Global cybersecurity firm Bitdefender has launched a series of new Cybersecurity Advisory Services, designed to enhance cybersecurity operations by providing high-level security consulting and on-demand access to specialized expertise for business. The services are designed to optimize existing security teams, assess and close security gaps, create tailored strategies, reduce risk, and comply with data regulations across all environments including cloud and third-party supply chains. They will cover security controls/processes, threat prevention, protection, detection and response.
Gartner says that professional security services for 2024 had the highest market share with 35.5% or $27.3 billion in current U.S. dollars. Interest in professional security services is rising due to increasing enterprise needs for third-party support, driven by skills shortages, alongside the growing demand for specialized expertise, including Artificial Intelligence. Another independent global survey found that1,200 IT and security professionals, nearly half of all respondents (49%) said the cybersecurity skills gap within their organization has worsened over the past 12 months, with the same percentage stating they are experiencing workplace burnout. At the same time, a sharp disconnect has emerged: 45% of C-level leaders say they are very confident in managing cyber risk, while only 19% of mid-level managers agree, which emphasizes a growing divide between strategic vision and operational reality.
So how does Bitdefender deal with this issue? Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services are designed to help solve critical challenges businesses face in identifying and remediating security gaps across people, processes, and technologies as the attack surface grows, as well as finding and retaining specialized talent with expertise in data laws/regulations, CSO/CISO leadership and security frameworks. and more. Each customer is assigned a tailored engagement team based on their industry, geography, and requirements. This team includes a delivery manager, certified consultants, and a team lead who oversees consultants and briefs stakeholders on results from our assessments.
The Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services are designed to complement Bitdefender’s entire solutions portfolio including endpoint detection and response (EDR), extended detection and response (XDR), managed detection and response (MDR), and offensive security services or utilized as a standalone offering.
“Effective security involves more than just technology,” said Paul Hadjy, vice president of APAC and cybersecurity services, Bitdefender Business Solutions Group. “It includes people, processes, and regulatory compliance essential for global business Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services helps organizations understand their current security posture, address gaps, optimize strategies, and prioritize actions with expert guidance. These services complement our full portfolio including endpoint protection, MDR and offensive services providing a viable path to a much more streamlined and thorough cybersecurity operation.”
The Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services are comprised of three pillars — Strategy and Leadership, Risk and Compliance and Event Preparedness.
The first pillar, Strategy and Leadership, provides a deep bench of experienced CISOs, security experts and other advisory retainers that cover a suite of services to enhance organizational leadership and provide strategic cybersecurity guidance. They have a proven track record in diverse industries.
The Risk and Compliance pillar helps businesses navigate complex regulatory landscapes by establishing and evaluating cybersecurity risk and compliance requirements based on industry, partners, supply chains, and geography. This includes certified consultants (CCISO, CISSP, CISM, CCSP, etc.) assess organizations against standards like ISO 27001, NIST CSF, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 to identify and remediate gaps, with the aim to building trust with customers and partners.
The second pillar is Strategy and Leadership. Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services offers advisory retainers that cover a suite of services that help to enhance organizational leadership and provide strategic cybersecurity guidance. With a deep bench of experienced CISOs and security experts, Bitdefender has a proven track record in diverse industries. These retainer-based services strengthen and train security teams, develop and review strategies, create tailored policy frameworks, and define and review security metrics and KPIs for effective reporting.
Risk and Compliance – Bitdefender helps businesses navigate complex regulatory landscapes by establishing and evaluating cybersecurity risk and compliance requirements based on industry, partners, supply chains, and geography. Certified consultants (CCISO, CISSP, CISM, CCSP, etc.) assess organizations against standards like ISO 27001, NIST CSF, GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 to identify and remediate gaps. This approach enhances business reputation and builds trust with customers and partners.
Finally, with the Event Preparedness pillar, Bitdefender focuses on preparing for events such as data breaches, natural disasters, and outages. Consultants assess operational and monetary impacts, develop incident response, business continuity, and disaster recovery plans. Bitdefender also conducts real-world scenario drills and table-top exercises to refine and reinforce crisis management roles and responsibilities.
Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services are available now.