Supercharge Your Security Budget in 2025: Smarter Investments, Stronger Defence

Razorwire Cyber Security

Ever wonder how to get the most out of your cybersecurity budget without leaving your company vulnerable?

Hey there, it’s Jim from Razorwire! In this episode, I sit down with cybersecurity pros Chris Dawson and Iain Pye to chat about smart spending when it comes to your cybersecurity budget. Whether you’re a big enterprise with a hefty budget or a small business wanting maximum impact on a small budget, we’ve got some actionable insights for you.

In this episode, we tackle one of the industry's most pressing challenges—how organisations allocate and manage their cybersecurity spending. Together with Chris and Iain, we examine the complex relationship between IT departments and security teams competing for resources, exploring perspectives from startups making their first security investments through to enterprises managing substantial security budgets.

Drawing on our collective experience, we challenge conventional wisdom about security investment and explore whether current approaches truly serve organisations effectively. Through real-world examples and hard-earned lessons, we examine why traditional approaches often fall short and propose fresh perspectives on security strategy.

Our debate around tools versus talent—and occasional heated disagreements—gives you multiple battle-tested perspectives to help shape your own security investment strategy, whether you're just starting out or running an enterprise security programme.

Key Talking Points

1. Get More Bang for Your Security Buck - Learn how successful organisations are stretching their security budgets by intelligently balancing people, tools and training - so you can stop wasting money on solutions that don't deliver
2. Build Security That Sticks - Discover how to create a security programme that works for your whole business, not just IT, with proven approaches that align security spending to genuine business risks
3. Smart Security on a Budget - Get practical insights on maximising security with minimal spend, from leveraging free tools effectively to knowing when (and how) to bring in expert help

Tune in to Razorwire for these tips and more, and start making your cybersecurity budget work harder for you, not the other way around!

Decentralised Security Budgeting:

"Security doesn't need to be expensive. It just needs to be effective, and there's a million different ways to handle security in a million different organisations."

Jim Rees

Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform: https://razorwire.captivate.fm/listen

In this episode, learn how to:

● Scale Security for Your Company Size: Implement the right cybersecurity strategy whether you're running a small business or large corporation.

● Balance Your Security Investment: Make informed decisions between hiring security personnel or investing in software tools when working with limited resources.

● Measure Security ROI: Effectively demonstrate and track the business value of your cybersecurity investments.

● Choose Security Partners: Select and evaluate third party security providers that match your organisation's needs and budget.

● Implement Continuous Security Testing: Set up a continuous penetration testing programme using global resources to maintain strong security.

● Build a Security-Aware Culture: Create and run effective security awareness programmes that actually reduce organisational risk.

● Structure Your Security Budget: Establish and manage a dedicated security budget separate from IT spending.

● Unify Physical and Digital Security: Create a cohesive security strategy that bridges physical and IT security measures.

● Access Expert Security Guidance: Leverage consulting services to get CISO-level expertise without the full time cost.

● Optimise Security Tools: Combine open source and paid security solutions to maximise protection on a limited budget.

Resources Mentioned

The Cyber Sentinel's Handbook: A Primer for Information and Security Professionals by James Rees

ISO 27001/27002

PCI DSS

GDPR

DORA

HIPAA

EU Cybersecurity Certification Scheme

OpenVAS

Greenbone

Connect with your host. James Rees

Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cybersecurity professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult.

Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cybersecurity—from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights.

With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers.

For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss email [e-mail].

If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.

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