Protect your data and your business by turning to one of these first-rate cyber security firms.
Cyber attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated. From ransomware to email spoofing, cyber criminals have loads of ways to try to steal your data. Luckily, Leeds is home to some stellar cyber security companies, each one pushing the boundaries of innovation to help protect the businesses of Yorkshire and beyond. Here’s our round up of the top cyber security firms in Leeds.
Pentest People
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Pentest People is a Leeds-based security consultancy providing customised cyber solutions to businesses across the globe. Offering Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), the company helps clients ensure their assets are fully protected, creating a safer digital environment for all. An impressive four-week pivot at the start of the pandemic saw them develop SecureGateway – a Covid-secure alternative to on-site penetration testing which helped clients stay secure when most businesses were under attack from the cyber underworld.
The company has grown from strength to strength since being established in 2018, increasing its turnover by over £1.8m from 2022 to achieve a growth rate of 33.3%, while also being named in The Sunday Times’ list of Britain’s 100 fastest-growing companies. Headquartered in The Calls, Pentest People now boasts a team of over 100 people as well as a second office, located close to GCHQ’s cybersecurity hub in Cheltenham. Future plans include continuing to nurture young talent while educating the wider community about cyber security.
Talion
Born out of BAE Systems, Talion is a leading provider of Managed Cyber Security Services and its Security Operations Centre (SOC) is right here in Leeds. Opening for business in 2020 – right before the pandemic – Talion’s first challenge was to transition its customers and service into its networks, while setting up the Leeds SOC, all without physically visiting the building. It’s a huge feat that they’ve fast become a global leader in the sector, recording an 85% growth over the 22/23 financial year.
When Talion’s founders led the buy-out from BAE, they maintained most of their extremely skilled engineers, leveraging their expertise to build Talion’s unique platform of best-of-breed technologies. Their hybrid service has created disruption in a crowded vertical, satisfying a need for customers who want more control over their cyber security. Here, you access the platform in real-time, collaborating seamlessly to fight off attacks. High calibre work includes safeguarding major sporting events and protecting some of the UK’s leading universities.
Cyber Security Partners (CSP)
Credit: Leeds Digital Festival
CSP is a collective of cyber security specialists who share their vast knowledge and experience with their clients. As a consultancy, they work closely with their client base, forging tight knit partnerships and strong relationships. So strong, in fact, that they’ve achieved a retention rate of 95%. Initially founded by four freelancers with a background in government, the firm’s original mission statement was to pass this experience down the supply chain to smaller organisations who may not have the same expertise in-house.
By helping companies achieve certification and compliance, they arm them with the knowledge and confidence to handle their own cyber security issues, as well as equipping them to meet the security needs of their own clients. They’re completely independent and not tied to any products, which ensures they’re always able to offer the best advice for the organisations they work with. On top of their consultancy, they run a number of learning events including a popular interactive cyber crime whodunnit as part of Leeds Digital Festival.
Boxphish
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Boxphish provide interactive training courses and simulated phishing attacks, using an automated SaaS-based solution to help improve cyber security awareness. By using their training platform, companies can equip staff with the knowledge they need respond to cyber attacks. 90% of successful attacks are due to human error, so training staff is absolutely critical in a digital landscape that’s becoming riskier by the day. Founded in 2019, the company has grown at an impressive rate, and today has over 400,000 end users.
A broad client base includes everything from retailers and primary schools to governments and 15% of all UK councils, demonstrating the universal appeal of an automated managed cyber solution. What sets Boxphish apart from its competitors is the platform’s ease of use – the training and the simulated attacks are all automated, so there’s no need for the business to spend time, effort and energy setting things up and training staff. Ambitious growth plans include expanding into new territories, with a focus on the Middle East.
Darkinvader
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DarkInvader’s External Attack Surface Management (EASM) platform helps businesses stay ahead of emerging threats by mimicking cyber criminals. They crawl the dark and surface web for intelligence to help clients identify risks they might not know exist, then offer advice on how to be more secure. Client set-up is simple – they just need to provide their business name, domain and company logo, and the team can get to work. To date, DarkInvader has collected over 21 billion stolen credentials – a testament to how prevalent the problem is.
Born out of Pentest People in 2021, the startup has grown exponentially in a short space of time, releasing version two of its platform, moving offices and reaching the 100-client milestone. Its rise to success is the result of a number of factors, including a disruptive price point and versatile approach, which sees the team work with a wide breadth of clients from government departments to gaming companies. What’s more, the human research team can dig out threats where automated systems can’t, giving them a competitive edge.
Data Protection People
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Founded in 2015, Data Protection People branched out into providing cyber security services in 2018. As their name suggests, they help companies to protect their data and stay compliant, providing a suite of support services spanning cyber and information security. One of the main ways they help companies to stay compliant is by completing audits, including PCI DSS assessments which are required for organisations that process a large number of debit and credit card payments such as hotel chains and multiple retailers.
In addition to keeping firms compliant, they can also perform cyber maturity assessments, checking to see if a business is equipped to handle cyber threats, then working with them to put strategies into place going forward. As an employer, Data Protection People is committed to providing full training for all its staff, offering in-depth development plans to take fledging team members from the support desk all the way to being a subject matter specialist. Elsewhere, their weekly podcast series offers a fascinating window into the world of data protection.
KnowBe4
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KnowBe4 is the world’s largest integrated platform for cyber security awareness training, helping over 60,000 customers around the globe. As a business, they address the human element of cyber security, providing training and simulated phishing attacks to ensure that every end user within a company is equipped to spot and flag an attempted attack. It takes less than three minutes to hack a human, and attacks are getting more and more sophisticated, which is why the service they offer is so crucial when it comes to staying safe.
Since being founded in 2010, the company has grown from strength to strength, now operating in 11 countries. In February 2023 KnowBe4 was acquired by Vista Equity Partners, a leading global investment firm, brought in to help the firm chase down their next milestone – $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. With a huge roster of clients across a variety of industries including highly-regulated fields like healthcare, finance, government and insurance, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the company’s future growth.
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