Case Study
Independent Cybersecurity Advice
Property Investment Advisor
Building confidence through independent cybersecurity advice
The client is a Gold Coast Property Investment Advisor that works with clients across Australia. As the business grew, so did the importance of protecting the sensitive personal, financial and property information entrusted to it.
Client
Property Investment Advisor
Service
Independent Technology Advisory
Engagement
April 2023
Delivered
A selected managed cybersecurity provider
Independent cybersecurity advice for a growing business
This case study follows a Property Investment Advisor’s search for a managed cybersecurity provider. Following a security assessment in 2023, the Property Investment Advisor identified an opportunity to strengthen its cybersecurity maturity. Rather than approaching the market without a clear understanding of what was required, the business engaged Wild Squirrel Technology as an independent technology adviser.
Starting with requirements, not products
We began by assessing the Property Investment Advisor’s requirements and translating its business risks into a detailed specification for a managed cybersecurity service.
The objectives
What the Property Investment Advisor wanted to achieve
The objectives were clear:
- Improve overall cyber risk management
- Reduce the likelihood and potential impact of an incident
- Improve recovery capability
- Give management better visibility of the organisation’s security position
Independent cybersecurity advice in practice: a structured RFP
Wild Squirrel Technology then developed a comprehensive Request for Proposal and took it to market. Potential providers were assessed against clearly defined requirements covering areas including:
Endpoint and email protection
Firewall management
Vulnerability management
Automated threat detection and response
Reporting
Controls informed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight
Representing the Property Investment Advisor’s interests
Importantly, we weren’t selling the cybersecurity service ourselves. Our role was to represent the Property Investment Advisor’s interests, help the business understand its options and identify the specialist provider best suited to its requirements.
Beyond the managed security service
The engagement extended beyond the managed security service. We also helped the Property Investment Advisor investigate complementary backup and recovery services, ensuring that requirements outside the selected provider’s scope were addressed rather than overlooked.
Following the selection process, the Property Investment Advisor appointed a specialist cybersecurity partner to implement the recommended controls and provide ongoing security monitoring.
The result
When we caught up with the Property Investment Advisor the following year, the business had grown from eight people to a team of 21 and moved into larger premises. More importantly for the project, the selected cybersecurity provider remained in place and was monitoring the Property Investment Advisor’s systems around the clock.
Eight people to 21, with the provider still monitoring around the clock.
We now have them engaged and monitoring our systems 24/7; great to have that peace of mind.
The company’s CFO
For the Property Investment Advisor, the result wasn’t simply another technology product. It was a cybersecurity approach matched to the needs of the business, backed by specialist expertise and selected through an independent, structured process.
Key outcomes
Delivered
What the independent cybersecurity advice delivered
- Independent cybersecurity requirements and provider selection
- Comprehensive RFP based on clearly defined business and security requirements
- 24/7 security monitoring through the selected specialist provider
- Complementary backup and recovery requirements addressed
- Greater confidence and peace of mind as the business continued to grow
Want independent cybersecurity advice before you go to market?
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Independent cybersecurity advice case study FAQs
What is independent cybersecurity advice?
It is advice from an adviser who is not selling the service. For a Property Investment Advisor, Wild Squirrel Technology assessed the requirements, translated business risks into a specification for a managed cybersecurity service, took a Request for Proposal to market and represented the Property Investment Advisor’s interests throughout. We weren’t selling the cybersecurity service ourselves.
What did the independent cybersecurity advice cover for the Property Investment Advisor?
The independent cybersecurity advice included a Request for Proposal. Providers were assessed against clearly defined requirements covering areas including endpoint and email protection, firewall management, vulnerability management, automated threat detection and response, reporting, and controls informed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight.
Why write requirements before approaching cybersecurity providers?
The Property Investment Advisor chose not to approach the market without a clear understanding of what was required. Starting with its business risks meant providers could be compared against the same defined requirements.
Did the engagement cover backup and recovery?
Yes. We helped the Property Investment Advisor investigate complementary backup and recovery services, so requirements outside the selected provider’s scope were addressed rather than overlooked.
What was the outcome of the Property Investment Advisor case study?
The Property Investment Advisor appointed a specialist cybersecurity partner to implement the recommended controls and provide ongoing monitoring. The following year the provider remained in place and was monitoring the Property Investment Advisor’s systems around the clock, as the business grew from eight people to 21.
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