In the current digital landscape, the cybersecurity market is flooded with new products. Businesses are frequently bombarded with sales pitches for platforms that promise to automate compliance, streamline security, and solve all your cyber challenges with the click of a button. While the idea of a quick and easy path to compliance is appealing, it often conceals significant risks.
At Vertex, we have observed a worrying trend where organisations spend tens of thousands of dollars on expensive subscriptions, only to receive a tool that offers little more utility than a standard spreadsheet.
The Spreadsheet Comparison Test
When you are evaluating a new governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform or a cybersecurity management tool, your primary point of comparison should be a simple spreadsheet.
Many of these platforms are essentially expensive tracking lists. They allow you to mark a task as ‘complete’ or turn a status light from red to green. If the platform’s primary function is simply to list tasks and track their status, you must ask yourself: could I achieve this same outcome with Excel or Google Sheets for free?
If the platform charges a premium but relies entirely on your team to do the actual work outside of the tool, you are paying for the container, not the content.
The Illusion of Security
There is a reason many companies suffer cyber incidents despite being “certified” or utilizing these high-end platforms. The issue lies in the fact that purchasing a tool does not equate to implementing a control.
We have seen even the most well-known cyber compliance platforms fall guilty of over-promising and under-delivering. They market themselves as a solution to your security problems, but in reality, they often create a dangerous illusion of security.
This approach is like applying “cyber lipstick” – it might look good on the surface (or on a dashboard), but it provides no real protection. You might have a dashboard that says you are 100% compliant because you ticked every box, but if the underlying firewall configurations are weak or the staff training was ineffective, that green tick is meaningless.
Quality Is in the Implementation
True security is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires careful planning, risk assessment, implementation of controls, staff training, and thorough internal audits.
The value of a cybersecurity strategy comes from the quality of the implementation, not the software used to track it. For example, ISO 27001 involves around 120 security controls and requirements. A platform can tell you that you need a policy for these controls, but it cannot write a policy that is tailored to your specific business operations, nor can it ensure that your employees understand and follow it.
At Vertex, we focus on quality implementation. We believe that ensuring security controls are effective, practical, and suited to the business is far more important than filling out a digital checklist.
Don’t Be Sold on Hype
We urge businesses to be cautious of platforms that promise to do too much for a high price tag. If a promise seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
Before committing a large portion of your budget to a platform, consider whether those funds would be better spent on:
- Expert consultation: Engaging professionals who can guide you through the process correctly.
- Penetration testing: Identifying actual technical vulnerabilities in your systems.
- Staff training: ensuring your team is the first line of defence.
Focus on Genuine Protection
The goal should not be to get a certificate on the wall or a green dashboard as quickly as possible. The goal should be to genuinely improve your organisation’s security and resilience against cyber threats.
While we use our own platforms to make processes efficient, we never sacrifice quality for speed. If you are concerned that your current tools are not providing the value or protection you need, or if you want an honest assessment of your security posture, contact the expert team at Vertex. We can provide tailored solutions that prioritise genuine, high-quality protection.