What are the responsibilities of a cybersecurity consultant?

Up until a few years ago, you could protect your business adequately from cyberthreats by installing a firewall and antivirus software on your work devices. Considering the rapid pace at which new cyberthreats emerge and existing ones evolve, your business needs the expertise of a cybersecurity consultant to ensure that your cyber defenses are always adequate.

What is a cybersecurity consultant?

A cybersecurity consultant is an information security expert who helps businesses determine their cybersecurity risks and the measures they need to take to mitigate those risks. They are also sometimes called information security consultants or cybersecurity advisors.

Cybersecurity consultants are rarely full-time employees. Instead, they are usually hired on a per-project basis to assess a specific cybersecurity concern or to help implement a new cybersecurity strategy. After the project is complete, the consultant may be retained to provide advice and support as needed.

What does a cybersecurity consultant do?

Cybersecurity consultants may specialize in certain requirements or industries. For example, some may be specialists in regulatory compliance. But in general, cybersecurity consultants perform the following tasks:

• Analyze threats and system vulnerabilities through routine checks and tests
• Develop, implement, and update protocols for detecting and preventing cyber incidents
• Train employees in cybersecurity awareness and best practices
• Provide supplementary guidance to the client’s in-house IT team
• Provide sound IT advice based on the latest cyberthreats and data security trends

Why should you hire a cybersecurity consultant?

Cyberthreats continue to evolve, becoming more and more dangerous to businesses with time. Ransomware, for instance, can now compromise cloud-based systems in what is called a ransomcloud attack. Working with a cybersecurity consultant can help your business stay prepared and equipped to face such changing threats for the following reasons:

1. Consultants possess specialized knowledge and experience

If you already have an internal IT team, you may think hiring a cybersecurity consultant is nothing more than a redundancy, but you’d be wrong. IT professionals specialize in various fields, and those that comprise your in-house team may be well-versed in network administration or software development but lack the necessary cybersecurity expertise. Putting them in charge of your business’s data security could result in a suboptimal cybersecurity infrastructure.

Cybersecurity consultants, on the other hand, specialize in information security. They know the cybersecurity landscape well and are up to date with the latest cybersecurity trends. As such, they can provide your business with a thorough assessment of your cybersecurity posture and make well-informed recommendations for improvement.

2. They offer objective solutions

Because a consultant is technically an outsider to your company, they can provide an objective perspective on cybersecurity issues. Oftentimes, cybersecurity concerns are not immediately apparent to those within the company who are too close to the problem. A consultant can help you identify potential cybersecurity risks that you may have otherwise overlooked.

What’s more, a consultant’s third-party status means they are not as affected by internal company politics as full-time employees are. This allows them to make cybersecurity recommendations that are based solely on what is best for the company, not on what will further the agenda of any particular person or group. For instance, a consultant may recommend the implementation of a new cybersecurity solution even if doing so means replacing an existing system that is championed by a powerful individual within the company.

3. They can help educate your employees

As they perform their daily tasks, employees are exposed to cybersecurity risks through a variety of channels, such as email, the internet, and social media. Oftentimes, these risks are not immediately apparent, and employees may inadvertently put the company at risk by clicking on a malicious link or opening a phishing email.

A cybersecurity consultant can help educate your employees on how to identify cybersecurity threats and how to avoid them. Increasing their awareness transforms your employees from a potential vulnerability into a veritable cybersecurity asset. Doing this also empowers them to take an active role in protecting the company, which can further strengthen your cybersecurity posture.

If you’re looking to improve your cybersecurity posture, hiring a cybersecurity consultant is a step in the right direction. At [company_short], we have cybersecurity specialists who can help you augment your company’s cyber defenses and equip you to face any cybersecurity risk. Contact our IT experts now to get started.