Independent cyber security advice for UK regulated businesses
Independent advice and fractional Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) support for financial, legal and professional services firms of 500 to 2,000 people. No vendor commissions, no conflicted recommendations, and one named person accountable for the advice you act on.
The problem
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rarely lose control because of an exotic attack. They lose it through a handful of everyday gaps, and the same five come up in almost every review.
A convincing email or a fake sign-in page hands over a password, and often the session behind it.
Addressed through FoundationShared accounts, old leavers still enabled and administrators who hold rights they rarely use.
Addressed through FoundationMicrosoft 365 and Azure settings change over time, and nobody checks them against what was agreed.
Addressed through FoundationThird parties with access to your systems or data, and no clear view of how well they protect it.
Addressed through AdvisoryCyber risk sits with IT, so the board cannot see it, question it or show a regulator how it is managed.
Addressed through AdvisoryThe common thread: every one of these gaps comes back to identity and ownership. Nobody is sure who can reach what, and nobody at board level owns the risk. Fix that, and most of the rest follows.
Working together
Both come with the same named accountability. The difference is how much of the work you want us to carry.
For firms that need their baseline kept in good order and proven: Cyber Essentials, a known set of controls, and someone accountable when the auditor asks.
For firms that need security leadership but not a full-time CISO: someone who sets direction, reports to the board and keeps the record straight.
Pricing is agreed after a short diagnostic conversation, once we understand your estate and what your regulators expect.
Why CyberCQR
You already prefer the accountant or solicitor who knows your business to the biggest firm in town. Security advice works the same way: you deal with one person who knows your estate and answers for the advice.
A managed service provider (MSP) that runs your security and then reports on how well it works is marking its own homework. We only advise, so our view of your risk is not shaped by anything we sell.
Most firms on Microsoft 365 already own security features they have never switched on or tuned. We start there, before anyone recommends a new product.
Each recommendation is recorded with the decision taken and who took it. That gives your board a clear record to show auditors and regulators.
Thought leadership
What every board should make sure is in place before a cyber incident.
White paper · Identity and accessHairpinning, split-tunnelling, encrypted blind spots and ransomware access brokers, and the alternatives that work.
Strategy · Identity and accessReplacing standing admin rights with Entra PIM, plus on-premises, multi-cloud and PAM product options.
Getting started
We talk about your organisation, your regulators and what prompted you to get in touch.
We look at identity, access and governance against the five gaps, using what you already have in place.
You receive a written recommendation: Foundation, Advisory, or a defined piece of work, with exactly what you will get.
Tell us about your organisation, your regulators and what is worrying you. We will say plainly whether we can help, and how.
Book a conversation