What Cybersecurity Consultants Do, and How to Choose the Right One
What Is a Cybersecurity Consultant?
A cybersecurity consultant is an external specialist you hire to review how secure your organisation is and to help you reduce the risks they find. They then support the technical work needed to put those fixes in place.
The role covers both strategy and hands-on delivery. Some act as a virtual CISO (vCISO). This is a Chief Information Security Officer who works part-time or on contract, guiding security without the cost of a full-time hire.
UK businesses are searching for cybersecurity consultants more than ever, as attacks grow and rules tighten. You can get this expertise through a project consultancy, embedded specialist talent, a managed service, or a blend of these. We compare the options later in this guide.
Why Businesses Hire Cybersecurity Consultants
Businesses hire cybersecurity consultants for two connected reasons: attacks are now common, and the cost of getting security wrong keeps climbing. Most in-house teams cannot cover every threat on their own.
The scale of the problem is clear. The UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 43% of businesses and 30% of charities recall any breaches or attacks in the last 12 months. Among large businesses that figure rises to 74%.
The financial stakes are high too. According to IBM’s report on breach costs, the average UK breach cost reached £3.58 million in 2024. That reflected a 5% year-over-year rise after a decline in 2023.
New regulation adds to the pressure, giving leaders a legal reason to act. Boards now treat security as a governance issue, not a job left to the IT team alone. We cover the specific rules in the compliance section below.
Cybersecurity consultants bring an outside view that in-house teams often lack. They see the same attacks across many clients, so they spot patterns and weak points that familiar eyes tend to miss.
The Cyber Skills Shortage
Even when businesses want to build security in-house, they struggle to find the right people. The talent gap makes hiring slow, and it pushes firms towards consultants and specialist resourcing.
The shortage is global. The ISC2 2024 global cybersecurity workforce study found the workforce gap was 4,763,963 people, with two-thirds of respondents reporting a staffing shortage.
The picture at home is much the same. The UK Government’s UK cyber skills report found that around half of UK businesses (49%) reported a basic technical cyber security skills gap.
This is where we help. We provide vetted security specialists on contract or as permanent hires, so you can add proven skills quickly without a long recruitment cycle. A blended team also works well, pairing your staff with outside experts so knowledge stays in the building once the engagement ends.
What Services Do Cybersecurity Consultants Provide?
Cybersecurity consultants cover a wide range of work, from one-off checks to long-running programmes. As part of our technology resource solutions, we see the same core services in demand across sectors.
- Risk assessment finds and ranks the weaknesses that could let an attacker in.
- Penetration testing runs a controlled, simulated attack to test your defences before a real one does.
- Compliance support helps you meet standards such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.
- Incident response gives you a plan and a team ready to contain and recover from an attack.
- Security awareness training teaches staff to spot phishing and other everyday threats.
- Cloud security protects the systems and data you run with providers such as Microsoft Azure or AWS.
- Vulnerability management keeps track of new weaknesses and makes sure they get patched in time.
- Virtual CISO services supply part-time senior security leadership for firms without a full-time chief.
Risk Assessment and Management
A risk assessment is the starting point for most engagements. A consultant reviews your systems, spots the weaknesses, and ranks them by how likely and how damaging each one could be.
The output is a clear, prioritised list of actions. That list tells you what to fix first and where your budget will have the most effect.
Good risk work weighs the people using a system as heavily as the software itself. Weak passwords and untrained staff cause as many problems as outdated technology. Our approach to managing and mitigating risk treats the human side as seriously as the technical one.
Compliance and Certifications
Many engagements begin with a compliance goal. Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme and a common entry point, while ISO 27001 is the international standard for managing information security. GDPR, the General Data Protection Regulation, adds rules on how you handle personal data.
Regulation is tightening too. Under the new UK cyber resilience law, harmful cyber incidents must be reported to their regulator and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) within 24 hours. A full report must follow within 72 hours.
Rules differ across borders, which makes multi-country compliance hard to manage. We offer cross-border compliance support so teams working across the UK and EMEA can meet local rules.
