What do 70 percent of businesses have in common? It’s not a good thing…
in 2022, according to Embroker, 70 percent of businesses fell victim to ransomware attacks. This is one statistic you DON’T want to be a part of. Is your current cybersecurity truly protecting you and your assets like you deserve? Or are you still trying to handle it all in-house?
Cyber threats are growing more dangerous and sophisticated every day. As companies rely so heavily on technology, their valuable data and infrastructure are exposed. This makes cybersecurity solutions an absolute necessity to defend against breaches, ransomware, malware, and more. Partnering with one of the leading cybersecurity companies is the best way for enterprises to fully protect their most critical assets.
What To Look For In An Ideal Cybersecurity Company
The company you choose for your cybersecurity will be the one guarding all of your data, keeping your business online and running smoothly, and connecting you to your customers. Thorough research is needed, as it’s not a choice to take lightly. But how do you know what to look for in an ideal company? When evaluating cybersecurity companies to secure your systems, here are some key factors to consider:
- Comprehensive cybersecurity solutions – Look for companies offering full suites of cybersecurity services including endpoint protection, network security, cloud security, incident response, and more.
- Advanced threat prevention – Leading cybersecurity companies use cutting-edge techniques like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analysis to identify threats and prevent attacks before damage is done.
- Enterprise-scale capabilities – Ensure the cybersecurity company has the capability to secure large, complex global networks across multiple locations and devices.
- Industry expertise – The ideal cybersecurity partner deeply understands your specific industry, its regulations, and potential threats. Their solutions should be tailored specifically to your field.
- Cloud-based architecture – Cloud-based cybersecurity enables scalability, flexibility, and continuous updating to protect against the latest threats. Companies with AI-powered cloud architectures provide the most advanced protection.
- Excellent customer support – Even with great solutions, issues can arise. Choose a vendor with responsive, knowledgeable 24/7 support to help troubleshoot and resolve issues quickly. Down time = losing money.
Evaluating the Top Cybersecurity Companies
With attacks growing more frequent and destructive, cybersecurity companies have never been more important. But with so many vendors touting their solutions and trying to get your attention, how can you identify the one that is the best fit for your organization?
Here we evaluate 10 of the most reputable and capable cybersecurity companies helping protect global businesses:
Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is a cybersecurity company known for its next-generation firewalls and cloud-based threat prevention. Its strengths include:
- Comprehensive platform spanning network, cloud, endpoints, and AI-driven threat intelligence
- Uses AI to detect and stop cyber threats
- Analyzes behavior patterns to find anomalies.
- Immediately connects related threats to coordinate a response
- Can automatically respond to simple attacks.
- Ideal for complex, distributed enterprises
Palo Alto provides a complete end-to-end security solution from the network perimeter to endpoints and the cloud. Its advanced capabilities make it a top choice for major corporations.
Fortinet
Fortinet security solutions cover the entire attack surface with their integrated cybersecurity platform. Key strengths:
- Broad security portfolio including firewalls, SIEM, endpoints, web security and zero trust access
- Centralized management and AI-enabled threat intelligence
- Cost-effective bundled security packages
- Scalable software-based solutions ideal for hybrid infrastructure
With their wide-ranging solutions, centralized control, and focus on automation, Fortinet allows enterprises to consolidate tools and ditch complexity.
Cisco
The industry giant provides integrated security suites and world-class threat intelligence. Key advantages:
- Leading firewalls, endpoints, email security, and cloud security solutions
- Talos threat intelligence used across all Cisco products
- Advanced threat detection and response capabilities
- Global professional services and support
Cisco’s end-to-end platform leverages Talos threat research for comprehensive protection. Their solutions suit organizations who value integrated suites and increased threat intelligence.
Check Point
Check Point provides all-in-one security products that work together to protect your whole organization. Benefits include:
- Connects all parts of your security system.
- Uses AI to catch new types of attacks and mimics hacker behavior to test defenses.
- Lets you manage all security from one dashboard for full visibility.
- Offers specialized security products tailored for different business needs.
