2015 have seen the most devastating data breaches of all
time, making IT security a serious thing. Now business owners are thinking more
critically about data security. However, having an in-house security specialist
is still a hard-to-afford thing for most companies, so they are given the
option of outsourcing an IT security consulting.
But, how do they really know that they are hiring the right
person. Here are 3 must asked questions when hiring an IT security consultant.
Q#1: Do You Have Relevant Security Experience?
Often candidates come with impressive resumes super-filled
with a foreign degree and certification. Remember, their credentials does not
make them experienced, ask them some real facts from “the war zone”. How many
years they have spent specifically in the security industry. Ask those details
about their last successful project, the issues they have resolved and how
successful they are now.
When consultant explains their experience, ask them to design
analogies. Share some real-time problems and ask how they will encounter them.
Q#2: Ask Them To Identify Biggest Security Threat To Your Organization?
Sometimes, companies with the most advanced technology suffer
the most, why? Because their focus was on technology instead on the core
problem. Most security consultants use one-size-fits-all solutions to security
threats. So, if a consultant starts with, “your company should immediately
implement this solution and this will fix all your problems”, drop that option
immediately. A real security consulting expert or firm will go deep into the
problem before suggesting any suit of the tool.
Q#3: Know Who Will Work For You?
A common practice among highly qualified IT consultants or
firms is, once hired, they send their junior associate for the job. This is
especially common with security consulting firms from UK, the contract and
negotiations are commonly done by the senior expert, giving its clients a
reason to sit back and relax and they sent their junior associates to do the
security job. Before making any commitment make sure you know who’s going to
work for you.
When hiring a consultant for the first time make sure as the
owner of a company you have gone through an extensive research.

