Information security services are not generally considered in the same breath as management consulting, and are usually consigned to the black hole of the IT department. However, this is a mistake. When used wisely, cybersecurity services can have a huge impact on a business, and can potentially make all the difference to its long-term viability if it becomes a target.

It is true that this is a niche area. Information security services are typically Penetration Testing the province of specialised consultancies, or a small department within a much larger organisation. Computer security is not an area that seeks the limelight, and cybersecurity services must be sought out. However, the potential benefits for any business owner are immense.

To begin with, a consultancy firm offering cybersecurity services will have the specialist expertise needed to help you protect your business from hackers and from insider threats. If your business is a small one with very limited turnover, you may think it is immune from hackers. However, many hackers carry out their attacks not from a financial incentive, but simply for the fun of it. These so-called "script kiddies" will often mount opportunistic attacks against any organisation with a computer network that happens to have an unguarded port open to the Internet. This is where the information security services offered by a consulting company can help you harden your computer systems against attack, and improve your incident response and recovery procedures for use after a successful attack.

However, there is more to it than just computer security. There is also the area of formal procedures and internal standards to consider, regulating the behaviour of humans rather than computers. This, as may be expected, is much harder to achieve: humans only rarely consult an algorithm before attempting a routine task. Nevertheless, information security services can lay the foundation of a full Information Security Management System (ISMS), which includes the human element as well as the technical, and which will help to protect the business on all levels and in all departments.

As well as the straightforward hacking scenario, cyber security services from a recognised consulting firm can also play a part in formulating a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for your business. Disaster Recovery, or the restoration of computing workstations and infrastructure, is an absolutely vital part of the BCP, which may be triggered by either a natural disaster or a deliberate attack. This is another area where specialist knowledge and experience can be invaluable, since only the very biggest organisations will have the resources necessary to develop their own in-house expertise in an area that is not called upon every day.