“We’ve already got an IT company.”
It’s one of the most common things I hear, and my answer is always the same.
“Good. Keep them.”
If you’ve found an IT provider you trust, you’ve already done one of the hardest things in business. They understand your organisation, your staff and your systems. So why would you bring a cyber security specialist into the picture as well?
It’s a fair question, and one that’s become more relevant as technology has changed.
IT has become a much bigger job
When I started working in IT nearly 30 years ago, keeping a business running looked very different. The priority was straightforward: keep the computers working, fix problems when they appeared and help people get on with their day.
Today, that same role often includes managing cloud platforms, Microsoft 365, remote working, identity, compliance, backups, cyber insurance requirements and an almost constant stream of security updates. None of those responsibilities arrived overnight. They accumulated, one by one, as technology became more capable and businesses became more dependent on it.
That’s not a criticism of IT providers. Quite the opposite. The role has expanded enormously because the technology they support has expanded with it.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the most experienced IT professionals rarely pretend to know everything. Many have built excellent cyber security capability themselves. Others recognise that some situations benefit from specialist input, just as a builder brings in a structural engineer when a project calls for it. The customer isn’t interested in who does which part of the work. They simply want the right expertise when they need it.
After nearly 30 years in IT, I’ve worked alongside a lot of IT providers. The good ones have never seen specialist cyber security as a threat. They see it as another way of looking after their customers, and I’ve always respected that approach.
This isn’t about replacing your IT provider
One of the biggest misconceptions I come across is that bringing in a cyber security specialist somehow means replacing your existing IT company. In my experience, the opposite is usually true.
Your IT provider already knows your business. They understand your systems, your users and the countless little details that never appear in a network diagram. That knowledge is invaluable and it can’t be recreated overnight.
A cyber security specialist brings something different. Not ownership of the customer or control of the relationship, but another perspective. Someone whose day-to-day focus is reducing cyber risk, keeping up with emerging threats and helping organisations strengthen their security. Those skills should complement each other rather than compete.
Businesses aren’t interested in supplier politics. They don’t care who spotted a problem first or whose logo is on the polo shirt. They care that somebody identified the issue, worked together and kept the business running. That’s been my experience throughout my career, and it’s still true today.
How we work
That philosophy has shaped the way we’ve built Black Swan Cyber Security Solutions.
We’ve never measured success by replacing someone’s IT provider. In fact, many of our strongest relationships are with MSPs and internal IT teams who simply want another specialist around the table when cyber security needs a deeper level of focus.
Sometimes that’s helping a customer achieve Cyber Essentials. Sometimes it’s reviewing security controls before a cyber insurance renewal. Sometimes it’s providing an experienced second opinion when something doesn’t quite feel right. Whatever the reason, the objective is always the same: support the existing IT team, reduce risk and do what’s right for the customer.
It’s a straightforward way of working. Respect each other’s expertise, share information openly and put the customer first. Everything else usually falls into place.
The strongest organisations rarely rely on one person or one company to do everything. They bring together the right people for the right job, and everyone works towards the same goal.
Your IT provider keeps your business running. We help them keep it secure.