Check Point simplifies security by bundling products that are designed to work seamlessly together. This makes it easier to stop sophisticated threats and get a bird’s eye view of your organization’s security.
CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike Falcon delivers next-gen endpoint protection and cloud-based threat intelligence. Key perks:
- Lightweight agent deploys rapidly to any endpoint
- Stops breaches and ransomware using AI/ML-powered threat intelligence
- Managed threat hunting and incident response
- Cloud-scale and mobile-ready architecture
With their intelligent, cloud-native platform, CrowdStrike excels at stopping targeted attacks and providing swift incident response.
Trend Micro
Trend Micro provides cybersecurity software that protects across your whole IT environment. Benefits include:
- Lightweight security software that works across devices and operating systems
- Secures cloud applications, networks, email, and cloud servers.
- Uses advanced threat detection and automated response tools.
- Delivers robust enterprise-level protection without heavy resource demands.
Trend Micro offers an integrated suite of nimble, enterprise-grade security tools that protect your endpoints, email, cloud, and network from one management console.
McAfee
A household name in cybersecurity, McAfee offers complete threat protection suites and services. Strengths include:
- Comprehensive suites spanning endpoints, network, cloud, and compliance
- Native integrations between all McAfee products
- MVISION marketplace offers third-party integrations
- Advisory services provide expertise and support
McAfee solutions work together seamlessly, allows businesses to implement coordinated defenses across endpoints and cloud.
NortonLifeLock
NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec) provides scalable endpoint and email security solutions. Key advantages:
- Powerful endpoint security stops ransomware and exploits
- Layered defenses including firewall, antivirus, and behavioral monitoring
- Secures email gateways from phishing and business email compromise.
- Dark web monitoring service for 360-degree protection
NortonLifeLock endpoints and email solutions offer efficient, scalable security tailored for large enterprises.
Microsoft
Microsoft security solutions deeply integrate with Azure and 365 services. Benefits:
- Native integrations between Azure, 365, endpoints, and more
- Cloud-delivered protection for hybrid environments
- Unified management and AI-powered threat defense
- Cost-effective licensing bundles
Microsoft’s expanding suite takes advantage of integrations and AI to provide unified, cloud-based enterprise security.
Sophos
Sophos focuses on synchronization and automation across its platform. Highlights include:
- Synchronized suite protecting network, endpoints, email, mobile
- Foundational Managed Threat Response (MTR) service
- Automated investigation and response via Sophos XDR
- Lightweight, highly optimized agent footprint
Syncing defenses across endpoints and networks allows Sophos to provide coordinated threat detection, simplified management, and automation.
Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Company for Your Needs
With the stakes higher than ever, partnering with cybersecurity company that goes above and beyond for your business should be the goal. But not all providers are created equal. The right fit will depend on your organization’s unique infrastructure, industry, compliance needs, and security priorities.
Here are three tips to ensure you select the ideal cybersecurity solutions partner:
- Understand your security gaps and objectives – Before evaluating companies, be clear on the specific vulnerabilities you need to address or use cases you want to improve. This clarity will reveal which providers align best.
- Focus on platforms, not point solutions – Look for comprehensive suites spanning endpoints, network, cloud, email etc. Integrated platforms vastly outperform fragmented point solutions.
- Cybersecurity is mission critical – While many providers may seem comparable on the surface, small differences in capabilities make an enormous real-world impact. With advanced threats inevitable, choosing the right cybersecurity company can be the difference between a minor incident and a major breach. Partnering with one of the proven, scalable leaders above stacks the odds overwhelmingly in your favor.
To help businesses thoroughly evaluate their options, here is an in-depth look at some of key similarities and differences between the leading cybersecurity companies:
Platform Architecture
- Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, and Microsoft have developed industry-leading cybersecurity platforms with unified architecture integrating many security capabilities natively.
- CrowdStrike, Trend Micro and Sophos focus on cloud-based architecture, providing advantages like rapid scalability and automatic threat updates.
- Check Point, Fortinet and McAfee offer broad integrated suites, but with less seamless backend integration as some competitors.
