Cybersecurity has become pivotal for businesses in recent years as the frequency and severity of cyberattacks have risen. Businesses not only have to protect their digital footprint but the rise in data they have become responsible for, including financial details, health records, IP, and much more.
However, not all businesses have in-house cybersecurity experts, leaving many to outsource. This not only comes at a great expense but also with significant trust. If the cybersecurity firm falters, its reputation is left in tatters.
With this in mind, cybersecurity pros must constantly stay ahead of the curve. This can be tough to manage with the competing pressures these firms face —especially as they ironically become prime cyber-targets themselves.
Luckily, there are many ways for cybersecurity firms to better protect themselves, improve their efficiency, and become more competitive. In this article, we explore several.
Build a powerful employer brand
It might seem obvious, but what makes a cybersecurity firm the very best in the business is the talent pulling the strings within it.
Yet, with demand accelerating faster than supply, cybersecurity firms not only face the challenge of attracting the best talent, but any professionals at all.
The very first thing these firms must do is prioritise building a powerful employer brand. They need an identity and culture that sets their business apart from others by promising varying career pathways, diversity and inclusion, and performance-related rewards.
Nowadays, a job description and salary aren’t enough. Cybersecurity firms must work tirelessly to sell the bigger picture and hire professionals who will stay for years.
Hire based on interpersonal skills
Firms should also focus on hiring based on interpersonal skills rather than IT skills alone.
While good knowledge and experience concerning network security protocols are important, professionals need to have the confidence to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical clients and other stakeholders. Otherwise, they risk facing strained relationships due to a lack of mutual understanding, leading to security compromises and short client tenures.
Don’t cut back on cost
Additionally, firms must be willing to offer competitive salaries, especially for senior positions. Skimping back on cost can lead to poor hires, which, when made within management positions, can quickly impact the whole business.
Other important costs often undervalued are thorough training programs to upskill employees, ongoing maintenance to ensure hardware and software are optimal, and cyber insurance to protect the firm if it does experience a cyber-attack. For a start-up, these should all be priorities.
Keep abreast of regulatory developments
The cybersecurity landscape moves incredibly fast, especially regulation. Without keeping in tune with new developments, firms won’t be able to adapt their strategies to address new threats and vulnerabilities or correctly advise their clients, leading to fines and various other legal consequences for non-compliance, as well as lost client trust.
Some experts even advise cybersecurity firms to closely follow electoral changes, particularly within the US over the next year. A change in government is likely to introduce new policies that will impact the sector considerably, such as new national defence measures, more regulation for tech companies, and other needs for critical infrastructure. Staying ahead of these shifts can help firms adapt to change ahead of time and stay competitive.
Thought leadership
B2B marketing is crucial for cyber security firms to improve their brand awareness and secure new clients. However, thought leadership can be just as crucial, if not more so.
Why? Essentially, thought leadership involves an executive, such as a founder or CEO, representing their cybersecurity firm to communicate a message to its audiences across social media, the media, and company blogs.
However, instead of selling a service or product like marketing does, thought leadership aims to use the executive’s insights to educate audiences, positioning the executive as an expert. They might predict how AI will shake up the industry, comment on regulations, etc. But anything they do say has to be novel and interesting, and above all, an opinion that others can engage with.
Over time, as more audiences engage with the executive’s thought leadership, their visibility and credibility will grow, which can gradually influence a surge in customers, a better calibre of employees, and even inbound investment.
For advice about the best cybersecurity media outlets to promote your thought leadership to, you can refer to this list, which highlights numerous opportunities for commentary.
Final thoughts
Even while cybersecurity firms should always look for ways to improve their offerings and mitigate any errors as best as possible, it’s important to be aware that mistakes can happen to any firm. Look at what happened to CloudStrike; as the global reliance on cybersecurity rises, so will similar incidents.
What differentiates the best firms is not the absence of mistakes but how they recover and protect their reputations in the aftermath.
