The Benefits of Hiring a Smaller Cybersecurity Firm 

When large businesses go through the process of picking out their cybersecurity partners, they often believe that bigger is better. They spring for the big brand names, and smaller firms rarely get consideration. 

Bigger suppliers receive preference for a number of reasons: large companies often have purchasing policies favoring the biggest vendors, an expectation of reduced paperwork, and a desire to stick with names that have been in the security business for the longest and at the highest levels. 

However, going with a large security partner could actually end up being less cost-effective and more troublesome for your business. 

Misconceptions About Hiring Large Security Vendors 

When companies hire a large cybersecurity firm, they often do so because they prioritize the vendor’s risk profile and the industry relationships they bring to the table. You might be surprised to discover that, compared to smaller vendors, large security companies are often at a disadvantage in these areas . 

With that in mind, let’s explore what these three elements actually look like for large vendors. 

Risk Management 

Oftentimes, businesses choose larger firms for their security because they believe doing so will give them more coverage. There’s a sense of perceived indemnification. Since larger companies have deeper pockets, you might suppose that they have smaller liability concerns, and businesses make selection decisions based on that assumption. 

In reality, the opposite is often true. To manage risk, smaller vendors have to carry at least the same amount of insurance and liability coverage as larger ones, and sometimes more.  

Larger firms get the benefit of the doubt during insurance vetting processes, and that can have a major impact on the quality of their services. A major auditing and services firm’s recent missteps are a perfect example of company practices and quality of service being taken for granted — they were found to be using dozens of inexperienced and untrained workers to perform audits, and paid heft fines as a result. 

When small security firms are looking to get coverage, the vetting from the insurance companies tends to be far tougher. Getting through that hurdle is not inconsequential, so if a small firm is able to do business with you in the first place, they’ve already dealt with a level of scrutiny larger vendors may have avoided. 

Quality Infosec Talent 

Another misconception about security vendors is that the biggest vendors have the best infosec talent. Increasingly, smaller firms are hiring the same talent as larger firms. Because smaller security companies can offer better working environments, they’re frequently able to lure away top talent from their larger competitors. 

As a result, smaller cybersecurity vendors such as Black Kilt have the same depth of experience — and in many cases, the exact same people — that larger firms are known for. 

Vendor Relationships 

There’s also a misperception about larger firms having better relationships with security vendors. Relationships happen on a personal level, not a corporate level. If the smaller firms have the same top talent and have worked with these security products, they’re going to have the same level of vendor relationships no matter what firm they’re at. 

But when it comes to larger security companies, those vendor contacts often come at a price to the client. There may be affiliate agreements between the security firm and their vendors, making the firm a reseller.  

Whether it’s conscious or subconscious, this often results in a bias on projects because it drives up their own revenue and profit margins. They want to push their preferred vendors as your solution, even when that may not be the best solution for your company. 

Finally, larger firms might have competing interests with client needs. In one notable example, a large consulting firm represented both pharmaceutical companies and the Federal Drug Administration, contributing heavily to the opioid crisis. 

Conflicts of interest are more common with larger vendors, and if building relationships through a partner is important to you, this can be a serious problem. 

What Are Some Benefits of Smaller Security Companies? 

The attraction many companies have to larger vendors means that they often overlook the benefits of going with a smaller partner. Smaller firms are great hires for your company because they provide better value, fewer competing interests, and more agility. 

Greater Value 

Smaller firms typically have much less overhead, and they are able to pass those savings along to the client. 

It’s very rare to see a small consulting firm with five or six levels of management for every layer of consultants, which means they have lower operating costs — and fewer expenses to bake into their pricing models.  

Fewer Competing Interests 

Larger security firms often have partnerships and incentives with other companies, which create bias and motivation to push certain products and services. Those allegiances could mean that you get paired with a product that’s a poor fit for your business needs. 

On the other hand, smaller firms are much more likely to be vendor agnostic, which helps ensure that you find the right solution based on your needs, and not on financial interests or partnerships. 

Smaller partners are also beholden to  fewer stakeholders. Unlike large cybersecurity vendors, they aren’t driven by shareholder value, stock prices, or venture capital funding expectations. Smaller infosec companies face fewer distractions and can focus on providing quality service to their clients without compromise. 

More Agility 

Another big benefit of hiring small security partners  is the agility. Small firms are able to pivot and be flexible for clients on an unprecedented scale. Not only do they respond to changing project requirements and market conditions, but they’re also willing to provide more flexible contracts in the first place. 

To simplify things and keep the overhead low, smaller partners write contracts that allow changes without going through a complicated change management process. You often don’t have to deal with change fees because the contract is built to be flexible from the start.  

This is a great advantage for enterprise clients who need very specific accommodations and agreements built into their contracts and also for those that may struggle to adequately define complex projects upfront.  

The Unique Benefits of Hiring Black Kilt Security 

Black Kilt Security prides itself on attracting and retaining the best talent as a small firm. We put our employees first, offering a best-in-class working environment and unparalleled benefits. Because of that, we attract and retain talent that often exceeds that of the larger firms. 

Additionally, all of our consultants come from an enterprise company background. Each is an expert in their specific domain within the security field. We won’t test drive unproven talent on your project. Every engagement is extremely valuable to us and we’ll always bring our brightest and put our best foot forward. 

Our value is unrivaled, thanks to our low overhead and our lean operating structure. And because we have secured the same cyber liability insurance coverage as much larger firms, your engagement is fully protected on all fronts. 

Finally, we make a commitment to remaining vendor agnostic. We’re not an MSP and we’re not a reseller for anybody in the security space.  But, Our Fortune 100 experience affords us relationships with all the top vendors. That frees us up to have relationships with everybody, including our own competitors. 

Let’s start a conversation about the unique advantages of hiring Black Kilt for your enterprise organization.  

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