In today’s digital economy, cyber risk isn’t just an IT problem – it’s a strategic business issue that demands boardroom attention. Corporate directors can no longer treat cybersecurity as a distant technical matter. Major cyber-attacks now dominate headlines, regulators are raising expectations, and stakeholders expect swift, accountable responses when incidents occur. The stakes are enormous: cybercrime is escalating in scale and cost worldwide, inflicting multi-million-pound losses on companies and threatening core operations, reputation and customer trust.

Despite the escalating threat, many boards are still catching up. A 2024 study revealed that only 3% of UK company boards have a cybersecurity expert on the board – a serious governance gap. This is alarming, especially as the same study linked stronger cybersecurity oversight with better financial performance for companies. In other words, integrating cyber expertise at the board level isn’t just about avoiding losses; it can drive better business outcomes. Forward-thinking boards are beginning to recognise that robust cyber governance is part of their fiduciary duty and a source of competitive advantage.

High-profile incidents in recent years have made the consequences of neglecting cyber risk crystal clear. In 2017, shipping giant Maersk was crippled by the NotPetya malware attack, which shut down operations at ports worldwide and ultimately cost the company an estimated $300 million in lost revenue. For a period, Maersk’s ships and terminals were effectively dead in the water – a stark reminder that a cyber attack can bring even a global industrial leader to a halt. This crisis show how quickly a cyber-incident can escalate into an organisation-wide crisis, driving huge financial costs, leadership shakeups, and lasting reputational damage. Crucially, they underline why cybersecurity must be treated as a core strategic priority by the board – not left as an afterthought.

This urgent need for board-level cyber risk management is exactly why Cyber Data Services was established. We are a new UK-based cybersecurity consultancy dedicated to helping businesses embed cyber resilience as a strategic priority from the top down. Our suite of services is designed to empower boards and leadership teams to proactively manage cyber risks before they become crises. Below, we introduce our key services and how each one supports your organisation in treating cyber risk as a strategic, enterprise-wide priority:

Building enterprise resilience against attacks. We work with your leadership to assess your organisation’s readiness for cyber threats and to develop a comprehensive cyber resilience programme. This includes strengthening your ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents – so that critical business operations can continue even under attack.

Ensuring fundamental controls and compliance. Cyber Data Services guides organisations through the UK government’s Cyber Essentials (CE) scheme – an established baseline security standard. Our CE service helps you implement the five key controls (from secure configuration to access control) and prepares you for Cyber Essentials or CE+ certification. Achieving this certification demonstrates to your board (and to customers and partners) that your organisation has essential defences in place against common threats. It also helps reduce cyber insurance premiums and is increasingly required for doing business with government and large enterprises. We make the certification process straightforward, so your leadership can be assured that the company meets recognised cyber hygiene benchmarks.

Executive security leadership on demand. Many organisations, especially mid-sized firms, may not have a full-time Chief Information Security Officer. Our vCISO service fills that gap by providing you with seasoned security leadership as a service. This virtual CISO works closely with your board and executives to develop and oversee cybersecurity strategy, governance, and risk management – effectively acting as your organisation’s own CISO on a part-time basis. The vCISO will help translate complex cyber risks into business terms for the board, define security roadmaps, and ensure that cyber risks are managed as rigorously as other business risks. This service is invaluable for boards that want expert guidance at the strategic level without the expense of a full-time senior hire.

Cultivating a cyber-conscious culture. Technology alone isn’t enough – people are often the weakest link. That’s why Cyber Data Services offers comprehensive cybersecurity training programmes for staff and executives. We conduct engaging security awareness workshops, phishing simulation exercises, and even board-level training sessions to ensure that everyone, from the front line to the C-suite, understands their role in protecting the organisation. An estimated 74% of breaches involve a human element (such as staff falling for phishing or misconfiguring systems), so building a security-aware culture is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk. For leadership and directors, we provide specialised briefings that clarify emerging threats and regulatory responsibilities in plain language. The result is an organisation where good security practices are second nature – and where the board can trust that the “human firewall” is solid.

Be ready to react decisively when incidents strike. Even the best defences can be breached, so having a battle-tested incident response (IR) plan is critical. We help you develop tailored IR plans and playbooks that align with your business continuity needs and legal obligations. Our experts will walk your team (and board representatives) through tabletop simulations of cyber crises, so that if a real incident occurs, everyone knows their role and can act swiftly and calmly. We also offer on-call Incident Response support – a team of experts who can be mobilised at short notice to contain and investigate a breach, working to minimise damage and downtime. A well-prepared incident response can dramatically reduce the impact of a breach; research shows organisations with robust IR plans save hundreds of thousands of pounds in breach costs on average compared to those without plans. For the board, this service means peace of mind that if the worst happens, the company will manage the crisis effectively, communicate transparently, and recover faster – all under experienced guidance.

Aligning cyber risk with enterprise risk management. We provide deep-dive cyber risk assessments and ongoing advisory to help your board identify and prioritise the most critical cyber threats to your business. Rather than a technical drill-down only, we take a business-centric approach to cyber risk: quantifying potential impacts in financial terms and mapping cyber risks to your strategic objectives and risk appetite. This allows directors and executives to see cybersecurity in the same light as other enterprise risks (financial, operational, etc.) and to make informed decisions on investments or risk acceptance. Our consultants will benchmark your security posture against industry standards and regulatory requirements, providing clear recommendations for improvement. We can also facilitate regular cyber risk reporting to the board, translating security metrics into key risk indicators that the board can monitor over time. By embedding cyber risk management into your corporate governance (for example, integrating it with audit or risk committees), we help ensure that cybersecurity is woven into your strategy and culture at every level. The outcome is a board that’s not only aware of cyber risks but actively steers the organisation’s cyber strategy – turning cybersecurity into a business enabler rather than a checkbox compliance issue.

Boards today have a responsibility to treat cyber risk as a strategic priority – as fundamental to the business as financial stewardship or product strategy. The potential consequences of cyber threats (from massive financial losses to stakeholder fallout) mean that cyber risk truly belongs on the board’s agenda. The good news is that with the right approach and support, managing these risks can also become a source of strength and resilience for the company.

Cyber Data Services is here to partner with organisations on that journey. We bring the expertise, services, and strategic insight needed to elevate cybersecurity from the server room to the boardroom. By leveraging our cyber resilience, compliance, training, incident response, and risk management services, your business can confidently navigate today’s threat landscape – and your leadership can demonstrate the proactive governance that investors, customers, and regulators expect.

In a world where digital threats are ever-evolving, making cyber risk a board-level priority is not just prudent – it’s essential for long-term success. We’re committed to helping your board and organisation achieve that goal, fortifying your defences and ensuring that you’re prepared for whatever the cyber realm throws your way.