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The cybersecurity space has witnessed significant upheaval since 2020 due to the rise in remote work and increased use of personal devices for business use. According to a Risk-Based Security report, data breaches exposed 36 billion records in the first half of 2020, a 141% increase compared to 2019 and by far the most records exposed in a single year since reporting on data breach activity. This highlights the rise in cybersecurity threats associated with the pandemic and associated lockdowns.

As per a Fortune Business Insights report, the global cybersecurity market witnessed a healthy growth of 7.6% in 2020 compared to a year-on-year growth during 2017-19. The market is estimated to reach $366 billion in 2028 from $153 billion in 2020. It is only natural that the increase in security risks has given the cybersecurity industry a growth stimulus. This begs the question, what a cybersecurity company does.

What does a cybersecurity company do?

Cybersecurity vendors provide a range of services to many industry sectors and business types in the form of outsourced technical support or managed cybersecurity services, security software, cloud security, application security, IT system assessment and audits, ethical hacking and consulting, among many others. Let us explore some of these cybersecurity services in a little more detail.

1. Managed cybersecurity services vendors

To get the most direct answer to the question “what does a cybersecurity company do?” one has to look at the business operations of a managed cybersecurity services provider. When an organization decides to outsource its IT security and management because they do not have the expertise/workforce/budget to handle it themselves, the job goes to a managed cybersecurity services vendor. This vendor provides end-to-end enterprise security to the said organization. 

The same services rendered may differ from organization to organization, depending on their specific requirements. However, typically these include data protection, intrusion prevention, incident management, vulnerability detection and identity and access management, to name a few.

Based on organizational requirements, a managed cybersecurity services provider can handle information security 24/7 or anywhere in between.

2. Cybersecurity software and application providers

Cybersecurity software and application providers are companies that develop and operate antivirus software that enterprises and individuals use. The Kaspersky Labs and NortonLifeLocks of the world fall under this category. Many companies develop a range of specialized cybersecurity tools that help with everything from assisting with auditing to searching for vulnerabilities in IT systems.

3. Application security quality assurance vendors

Quite often, application development is rushed to meet deadlines. Unfortunately, in this hurry, security takes a backseat, and applications could end up with security vulnerabilities. While application security can offer protection to a degree, the presence of vulnerabilities increases the risks of a breach. And fixing vulnerabilities post-development freeze involves additional costs.

This is where managed security quality assurance comes into the picture. This work entails the involvement of the security vendor in the application development cycle itself. By assessing an application’s potential vulnerabilities during development through security impact assessments, as well as static and dynamic application security testing, weaknesses are removed or fixed. This results in a more robust application that is resistant to cyber-attacks.

4. Security testing through penetration testing techniques

Testing the resilience of an IT system or an application involves carrying out real-world simulated cybersecurity attacks. This form of testing is also referred to as penetration testing or pentesting.

More commonly known as ethical hacking, penetration testing can work in conjunction with your existing IT security program by assessing its effectiveness and security capability. Typically, this involves a certified ethical hacker trying to gain access to your system or application (sometimes with your consent and other times without) through various techniques. If a “hack” is successfully carried out, it reveals the weak points and vulnerabilities in your IT system. These can then be fixed with patches by your security provider or, if required, by replacing the vulnerable parts with more robust assets. In the end, the work of an ethical hacker improves the resilience of your IT systems against breaches.

5. Cloud security providers

With the increasing popularity of cloud IT infrastructure, cloud-based security providers are increasing in demand. Since cloud computing platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform offer cloud security, what does a cloud cybersecurity company do? Typically, cloud security providers design and develop secure cloud architectures and applications for organizations that deploy these in cloud platforms. A secure architecture works as an added layer of security on top of the built-in protections provided by the cloud platforms.

Conclusion

So the answer to the question “what does a cybersecurity company do?” It is as varied as the field of cybersecurity itself. PacketLabs is one such company that uses its expertise in ethical hacking and simulated cyber-attacks to make IT infrastructures more secure for organizations. You can receive free quotes on our pen testing services, and we’ll get in touch with you within 48 hours.