The Challenge 

The acquired businesses operated in fundamentally different ways to our client. Effectively, they were all operating in silo and there was little consistency or overlap between the three organizations in terms of policy, procedures or technologies. This was challenging from a security perspective as our client's existing security and data privacy programs were not directly applicable to the acquired businesses. 

This created a number of inefficiencies, but also incurred additional cost for our client as they had to invest in various security tools used by the acquired businesses. Our client's goal was to bring all three companies together, consolidating all the security processes and tooling to maximize efficiency, streamline processes and drive security outcomes. 

The Solution 

Our client considered several cyber security vendors to help them with this project. While they had the skills and expertise necessary to manage this internally, they were looking for a partner with extensive experience in managing acquisitions to provide additional support. They were also looking for a cyber security services provider who was specifically knowledgeable in risk management, penetration testing and data privacy. 

Prior to the acquisition, one of the acquired businesses had worked with our consultants to help them certify in ISO 27001. Based on this experience, they recommended us as a reliable partner who could help them on this project. 

Bridewell now acts as our client's Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) and Data Protection Officer (DPO), helps them meet ISO standards and supports with pre-audit preparation. We are also currently helping them in ISO 27001 certification and SOC 2 attestation, and have assessed the effectiveness of all implemented security measures through a range of penetration tests across their infrastructure. 

Results 

Having worked with us to consolidate their acquisitions, our client now benefits from streamlined operations and extensive efficiency gains. As a result, instead of hiring a team of full-time employees, they have been able to outsource to a trusted provider, saving them $100,000s in salaries. 

Beyond this, our client has now consolidated a broad range of security services – covering everything from offensive security to data privacy – into a single provider. This has allowed them to unify operations, create synergies between previously siloed areas and easily identify scope for further improvements. Today, we are still working alongside them and are there go-to for any future projects.