Be confident about your security defences.

You know you need to protect the business from cyber attackers…

But where do you start?

That’s where my Secure Foundations Assessment can help.

It focuses on the 10 key security measures that can significantly reduce the risk of your firm being the next victim of the most common cyber attacks.

The Secure Foundations Assessment delivers actionable advice and strategies to make sure your bank accounts, emails, documents, and staff are not easy prey for cyber attackers.

My assessment will ensure you:

  • Know how to create a secure foundation for your business.
  • Reduce the likelihood of being the next victim of the most common attacks.
  • Save time and money by making sure you’re investing in security measures that will make the most significant difference.
  • Feel in control and confident about your security defences.
  • Be able to answer with confidence when your clients and regulators ask about how you are managing the risks.
  • Prepare the ground so you can then align your cyber security measures to the specific expectations of regulators (e.g. aligning to CBoI’s guidance of 2016; complying with the DORA regulation that applies in January 2025).

 

Secure Foundation Assessment (Workshop Edition)

Outcome:

  • Clear action plan that focuses on securing the common pathways and targets for cyber attacks: Humans, Email system (e.g. Microsoft 365), and Devices.

How:

  • This is an interview-based assessment.
  • The assessment is based on my structured questionnaire, which probes into the key elements of a secure foundation.
  • I will walk through this questionnaire with you, during 2 x 60-minute workshops.
  • The information that emerges from these workshops will identify the key actions required to improve your security foundation.

Deliverables:

  • A short recommendations report, written in Plain English, summarising:
    • The key actions discussed during the workshops.
    • The benefit and likely cost of each action.
    • The relative priority of each action.
  • A 30-minute walkthrough (via MS Teams or Zoom) of the recommendations report, so we can address any questions or comments you have.
  • Check-In / Review Workshop: 3 months after completion of the assessment, we will meet for 30 minutes (via MS Teams or Zoom) to review your progress and identify ways to sustain / regain momentum.

Cost:

  • Standard Option:
    • The engagement takes about 4 weeks: Workshops are scheduled in week 1 and/or 2, the recommendations report is delivered in week 3 or 4, and the walkthrough is completed in week 4.
    • This is a good option if you are not under pressure to get an assessment completed, or if you are unable to prioritise your time for the workshops.
    • The fee for this option is €950 + VAT.
  • Express Option (subject to my availability):
    • This compresses the timelines to 1 week.
    • This is a good option if you are under pressure to get an assessment completed, or you want to just get this off your to-do list as soon as possible.
    • The fee for this option is €1,450 + VAT.

Secure Foundation Assessment (Audit Edition)

What:

  • Everything in the Workshop Edition, plus…
  • A more in-depth and independent security assessment of your systems, policies, and processes.

How:

  • The assessment is driven by a set of questionnaires, checklists, and frameworks, which I have developed to evaluate the current security defences of an organisation.
  • Alongside the 2 x 60-minute workshops, it will also include independent assessments, such as:
    • A review of any findings / reports from any previous security assessments / tests
    • A review of your current risk register and/or risk controls.
    • A review of any policies or procedure documents used within the organisation (e.g. Staff policy; Acceptable Use policy)
    • A review of the organisation’s email environment (e.g. Microsoft 365) .
    • A review of the security configuration of one of the organisation’s desktop PCs or laptops.

Deliverables:

  • A clear and detailed recommendations report, written in Plain English, that will show you how to ensure your most important data and systems are protected with an appropriate cybersecurity foundation.
  • A short executive summary of the recommendations, delivered as a separate PDF file. This could be useful when communicating the key recommendations to internal stakeholders.
  • A project checklist, which will list each recommended action and include a cross-reference back to the detailed recommendations report. This can be used to guide and track your implementation of the recommendations.
  • A 90-minute walkthrough (via MS Teams or Zoom) of the recommendations report, so we can address any questions or comments you have.

Additional Benefits:

  • Check-In / Review Workshop: 3 months after completion of the assessment, we will meet for 90 minutes (via MS Teams or Zoom) to review progress and identify ways to sustain / regain momentum.
  • Self-Attestation Certificate: I will provide a Self-Attestation Certificate which you can complete when all recommended actions have been implemented. This will attest to the steps you have taken to implement a secure foundation and can be shared with external stakeholders (e.g. cyber insurance providers; business partners; regulators).
  • Regulatory assistance for 12 months: I will help you to respond to any regulatory questionnaire / query that you receive within 12 months of the commencement of the engagement (where the questionnaire / query relates to the scope of my work).

Cost:

  • Standard Option:
    • The engagement takes between 6 – 8 weeks: Workshops are scheduled in week 1 and/or 2; the reviews are usually completed in weeks 3-7; the final deliverables and walkthrough will be completed a week later.
    • This is a good option if you are not under pressure to get this completed, or if you are unable to prioritise your time.
    • The fee for this option starts from €3,950 + VAT, depending on the specifics of your organisation,
  • Express Option (subject to my availability):
    • This compresses the timelines to 3 weeks.
    • This is a better option if you are under pressure to get an assessment completed, or you want to just get this off your to-do list as soon as possible.
    • The fee for this option starts from €5,950 + VAT.

 

Standard Payment Terms:

  • Full payment is due in advance.

Guarantee:

  • If you are not completely satisfied with the outcome, just say so and you will receive a full refund.

Next Step

Book your assessment using the form below, so we can get started.


    Workshop EditionAudit Edition


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