Security & Compliance

The Core Problem: Adding Security After the Fact Doesn’t Work

Most companies treat security as something to bolt on after the key decisions have already been made. “We’ll sort out who can access what later.” “We’ll add encryption once we understand the data.” “Compliance can go in the disaster recovery plan.”

This approach is expensive and fragile. Security added on top of a system that wasn’t designed for it is like fitting airbags to a car that was never built to handle a crash. It helps, but it’s not the same as a car that was engineered for safety from the ground up.

Proper security is built in from the start. It shapes every decision: how systems are kept separate so a problem in one doesn’t spread, how you control who can access what, how data moves through the business, what’s encrypted by default, and how you spot suspicious activity.

Our Approach: Security Built In, Not Bolted On

We design security strategies where protection is foundational—not an afterthought.

Controlling Who Can Access What: This is the single most important security decision. We design clear access strategies: connecting your company directory (like Azure Entra ID), managing privileged access for sensitive roles, enforcing multi-factor authentication where it matters, and setting up smart rules that adapt based on risk—so access decisions are based on who you are, what device you’re on, and where you’re logging in from, not just a password.

Protecting Your Data: Not all data needs the same level of protection, but your most sensitive data needs strong, layered defence. We categorise your data by sensitivity, design encryption strategies (so data is protected whether it’s stored or being transferred), set up controls to prevent data leaking out, and make sure backups are secure and recoverable. The goal: if something goes wrong, your critical data is still safe.

Keeping Systems Separated: Old-fashioned security assumed that everyone inside your network could be trusted. That’s no longer true. We design systems on a “verify everyone, trust no one by default” basis: keeping different parts of your network separated so a breach in one area doesn’t spread, using private connections for cloud services, controlling what traffic is allowed in and out, and giving secure remote access to your teams without exposing your systems to the internet.

Monitoring for Suspicious Activity: A security strategy without monitoring is just hoping for the best. We set up centralised logging (so all your security events are in one place), monitoring that flags suspicious patterns, and clear procedures for what to do when something is detected. You’ll know what’s happening in your environment—and your team will know exactly how to respond.

Making Sure You Meet the Rules: Compliance requirements (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI-DSS, and others) aren’t separate from security—they’re specific expressions of good security practice. We map these standards to your actual systems, so you can demonstrate compliance through how your technology works, not through paperwork. Audits become straightforward because the evidence is built into your architecture.

The Design Process

Discovery & Assessment (1–2 weeks): We get to know your current environment, how your data flows, what compliance rules apply to you, and how much risk your business is comfortable with. This tells us what “secure enough” actually means for your organisation.

Security Design (2–3 weeks): We design layered security: access controls, system separation, data encryption, threat monitoring, and compliance mapping. These layers work together as a coherent whole, not as isolated fixes.

Implementation Planning (1 week): A security design is useless if it never gets implemented. We create detailed, practical implementation plans—phased if needed—with clear checkpoints along the way.

Implementation & Validation (4–8 weeks): We lead or partner with your team through implementation, testing that every control actually works as designed—not just on paper.

Handover & Training (1–2 weeks): We document how everything works, train your teams on managing the security controls day-to-day, and set up governance for handling exceptions and changes going forward.

Not Just Technical

Security includes technology, but it’s not only about technology. It also includes processes—how do you grant access? How do you spot and respond to threats? How do you handle exceptions? And it includes culture—do people understand why security matters, or do they see it as an obstacle?

We address all three. Technology without process is unmaintainable. Technology and process without culture is fragile.

What This Typically Looks Like

A smaller organisation might need access controls, data encryption, and basic threat monitoring. That’s typically a £15,000–£25,000 engagement over 6–8 weeks.

A mid-sized organisation handling regulated data might need a full security strategy covering access, network separation, data protection, threat monitoring, and compliance mapping. That’s typically £30,000–£50,000 over 8–12 weeks.

A larger enterprise consolidating multiple environments will need security redesign at scale. That’s scoped to your specific situation.

The Payoff

Good security costs money upfront but saves it many times over. Fewer breaches, faster response when something does happen, simpler compliance audits, and teams that can move confidently because security isn’t in their way—it’s enabling them to work safely.