The Business Leader's Guide to Cybersecurity: Part 2 - Communicating Value and Making Smart Investments

Leader’s guide to cybersecurity

How to Talk About Security and Budget Wisely (Without Being Technical)

Welcome to Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we covered the fundamentals: reframing security as a business problem, the three questions that really matter, and the 80/20 of cybersecurity controls.

Now it's time to tackle the practical challenges:

• How do you talk to clients about security when you're not technical?

• What compliance frameworks do you actually need?

• How do you budget for security without overspending or underinvesting?

This is where security becomes a competitive advantage instead of a cost center.

Let's dive in.

Part 1: How to Talk to Clients About Security (Without Sounding Like IT)

One of the biggest challenges business leaders face: answering security questions in sales calls when you're not technical.

Here's how to do it with confidence:

The Framework: Specific Beats Perfect

Clients don't expect perfection. They expect credibility.

❌ Bad Answer: "We take security very seriously. We're working on several initiatives." (Translation: "We don't have a clear answer and hope you stop asking.")

✅ Good Answer: "We're currently in Stage 2 of SOC 2 certification with [Auditor], expected completion in Q2. Here's our scope and current control status." (Translation: "We have a plan, we're executing it, and here's proof.")

Template Responses for Common Questions

Q: "Are you compliant with [Framework]?"

If YES: "Yes, we completed [Framework] certification in [Date]. Here's our certificate and scope documentation."

If IN PROGRESS: "We're currently implementing [Framework] controls, expected completion [Date]. Here's our project timeline and what's already in place."

If NO: "We're not currently certified, but we do implement [Specific Controls] that map to [Framework] requirements. Happy to walk through our security program."

Q: "What happens if you get breached?"

Template Answer: "We have a documented incident response plan that includes:

• Detection within [X] hours through 24/7 monitoring

• Immediate containment procedures

• Clear communication protocol (we'll notify you within [X] hours)

• Recovery from tested backups within [X] days

• Post-incident review and improvements

We test this plan [frequency] and our last test was [date]."

Q: "How do you protect our data?"

Template Answer: "We protect data through multiple layers:

• Access control (only authorized personnel can access specific data)

• Encryption (data is encrypted at rest and in transit)

• Monitoring (we track access and get alerts for anomalies)

• Regular security assessments (last one: [date])

• Vendor security reviews (we vet all third parties who touch data)

Happy to walk through any specific aspect in more detail."

The Secret: Specificity = Credibility

Notice what makes these answers work:

• Specific dates and timelines

• Named vendors/auditors

• Concrete numbers (hours, days, frequency)

• Evidence of action (test results, certifications, documentation)

You don't need to explain how AES-256 encryption works.

You need to show that you do it, test it, and can prove it.

Part 2: The Compliance Question (What Do You Actually Need?)

Every cybersecurity consultant wants to sell you the full compliance stack:

"You need SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, GDPR compliance, HIPAA if you might ever work with healthcare, PCI if you might ever process payments..."

Then they send you a $75K proposal with a 12-month timeline.

Here's the truth: Most of that is overkill.

The Right Question

Don't ask: "What compliance frameworks should we have?"

Ask: "What are our clients actually asking for?"

How to Figure Out What You Need

Step 1: Pull up your last 10 lost deals or stalled opportunities.

Step 2: Look at the security questionnaires and objections.

Step 3: Find the pattern.

Common Patterns:

If your clients are asking:

• "Are you SOC 2 compliant?"

• "Can you fill out our security questionnaire?"

• "What's your data handling process?"

You need: SOC 2 readiness (or full certification if deals are dying without it)

If your clients are asking:

• "Are you HIPAA compliant?"

• "Can you sign a Business Associate Agreement?"

• "How do you handle protected health information?"

You need: HIPAA compliance program

If your clients are asking:

• "Do you process credit card data securely?"

• "Are you PCI compliant?"

• "What's your payment security process?"

You need: PCI DSS compliance

If your clients are European or asking:

• "Are you GDPR compliant?"

• "Can you sign a Data Processing Agreement?"

• "What's your data retention policy?"

You need: GDPR compliance program

The 80/20 Approach

Here's the secret: 80% of what these frameworks require is the same core controls.

Build these once:

• Access management

• Data encryption

• Incident response

• Security training

• Vendor management

• Regular security assessments

• Documentation and policies

Then map them to whatever framework your clients care about.

It's not "building SOC 2 from scratch."

It's "documenting what we're already doing in SOC 2 format."

Big difference in cost and timeline.

The Business Case

Scenario 1: The "Get Everything" Approach

• Cost: $75K-$150K

• Timeline: 12-18 months

• Result: Certificates you might not need, documentation nobody reads

Scenario 2: The "Build What Matters" Approach

• Cost: $20K-$40K

• Timeline: 3-4 months

• Result: Can answer client questions, close deals, reduce insurance premiums

Start with Scenario 2. Expand to Scenario 1 when revenue justifies it.

Part 3: Making Smart Security Decisions on a Budget

The biggest myth in cybersecurity: "Good security requires massive budgets."

That's what vendors want you to believe.

Here's the reality: Most security failures come from not doing basic things, not from lacking expensive tools.

Where to Spend First (Budget Priorities)

Tier 1: The Non-Negotiables (Do These First)

1. Multi-Factor Authentication - Cost: $3-5/user/month

2. Business-Grade Backups - Cost: $500-2K/month depending on data volume

3. Basic Security Training - Cost: $20-40/user/year

4. Antivirus/Endpoint Protection - Cost: $5-10/user/month

Total for 50 employees: ~$1,500-3,000/month

This prevents 80% of common attacks.

