Question 1

Why would I hire cybersecurity consultant vs just using my IT guy?

Accepted Answer

IT focuses on operations: making technology work, keeping systems running, supporting users. Cybersecurity focuses on protection: identifying risks, preventing breaches, meeting compliance requirements. Different skills, different priorities. Your IT person is probably great at fixing computers and managing servers—most weren't trained in security and don't have time to keep up with evolving threats. Consultant brings: specialized knowledge (spends 40 hours/week on security), experience across many companies (seen attacks IT hasn't), and compliance expertise (HIPAA, SOC 2, etc.). Use IT for implementation, consultant for strategy and expertise. Cost: $150-300/hour for consultant vs $50-80/hour IT generalist, but consultant solves in 2 hours what IT researches for 8 hours.

Question 2

How do I know if the security consultant actually knows what they're doing?

Accepted Answer

Ask specific questions: How would you detect credential theft in our environment? What's the most common initial access vector you see? How do you prioritize security improvements? Good consultant gives specific technical answers with examples. Bad consultant gives generic 'best practices' or tries to sell specific products immediately. Check: relevant certifications (CISSP, CISM for strategy, CEH or OSCP for technical), references from similar businesses (don't just take 'enterprise' references if you're SMB), and methodology (should assess before proposing solutions, not pitch products immediately). Red flags: pushing specific vendor without assessment, can't explain recommendations in business terms, or promises 'complete security' (doesn't exist).

Question 3

What should a basic cybersecurity assessment actually cost?

Accepted Answer

For SMB under 100 employees: $3,000-10,000 depending on scope. Typical scope: review current security controls, vulnerability scan, policy review, compliance gap analysis, prioritized recommendations. Deliverable: 20-40 page report with findings and roadmap. Takes 20-40 hours consultant time (1-2 weeks calendar time including scans). Under $3K is probably surface-level only. Over $10K for basic assessment is overpriced unless you're highly complex environment. Ongoing vCISO for implementation: $2K-5K/month for 10-20 hours. One-time assessment is good for roadmap; ongoing vCISO is for actually implementing and maintaining security program.

Question 4

Will hiring consultant actually reduce our cyber insurance costs?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes, by 20-40% if consultant helps implement required controls: MFA, EDR, tested backups, incident response plan, documented security policies. Insurance companies discount for demonstrated security improvements—but you need documentation proving implementation. Consultant ROI: spend $5K-10K on assessment and basic improvements, save $3K-8K/year on insurance premiums. Pays back in 12-18 months. More importantly, consultant helps you avoid claims—one ransomware incident costs $50K-$200K even with insurance (deductibles, coverage limits, business interruption). Prevention value exceeds insurance savings by 10x.

Question 5

What's the minimum engagement that's actually worth it?

Accepted Answer

Half-day security workshop ($1,500-3,000) to identify top 5 gaps and get roadmap. Cheaper than full assessment but gives you direction. Good for: businesses under 30 employees, limited budget, want to know where to start. Full assessment ($5K-10K) worth it when: handling regulated data, considering cyber insurance, experienced security incident, or growing past 50 employees. Monthly vCISO ($2K-5K/month) makes sense at: 100+ employees, compliance requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA), or revenue >$10M making you attractive target. Don't pay for more consulting than you can implement—if you can only fix 3 things this year, half-day workshop tells you which 3. Save full assessment until you're ready to act on findings.

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