the heavy lifting of day-to-day cybersecurity, while your employees concentrate on innovation and adding value.

Share Responsibilities
Sometimes a helping hand can make a huge difference. In these situations, sharing responsibilities through co-managed cybersecurity might be the best path forward.

Under a co-managed arrangement, a third-party security partner comes in to reinforce operations with specialized infosec skills the organization may not have in-house, such as cloud security, compliance officers, mobile security, penetration testing, forensic analysis, incident response, threat detection, and vCISO.

3) You’re in a Regulated Industry

Operating in a regulated industry means you face increased pressure to safeguard not only against cyber threats but also government scrutiny. Regulated companies often handle sensitive financial data, medical records, confidential documents, and classified information. To criminal hackers, this is the jackpot.

HIPAA, HITECH, PCI-DSS, and a sprawling cornucopia of lesser known but equally important regulations exist to provide enhanced protection for patients, customers, and government entities who share their data with others.

But given all the arcane nuances of each regulation, navigating the complex compliance landscape isn’t for the faint of heart. Regulatory penalties, which reach tens of thousands or even millions of dollars, can be levied for even minor mistakes.

A qualified cybersecurity partner is an invaluable resource for guiding your team through this thorny environment. Their expertise, resources, and support ensure that your organization not only meets high standards for security, but also remains compliant with all industry-specific regulations.

4) In Reality, All Businesses Needs Cybersecurity Help

Cybersecurity is like a Ferris wheel; there’s always a constant cycle of new threats. We hope it’s obvious by now that everyone—especially small-and mid-sized organizations—can use at least a little help in fighting back.

The right partner is an ally at your side, with the proper weapons and tactics required to reduce the likelihood of a successful attack. Here are a few questions to ask a potential IT security partner to see if they’re up to your challenge.

Explore their Track Record – You need a partner who can demonstrate a proven record of success in detecting and responding to the full gamut of trending cyber threats and incidents. The questions here can include:

• Do you have a solid history of working with organizations of our size in our industry?
• Can you provide information on your client-to-personnel ratio?
• Can we interview a few clients about critical incidents you’ve helped them successfully thwart or recover from?
• Has your business ever been hacked successfully? When, why, and how did it happen?

Know their Incident Response Capabilities – Thoroughly vet the partner’s IR capabilities and gauge if they’re qualified to handle all the deeply technical aspects of modern cyber defense. Should the worst happen, you don’t want to find out your partner is all bark and no bite.

• Explain your standard SLA and incident response services.
• What technologies and tools do you use to monitor and protect yourself and your clients?
• How do you assess and prioritize the severity of security incidents?
• How do you handle communication and reporting?

Know their Products and Services – Before signing any contract, understand precisely what you’re buying and why you’re buying it. Too often, businesses will later realize that they’re not receiving what they expected.

• What specific cybersecurity products and services do you offer?
• Can you deliver custom-tailored solutions to meet our organization’s unique needs?
• What influential vendor connections do you have?
• Will you provide regular cybersecurity training and awareness sessions for our employees?

Face Cybersecurity Threats with Confidence

Do you feel your business isn’t as secure as it should be? We’re here to help. Contact the friendly Astute Technology Management team at any time at 614 389 4102 or [email protected] at any time. Our friendly cybersecurity experts are happy to answer your questions.