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". . the board is changing . ."
Over the last decade, the cyber consulting market has undergone one of the most significant transformations I have seen during my time in recruitment.
Not long ago, most major cyber programmes were automatically awarded to large global consultancies.
Organisations wanted scale, global reach, recognised brands and the reassurance that came with large delivery teams. In many cases, buying decisions were made as much on reputation as they were on capability.
Today, that landscape looks very different.
Whilst the major consulting firms continue to dominate many of the largest transformation programmes, there has been a noticeable shift in how organisations buy cyber services.
Increasingly, buyers are becoming more selective. They are looking for specialist expertise, proven delivery experience and consultants who have genuinely solved similar challenges before.
In many cases, organisations are no longer asking who the biggest provider is. They are asking who is best placed to solve a specific challenge.
This shift has created significant opportunities for specialist cyber consultancies.
Many of the fastest-growing firms in the market have built their reputation around deep expertise in areas such as identity security, cloud security, incident response, security operations and cyber transformation. They may not have thousands of consultants globally, but they often possess a level of technical depth that larger organisations sometimes struggle to replicate.
The rise of artificial intelligence is likely to accelerate this trend further.
As technology environments become more complex and threats become more sophisticated, organisations will need access to highly specialised expertise.
Ultimately, cyber consulting remains a people business. Technology matters. Methodologies matter. Brands matter.
However, the firms that consistently outperform the market are usually those that have built exceptional teams around exceptional people.
Where do you see the market heading over the next 3 - 5years?
Are large consultancies still dominant, or are specialists taking share?
