Every organisation, every home, every club and every charity can benefit from having access to the advice and knowledge of a good independent security consultant. However until fairly recently, it was common for organisations of every size to be wary of calling in outside help – sometimes existing staff even feel threatened by the presence of a consultant.
This should never be the case – the consultant is there to assist you, not replace you and if you find a good consultant they will only improve your standing within your organisation, your business’s competitiveness in the market place and even how secure your family and possessions are at home.
To that end here are 5 ways a security consultant can help you:
1. Reduce costs
It may seem counter-intuitive, as the initial costs of a consultant can seem high compared to the monthly salary of an employee, however  when you bring in an external consultant part of their role is to deliver their specialised knowledge to meet your requirements in a cost effective manner.
Bringing in a skilled security consultant will enable you to achieve the best possible security outcomes for the lowest possible costs. Frequently this means your net saving vastly outweighs the initial costs of the consultant.
Additionally, using consultants for security surveys and assessments releases you from the ongoing costs (pension, sick pay, leave, training etc) and means that you can budget simply for the periods you need the work rather than having an employee all year round.
2. Bring Fresh Ideas
External consultants can bring best practice knowledge from a wealth of environments across different industry sectors – and it is very unusual for your security situation to be so unique it has never been faced, and solved, elsewhere.
By having access to the ideas provided by an external consultant, you can leverage the lessons learned (often painfully) by other organisations without having to suffer in the process.
Additionally, where you have an existing security team, there is the tendency for people to adopt a “corporate” approach to problems which, if left unchecked, can add to the difficulty in finding a solution. By introducing an external consultant – free of your organisations power structures – your security teams can be energised into developing new and better solutions to existing problems.
3. Reinforce Security’s position & overcome roadblocks
The consultant should be used to dealing with all levels of management and can frequently be presented as a significant contribution to your organisations goals.
The very presence of an external consultant presents a clear indication of commitment to achieve a security objective which can overcome doubts within your organisation as well as presenting an independent view point on what best practice is within your industry.
4. Support Management
The security consultant is there to support and assist. They are not there to replace people or to undermine management have find people to blame.
A good security consultant will work to develop improved security controls within your organisation and this always requires management commitment. To this end, your consultant will strive to engage all levels of management, educate them about the security risks and opportunities, and how security can enhance your business to ensure that the commitment is nurtured and developed throughout the project lifespan.
5. Build a framework for future improvements
Your security consultant should also ensure that during their time with your organisation they help you develop a robust and practical security management framework that will allow you, and your security team, to continue to improve long after they are gone.
When it comes to security, there is no end state at which you decide something is secure, improvements must be constant and incremental. Even with the best security team in the world, bringing in an external consultant can revitalise existing work streams, help streamline and simplify process and ensure that your business is best placed to prosper in the ever changing threat environment.
If you want to discuss how a security consultant can benefit your particular organisation in more detail then get in touch today.