Penetration Testing, Incident Response and Legacy Risk
Penetration testing checks how far a real attacker could get into your systems. Incident response is the plan you follow when an attack succeeds, so you can limit the damage and get back to normal quickly.
Old technology is a common weak spot. Software that no longer receives security updates gives attackers an easy way in, and many breaches trace back to a system nobody had patched.
We resource and manage end-of-life technology support to close these gaps, using specialist testers or a managed team as the situation needs.
Virtual CISO and Security Leadership
A virtual CISO (vCISO) gives you senior security leadership on a part-time or contract basis. It suits firms that need strategy and board-level guidance but cannot justify the salary of a full-time chief.
A vCISO sets your security policy and guides the roadmap. They can also present the security picture to your board when a decision needs sign-off. The model gives smaller firms access to experience they could not afford full-time.
Consultancy, Specialist Resourcing, or Managed Service?
This is the choice that confuses most buyers. There are three ways to bring in security expertise, and each one fits a different need. Many organisations end up using more than one, and the trick is knowing which to use when.
A project consultancy delivers a defined outcome, such as an audit or a certification. Embedded specialist talent puts a vetted expert inside your team. A managed service hands day-to-day security operations to an outside provider.
| Option | Control | Speed to start | Cost model | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project consultancy | High; you own the outcome | Moderate; scoped upfront | Fixed project fee | A defined goal, such as an audit or certification |
| Embedded specialist talent | High; the expert joins your team | Fast; vetted candidates ready | Day rate or salary | A skills gap you need to fill now |
| Managed service | Shared; the provider runs it | Fast once set up | Ongoing subscription | Continuous monitoring and operations |
For ongoing monitoring and daily operations, managed security services give you a team that watches your systems around the clock.
How to Choose the Right Cybersecurity Consultant
Once you know which route you need, judge providers against a clear checklist.
- Check accreditations such as NCSC-assured status, CREST membership, ISO 27001, and staff holding CISSP or CISM.
- Ask for proof of work in your sector and across the vendors you already use.
- Expect plain answers on what is included, the timeline, and who does the work.
- Request named clients you can speak to about results.
Be wary of anyone promising total protection. No consultant can guarantee 100% security, and the honest ones will tell you so.
The threat keeps rising, which is why this diligence matters. The National Cyber Security Centre dealt with 204 nationally significant cyber attacks in the 12 months to August 2025. That is an average of four every week, up from 89 the previous year.
When you compare cybersecurity consultants, match the provider to the job. For a single project, a focused specialist may serve you better than a large firm. For a multi-country programme, you need a partner who can deliver across borders and stay compliant in each region.
Multi-vendor experience matters as well. Most estates mix technologies from several suppliers, so a consultant who has worked across many of them will settle in faster.
We run 10 offices across EMEA and employ nearly 1,000 consultants. Over 27 years we have delivered more than 6,000 projects for over 120 global clients. You can read more about Penta Consulting, including our accreditations and awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a cybersecurity consultant do?
Cybersecurity consultants review how secure your organisation is and build a plan to reduce the risks they find. They also support the technical work to fix those risks, and some handle ongoing testing and part-time security leadership.
How much does a cybersecurity consultant cost?
Cost depends on the scope and the engagement model, so there is no single rate. A project carries a fixed fee, embedded specialists a day rate or salary, and a managed service an ongoing subscription.
Do I need a consultant, an in-house hire, or a managed service?
Choose a project consultancy for a defined goal or embedded talent for an urgent skills gap. Use a managed service for continuous monitoring, or blend these routes when your needs overlap.
What certifications should a cybersecurity consultant have?
Cybersecurity consultants should hold recognised credentials such as CISSP or CISM, and their firm should carry NCSC-assured status, CREST membership, and ISO 27001. These show that a provider meets accepted UK and international standards.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity consultants give you skills and strategy that are hard to build in-house at short notice. The right choice depends on your goal. Many buyers combine a project consultancy, embedded specialist talent, a managed service, or a blend of all three. Judge each provider on proven experience and a clear scope of work.
We combine all three routes in one partnership. Penta provides vetted security specialists, managed operations, and cross-border delivery across the UK and EMEA. Speak to our cybersecurity team to talk through the route that fits your business.