Tier 2: The Enablers (Do These When Revenue Justifies It)

1. Security Operations Monitoring - Cost: $2K-5K/month

2. Vulnerability Management - Cost: $300-1K/month

3. Email Security (Advanced) - Cost: $3-7/user/month

4. Compliance Framework Implementation - Cost: $15K-40K (one-time)

Total addition: ~$3K-7K/month + initial framework investment

This enables enterprise sales and reduces insurance costs.

Tier 3: The Optimizations (Do These When You're Scaling)

1. Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) - Cost: $5K-15K/month

2. Penetration Testing - Cost: $15K-35K/year

3. Full-time or Fractional CISO - Cost: $5K-15K/month (fractional) or $150K-250K/year (full-time)

4. Advanced Threat Detection - Cost: $5K-15K/month

Total addition: ~$10K-30K/month

This is mature security for companies with serious compliance needs.

The ROI Calculation That Matters

Don't think of security as pure cost.

Think of it as:

• Deal enablement: How many $500K+ deals are stuck in "security review"?

• Insurance savings: What's your cyber insurance premium? (Can often save 30-50% with good documentation)

• Breach prevention: What's your revenue per day? (Average breach costs 21 days of downtime)

• Efficiency: How much time do your executives spend in meetings about security issues that could be prevented?

Real Example:

Company revenue: $15M/year Security investment: $50K/year (Tier 1 + partial Tier 2)

Returns in Year 1:

• Closed 2 enterprise deals previously stuck: $800K in new revenue

• Reduced insurance premium: $11K savings

• Avoided ransomware incident (industry average cost): $200K+ saved

• Executive time reclaimed: 200+ hours

ROI: 1,522%

How to Know When to Invest More

Simple questions:

1. Are you losing deals due to security questions? → Invest in compliance documentation

2. Is your insurance premium increasing? → Invest in provable controls

3. Is your team overwhelmed with security tasks? → Invest in fractional CISO support

4. Are you pursuing enterprise clients? → Invest in SOC 2 or relevant certification

5. Do you handle sensitive data (health, financial, personal)? → Invest in monitoring and incident response

If you answered "no" to all of these, Tier 1 controls are probably sufficient.

If you answered "yes" to 2+, it's time to move to Tier 2.

Part 4: Why Your Insurance Premium Just Doubled (And How to Fix It)

Got a cyber insurance renewal with a 40% increase?

Your broker probably said something like: "Market conditions... increasing claims... industry-wide trend..."

That's half true.

Here's the full story:

Insurance companies don't price on "how secure you are." They price on "how much can we prove you're doing."

Last month, a client came to me with a renewal quote that went from $18K to $29K.

Same business. Same revenue. Same systems.

What changed? The insurance company started asking better questions.

Here's what they actually want to see:

✅ MFA everywhere (not just email, everywhere employees access data) ✅ Documented backup process (not "we back things up," but schedules, retention, and proof of restoration tests) ✅ Security awareness training (with completion tracking and phishing simulations) ✅ Incident response plan (documented, reviewed, and tested annually) ✅ Privileged access management (who has admin rights, how are they monitored)

The kicker?

Most companies are already doing 70% of this. They just can't prove it because it's not documented.

We rebuilt that client's security documentation in 3 weeks.

New quote came back at $19K.

Here's what this actually means for your business:

Every dollar you spend on "provable security" saves you 3-5x in insurance premiums over 3 years.

But here's the part that makes this really worth it:

The same documentation that lowers your insurance premium is the same documentation that closes enterprise deals.

So you're not spending money on insurance compliance.

You're spending money on revenue enablement that happens to also fix your insurance problem.

Your Action Plan: What to Do This Week

Based on where you are, here's what to tackle:

If you're losing deals to security questions:

This Week:

1. Pull your last 10 security questionnaires

2. Identify the top 10 questions you struggled to answer

3. Assess: Do you not do these things, or can you just not prove it?

This Month:

1. Document what you're already doing

2. Build a security questionnaire response library

3. Identify which compliance framework your prospects care about most

4. Create a plan to get there (with timeline and budget)

This Quarter:

1. Start SOC 2 readiness process (or relevant framework)

2. Engage fractional CISO who can join sales calls

3. Train sales team on how to position your security program

4. Track deal velocity before and after improvements

If your insurance premium is increasing:

This Week:

1. Request the detailed questionnaire from your insurance broker

2. Identify what documentation they're asking for

3. Assess what you're doing vs. what you can prove

This Month:

1. Document your backup processes (with test results)

2. Prove MFA implementation across systems

3. Document security training program

4. Create or update incident response plan

This Quarter:

1. Get quotes from 3 different cyber insurance providers

2. Use documented controls to negotiate better rates

3. Implement any gaps that are driving premiums up

What's Next

In Part 3 of this series, we'll cover:

• How to work with security professionals without getting snowed

• Questions to ask when evaluating vendors

• Building a security program that scales with your business

• Comprehensive action plans for different growth stages

Need Help Now?

Want to assess where you are? Book a free 30-minute assessment call.

We'll review:

• Where you are vs. where you need to be

• What's blocking deals or increasing costs

• Clear next steps with timeline and budget

• How fractional CISO support could help

No sales pitch. No 50-page proposal. Just clear guidance.

[Book Your Free Assessment → https://calendar.app.google/83MPdGMv8e4wk6SU9]

About MP Cybersecurity Services

We provide fractional CISO services for growing businesses that need strategic security leadership without the $200K+ salary of a full-time hire.

Our clients get:

• Strategic security guidance tailored to their business

• Someone who can answer enterprise security questions

• Compliance framework implementation (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, etc.)

• Documentation that enables deals and reduces insurance costs

• Incident response support when you need it

Think of us as your security leadership team, available when you need us, at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires.

Connect with us: Email: [mp@mpcybersecurity.co.uk] Website: [mpcybersecurity.co.uk]