Navigating the marketplace of cybersecurity compliance platforms can be overwhelming. There are numerous well-known platforms, such as Vanta, that offer a wide array of features, automation, and “bells and whistles”. For many businesses, the promise of an automated solution to handle complex standards like ISO27001 or SOC 2 is incredibly appealing.
However, before committing to a subscription, it is vital to assess whether a platform of this magnitude is the right financial and strategic fit for your organisation. While spreadsheets may feel outdated, the leap to a comprehensive compliance platform requires a clear understanding of return on investment (ROI).
The Financial Reality: The 0.1% Rule
When evaluating whether to purchase a compliance tracking platform, we recommend applying a simple financial metric: you should generally not spend more than 0.1% of your company’s annual revenue on a tracking tool.
Based on this metric, unless your organisation is generating more than $10 million in annual revenue, a platform as extensive as Vanta may not be the most efficient use of your limited funds.
Cybersecurity budgets are typically tight, often less than 3% of total organisational expenditure. To achieve effective security, the majority of this budget must be allocated to the actual implementation of security measures—such as defensive software, expert penetration testing, comprehensive audits, and hiring cyber experts. Spending a significant portion of your budget on a tool that simply tracks compliance leaves very little room for doing the actual security work required to protect your business.
Sales Tactics and “Urgent” Discounts
You may encounter aggressive sales tactics, such as significant discounts for the first year or pressure to make a rushed decision to “lock in” a deal. It is important to recognise that a temporary discount does not change the fundamental financial facts outlined above.
In fact, these tactics often reinforce the very question you should be asking: why are such high-pressure sales techniques needed? If a product delivers clear, sustainable value appropriate for your business size, it rarely requires manufactured urgency or introductory price slashes to sell. A discounted first year does not justify a long-term recurring cost that consumes budget better spent on actual protections.
Security is a Process, Not a Product
We have assisted many companies that purchased subscriptions to premium compliance platforms, only to be surprised that the tool itself did not make them secure.
It is important to remember that cybersecurity is a process, not a product. A compliance platform provides a dashboard to monitor your status, but it does not fix vulnerabilities, patch servers, or train your staff. It merely highlights the work that you still need to perform and pay for separately.
If a business under the $10 million revenue threshold invests heavily in the tracking tool, they often find themselves without the resources to implement the necessary controls. This results in a “compliance-rich, security-poor” environment, where the dashboard looks impressive, but the underlying defences are weak.
When Does a Premium Platform Make Sense?
If your organisation generates over $10 million in revenue per year, the calculation begins to shift. At this stage, you may have the available budget to absorb the cost of a premium platform without compromising your defensive capabilities. However, even then, the decision should depend on specific utility rather than marketing buzzwords.
If you are considering a platform like Vanta, ask yourself if you will genuinely use its specific features, such as tailored automations or a complex trust centre. If you are simply sold on the idea of “AI-driven compliance” and automations without a specific use case, you may not realise the expected value.
Interestingly, many premium platforms recommend engaging external cybersecurity consultants to assist with the actual work. This reinforces the fact that the true value lies in the implementation and expertise, not just the software interface.
The Bicycle Analogy: Start Simple
Consider the analogy of buying a bicycle. If you are new to cycling, you would not immediately purchase a top-tier, professional racing bike costing thousands of dollars. You likely would not know yet if you prefer road cycling, mountain biking, or gravel tracks.
Instead, you would buy a reliable, standard bicycle to learn the basics. As you gain experience, you identify exactly what you need perhaps better suspension for off-road trails or a lighter frame for speed.
The same logic applies to cybersecurity compliance. Rather than committing to an expensive, complex platform immediately, it is often wiser to start with a streamlined, cost-effective solution, such as Vertex’s Cyber Compliance platform (ALKE). This allows you to focus on the fundamentals of security implementation. Once you have matured your security posture and identified specific automation needs that a basic platform cannot meet, you can then justify the upgrade to a more expensive tool.
For organisations with revenue exceeding $100 million, the cost of a platform like Vanta is likely a negligible friction point, allowing for a project to do Proof of Concept (POC) comparisons between multiple platforms like Vanta and Vertex’s ALKE. However, for the vast majority of growing businesses, funds are better spent on tangible security outcomes rather than expensive tracking software.
We recommend prioritising high ROI activities such as penetration testing and expert consultancy over administrative tools. If you are unsure about the best strategy for your compliance journey, or if you wish to compare Vertex’s ALKE platform against other market options, contact the team at Vertex Cyber Security. We can help you find a solution that fits both your security needs and your budget.