- NortonLifeLock and Microsoft take advantage of synergies with their endpoint and cloud service stacks.
Advanced Threat Prevention
- CrowdStrike Falcon stands out for using sophisticated ML and behavior analytics to defeat stealthy threats.
- Cisco Talos threat intelligence leverages insights across Cisco’s massive global footprint to detect emerging attacks.
- Palo Alto Networks and Check Point use techniques like machine learning and sandboxing to block zero-day threats.
- Microsoft and NortonLifeLock focus more on essential, signature-based protections.
Business Scalability
- Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, and Check Point are leaders in securing huge complex corporate networks distributed across multiple regions.
- CrowdStrike Falcon’s flexible cloud architecture allows rapid scaling to support any size enterprise.
- Sophos and Trend Micro provide excellent scalability for securing endpoints and cloud assets.
- Microsoft and NortonLifeLock are ideal for Fortune 500s who already use their productivity suites.
Customer Support
- Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, and Microsoft have vast networks of channel partners and support staff to deliver customer-centric services.
- CrowdStrike, Sophos, and Trend Micro excel at self-service support through knowledge bases, communities, and AI chatbots.
- Check Point, Fortinet, and McAfee offer responsive 24/7 support but less hand-holding for large accounts.
- NortonLifeLock support receives mixed reviews, requiring persistence for complicated issues.
Cost Structure
- CrowdStrike and Sophos offer simple per-seat subscription pricing, while Microsoft packages security into 365 licenses.
- Palo Alto Networks, Cisco, and Check Point structure pricing around number of protected assets and features.
- Fortinet and McAfee provide a range of bundled license packages optimized for different needs.
- NortonLifeLock and Microsoft discount heavily for multi-year subscriptions paid upfront.
They should have cyber liability insurance to protect themselves and clients. Their response plan should include notifying clients, containing the breach, eradicating threats from systems, briefing legal counsel, and following incident response regulations.
A reputable cybersecurity company will securely wipe or destroy client data after a termination of contract. Have them specify data handling at contract end in your MSA
They should provide the technology solutions and auditing required for compliance, but your organization must also adhere to regulatory controls. They can help you establish compliant processes.
Yes. It can offset costs from ransomware, data recovery, legal actions, PR crises, and system downtime. A good MSSP can suggest insurance tailored to your risks.
Leverage bundled packages for core services, stagger implementation of extra services, ask about tiers of service, and make a longer-term commitment to get lower rates.
24/7 network monitoring, regular risk assessments and audits, monthly reports on threats detected, regular patch updates and troubleshooting, ongoing employee security training.
It should cover security posture, recommended solutions, implementation roadmap, incident response plans, total cost breakdown, contract terms, SLAs, and conditions.
Ask for transparent pricing on setup costs, monthly services, incident response rates, auditing, and additional fees. Get quotes from multiple vendors.
Inquire about their security technologies, managed services, incident response plans, compliance capabilities, insurance coverage, and contracting flexibility. Ask how they stay updated on emerging threats.
Beyond selecting cybersecurity companies and managed services, organizations need a strategic roadmap guiding their overall cybersecurity program. A roadmap should outline key focus areas like:
- Establishing governance and risk management processes
- Improving security architecture through principles like zero trust
- Adopting a framework like NIST CSF to guide controls
- Building a strong cyber incident response plan
- Expanding staff skills and capabilities through training
- Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations
- Keeping executive leadership and board informed on cyber risks
In today’s world, cybersecurity can no longer be an afterthought or a ‘someday’ task for your business. It must be a core pillar of any successful digital transformation strategy. By partnering with one of the leading cybersecurity companies mentioned above, implementing best practices, and leveraging managed security services, organizations can implement robust, multi-layered defenses capable of stopping the most sophisticated attacks.
There has never been a more critical time to evaluate your cybersecurity. Don’t wait for disaster to strike and DON’T be a part of the 70 percent of businesses that succumb to ransomware attacks. Contact us today to discuss your needs and start building solid cyber protections.
