Top 10 UK Cybersecurity Companies For Startups

Cybersecurity is a fundamental component of any startup’s business strategy. While major security breaches at large corporations like the NHS grab headlines, small businesses and startups face significant risks as well.

Young businesses are especially vulnerable because they are in the process of building trust with new customers and establishing relationships within their network. A data breach can result in severe financial costs and reputational damage and can potentially create setbacks that are difficult to overcome.

Implementing cybersecurity measures early on is critical for ensuring long-term success and stability.

 

How Can Startups Improve Their Cybersecurity?

 

Fortunately, there are measures that startups can take to improve their cybersecurity without diminishing their growth efforts. Here are some key steps startups can take to improve their cybersecurity:

 

Conduct Security Audits

One of the first steps for improving cybersecurity is conducting a security audit.

This audit should be performed by a trusted external company to identify vulnerabilities that internal staff might overlook. External auditors bring a fresh perspective and specialized expertise, ensuring no weaknesses go unnoticed.

Additionally, having an outside company handle the audit can help mitigate your company’s liability. When selecting an auditing firm, consider their experience with implementing security technology and handling real-world projects.

 

Prioritise Security Leadership

As a business leader, it’s vital to make security a priority throughout the company.

This involves regular communication about the importance of security practices, ensuring that everyone on your team adheres to essential protocols like updating passwords regularly. Leaders should be well-informed about the company’s security to make quick, effective decisions.

A clear plan for responding to breaches, including how to disclose information to customers and stakeholders, is also essential. By leading with security as a priority, you set a strong example for the rest of the company.

 

Provide Ongoing Training

Employee training is crucial in maintaining cybersecurity. A lack of awareness among staff is a significant cause of security breaches. Regular, comprehensive training sessions should be mandatory, particularly in regulated fields like finance or health.

Employees should be educated on the latest phishing and social engineering threats and be well-versed in security best practices. Ongoing training conducted by experts can significantly enhance your team’s ability to defend against attacks, turning them into a barrier rather than a vulnerability.

 

Why Outsourcing Cybersecurity is a Smart Move

 

For startups, outsourcing cybersecurity can be a more cost-effective and efficient approach than managing it in-house. Here’s why:

 

Cost-Effectiveness

Hiring permanent staff who specialise in all aspects of cybersecurity can be expensive. Outsourcing allows startups to leverage specialised expertise without incurring the high costs associated with maintaining an in-house team. This approach provides access to advanced security measures and expert knowledge without the overhead.

 

Specialised Expertise

Cybersecurity companies offer a range of services tailored to protect startups from evolving threats. These services include continuous network monitoring, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing. By outsourcing, startups can benefit from the latest security technologies and methodologies, ensuring comprehensive protection.

 

Compliance and Risk Management

Cybersecurity services help startups meet compliance requirements and manage risks effectively. Services such as managed compliance, security operations centres (SOC), and security awareness training ensure that your startup adheres to industry standards and remains resilient against cyber threats.

Outsourcing also provides a reliable resource for incident response, minimising the impact of security breaches.

 

Ongoing Support and Adaptation

Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and maintaining strong defences requires continuous updates and monitoring. Outsourcing cybersecurity ensures that your security measures evolve alongside new threats. Ongoing support from cybersecurity professionals helps maintain a robust security posture, ensuring business continuity and safeguarding valuable data.

 

Top 10 UK Cybersecurity Companies For Startups

 

There are several cybersecurity companies based in the UK that provide comprehensive solutions to protect individuals and businesses against cyber threats and malicious hackers.

These companies provide systems and services tailored to protect sensitive data, intellectual property, and other critical assets.

Their expertise can be invaluable for startups, enabling them to implement strong security measures from the start and ensure the safety of their valuable information as they grow.

 

1. Sapphire

 

 

Sapphire provides a comprehensive range of IT and operational technology security solutions and services to companies across various industries.

Sapphire’s services include identifying risks and vulnerabilities through compliance assessments, risk gap analysis, and vulnerability testing. They also provide protection services such as perimeter security, email and web security, identity and access management, and malware protection.

By leveraging Sapphire’s expertise, startups can identify potential risks, implement appropriate security measures, and maintain vigilance against evolving threats.

