In my latest Cybersecurity Awareness Month post, we talked about how you can get started in cybersecurity. Now, it’s time to talk about profit – but not in the way you might expect.
The Secret to Security
Yes, this industry pays well, but there’s a bigger secret that no one is talking about: using security to capture revenue.
Allow me to tell you the story of one of the largest logos I won when I owned my company. I had been out hustling for about ten months when I got an introduction I couldn’t believe. They’re a household name. I feverishly worked for about four weeks and finally got the pre-contract paperwork on my desk. It was hard to believe, and I barely breathed as I read through it. I was going to win this! At least I thought I would until I got to Page 3. That’s when the paperwork very clearly stipulated a security posture much higher than I had. Before I could even get the contract, I was going to have to sign my name to the higher posture. I was devastated. But not defeated. Shaking, I grabbed my phone and started calling around until I was able to meet their needs – after asking for an extension on the paperwork!
That was four years ago. We’re seeing security due diligence becoming tighter and tighter. We’re seeing marquee logos ask questions very similar to insurance underwriters before they’ll even look at a contract. That’s why we believe that security is the key to unlocking revenue. It is also why we believe security is the key to profit.
Security is a Global Key
Certainly, this isn’t a phenomenon restricted to the US markets. It’s especially true for companies expanding into a new region. We often see companies aiming for a strategic expansion into a more tightly regulated country without fully understanding their new operating environment. They hire a sales team, work through a marketing campaign, and close a new logo…who then asks for a compliance certification, which might take 6-18 months to get. That hurts, especially since time kills all deals.
That’s why we believe security is Job Zero. Start using security as the framework that you build your plan under. Because, as I explained in my last post, the purpose of security is to allow your company to go to market and win. That’s profit.
