Are You Misspending Your Cybersecurity Budget?
You have identified a need to boost your cyber security, but you’re not sure whether to hire a cyber security consultant company or search for reputable cyber security contractors. What’s the difference, anyway? And what difference could it make to you which you hire?
What Is a Cyber Security Consultant?
A consultant is someone with specific expert knowledge in cybersecurity and your field of business. They provide the benefit of their experience to advise you on what needs to be done to develop and execute an effective cyber security strategy.
What Is a Cyber Security Contractor?
Like a consultant, a contractor brings highly specialized knowledge and expertise. They may have worked in the same field of business and will have worked on the same types of projects and tasks that you need to be done. A contractor operates according to your guidelines to complete the required work, which may also benefit their experience.
How Are Cyber Security Consultants and Cyber Security Contractors Alike?
When hiring either a consultant or contractor, you bring specific cyber security expertise and experience. They will offer a different, whole-of-industry perspective to help you deliver your cyber security goals.
Neither is part of your permanent workforce, meaning you don’t have the expenses associated with a full-time staff member. This will help reduce costs and address the cyber security skills gap.
How Do Cyber Security Consultants and Cyber Security Contractors Differ?
There are some critical differences between the two roles.
For example, when you hire a contractor, they will usually work full-time for you for a fixed period. A consultant is likely to work part-time for you and other companies while they are providing services to you.
A consultant will evaluate your needs before advising you on what must be done to meet those needs: they will help guide your business. A contractor will be directed by you, evaluate your needs, and then do the work.
You’ll pay a contractor for their work (usually at an hourly rate) when it comes to payment. In contrast, you will pay a consultant per project and implement cyber security solutions.
Are You Overpaying for Cyber Security Consultancy?
As you can see, there isn’t a big gap between cyber security consultancy and contracting. In fact, sometimes they’re the same people, but more about that later. Consultancy is often viewed as being delivered at a much higher level and consequently charged at a much higher rate.
The difference between a consultant and a contractor is that the consultant will help you figure out what needs to be done, while a contractor gets their hands dirty and does the work. But this line has become blurred over recent years.
Businesses pay for consultancy, and the consulting company hires a contractor to do the work. What you have in the end is an expensive contractor.
The answer? Go direct to the contractor, and cut out the consultancy middleman fees. You’ll get more bang for your buck and can use the money saved on upgrading and enhancing your cyber security strategy.
Is your business in need of cyber security expertise?
Do you want to benefit from a specific industry and solution experience at contractor rates instead of consultant charges?
If the answer to these two questions is ‘yes,’ contact Tiro Security today.
We have experience in saving clients over 30% of their consulting costs with no compromise in quality.