 

2. CyberSmart

CyberSmart is a cybersecurity platform designed specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises. It provides an all-in-one solution that includes cybersecurity monitoring, optimisation, training, and insurance.

For startups, CyberSmart offers a comprehensive approach to building a strong cybersecurity posture from the ground up.

By combining vulnerability scanning, policy management, awareness training, and compliance support with cyber insurance coverage, CyberSmart helps startups establish robust cyber defences and meet regulatory obligations as they grow their business.

 

3. Darktrace

Darktrace is a cybersecurity company that offers an AI-powered security platform designed to protect organisations from cyber threats across various attack surfaces, including cloud, email, endpoints, networks, and operational technology (OT) environments.

The company’s self-learning AI technology continuously learns and adapts to an organisation’s normal operations, enabling it to detect and respond to known and novel cyber threats autonomously.

The company’s AI-driven approach can be particularly beneficial for startups by providing proactive cyber resilience without relying solely on known attack patterns, making it well-suited for defending against evolving cyber threats.

 

4. Cyberseer

 

 

Cyberseer is a managed security service provider (MSSP) that specialises in providing 24/7 security operations centre (SOC) services to detect and respond to cyber threats.

They utilise advanced technologies like Darktrace, Exabeam, Google Chronicle, and Microsoft Defender to monitor customers’ environments and provide enhanced visibility, faster response times, and threat hunting capabilities.

For startups, Cyberseer’s MSSP offering can help bridge the cybersecurity skills gap, maintain a strong security posture, and minimise risks as the business grows without the need for in-house security resources.

 

5. LRQA Nettitude

 

 

LRQA Nettitude is a cybersecurity company that provides a range of services including penetration testing, managed security services, incident response, and security risk consulting.

Their team of highly qualified security experts offer tailored solutions to identify and mitigate cyber threats unique to each client’s business.

For startups, LRQA Nettitude’s services can help establish robust cybersecurity practices from the outset, prtecting their digital assets and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations as they scale their operations.

 

6. Snyk

 

 

Snyk is a developer security company that offers a platform designed to help developers build secure applications.

The platform integrates directly into development tools, workflows, and automation pipelines, enabling teams to find, prioritise, and fix security vulnerabilities in code, dependencies, containers, and infrastructure as code.

For startups, Snyk’s seamless integration into existing development processes can help streamline security practices from the early stages. By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities throughout the software development lifecycle, startups can prioritise security while maintaining agility and innovation.

 

7. SureCloud

SureCloud is a provider of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) software solutions.

Their flagship product, Aurora, is a no-code platform designed to help organisations manage information security risks, compliance requirements, third-party risk, data privacy, and other GRC processes.

For startups, SureCloud’s configurable solutions can help establish risk management and compliance practices from an early stage, enabling them to minimise potential threats and meet regulatory obligations as they scale their operations.

 

8. OneTrust

 

 

OneTrust provides a platform to help organisations manage data security, privacy, governance, and compliance risks.

The platform allows businesses to discover and classify data, enforce controls, manage risks, and automate compliance processes across various areas such as data security, privacy management, AI governance, and third-party risk management.

For startups, OneTrust’s unified platform can help streamline data governance and compliance efforts from the early stages, promoting responsible data handling and minimising potential risks as the business grows.

 

9. Informatica

Informatica is a cloud data management company that provides an AI-powered platform called the Intelligent Data Management Cloud. This platform enables organisations to connect, manage, and unify data across multi-cloud and hybrid environments.

For startups, Informatica’s solutions can help streamline data integration, quality, governance, and management processes from an early stage. By ensuring data is AI-ready, startups can leverage trusted data for analytics and AI initiatives as they scale their business operations.

 

10. Tessian

 

 

Tessian is a cybersecurity company that provides an AI-powered email security platform to defend against advanced phishing threats and protect sensitive data on email.

Their platform uses behavioural analysis, content analysis, and threat network analysis to detect and prevent email-based attacks like business email compromise (BEC), account takeover, and impersonation attacks that traditional email security solutions might miss.

For startups, Tessian’s cloud-based solution can help establish robust email security measures from the outset, safeguarding against data breaches and financial losses caused by sophisticated email threats as the business scales.