Harbor Technology Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Locally

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Locally is creating the world's largest network of specialty brands and retailers so it's easier than ever to shop online and buy locally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Harbor Technology Group to accomplish?

• Build a robust security program from the ground up
• Achieve SOC2 compliance

SOLUTION

How did you find Harbor Technology Group?

Referral

Why did you select Harbor Technology Group over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Harbor Technology Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Harbor provides virtual CISO support on retainer. The scope of work includes regular meetings with the head of engineering, security administration, executive leadership and board of directors. Harbor conducts an ongoing assessmentment of cybersecurity gaps and readiness and assists with the planning and execution of all aspects of our security program.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Cyber risk assessment tracks the progress towards compliance of various security standards. We have progressed from under 25% to over 80% in 18 months and are on track to achieve compliance in a reasonable amount of time given the size of our organization and dedicated security personnel. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Harbor has been 100% reliable and responsive to all of our needs. Their team is tuned in to all potential, emerging, and ongoing security threats and issues that our company faces on a daily basis.

What was your primary form of communication with Harbor Technology Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Harbor's team feels just as engaged as our own internal team. I have never experienced this level of engagement with any outside contractor.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Harbor Technology Group could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CIO of a financial education app for parents and their children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group?

We needed to hire a virtual CISO for our small fintech.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harbor Technology Group’s key objective is to provide a more robust structure that includes everything from an ISMS plan to a cyber response plan. In addition to that, they’re helping us build a road map for overall cybersecurity.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Matt (Partner) and Evan (Junior Security Consultant).

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group?

They’ve been working with us for many years, and we chose them for this project because they’re a great partner and their costs are reasonable considering the amount of know-how and attention they provide.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $25,000–$50,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in May 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’ve been collaborative and willing to help us out in every aspect of the process whenever we need them — it’s been amazing.

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always available for us; we have weekly meetings focused solely on security matters, and we also communicate via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their knowledge of the industry is outstanding, and if they encounter something they don’t know, they research it — I always feel like we’re in the right hands with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that you’re integrating them into your organization; the project will be more successful if you treat them as part of your team instead of a third-party provider.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of information technology at a construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group?

Several of our clients had been victimized by ransomware, and we were interested in making sure that it wouldn’t happen to us, too.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial phase was a conversation in which they wanted to learn more about our company and the construction sector. Next, they installed some equipment on the servers and scanned our network extensively. Then, they provided the results of that scan with recommended corrective actions for us to take.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and a consultant.

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group?

They were recommended to us by a third party who we actually built a building for.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $18,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2020, and our work wrapped up in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We began the process at a 1.8 CSF Implementation Tier (risk-informed) and achieved a 2.48 CSF Implementation Tier (repeatable) at the end of our engagement. They were extremely thorough. It wasn’t a “rush job” at all. It very thorough and analytical.

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a great job with project management. We would typically schedule conference calls or emails to keep in touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took a great deal of time prior to the onset of the project to understand our industry and our organization. We couldn’t be happier.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to make sure that whoever is working with Harbor has a thorough understanding of their own company’s processes, so they can help through the analysis.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the technology services manager for a New Jersey-based religious organization. Our campus serves members of our religious denomination by providing a place to seek spiritual inspiration, study the Bible and bring that inspiration to challenges in their daily lives. This includes providing care onsite and in-home for those seeking spiritual healing as well as a philanthropy ministry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group?

About a year ago, we went through a security audit and learned that we needed to ramp up our security defenses. Security requirements for technology were moving into a new realm, and we needed to make sure that we kept up with them. So, we partnered with Harbor Technology Group to identify security gaps and to create a roadmap that would help us strengthen our security posture.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, as I was searching for a security partner, we suspected one of our staff member’s emails was compromised, so we had to find a company that could respond immediately to our situation. The first company that we contacted looked over our systems, but we weren’t confident that they’d done a detailed job.

As a result, we reached out to Harbor Technology Group to provide a second opinion. They worked with a partner organization to perform an incident response activity for us.

Their team currently serves as our virtual chief information security officer (vCISO). We have several measures we plan to implement in the future, for example:

1. Drafting a full set of formal policies to govern our network users.
2. Improving our disaster recovery and business continuity plan.
3. Walking us through tabletop exercises to test incident response.
4. Assisting us in reviewing prospective cyber insurance policies.
5. Performing quarterly vulnerability assessments.

What is the team composition?

We work with two points of contact. Matt (Partner & Co-Founder, Harbor Technology Group) performed the risk assessment, meeting with us several times to review our situation. He then put together a report that identified all of our potential vulnerabilities. We’re now working with Michael (Partner & Co-Founder, Harbor Technology Group) to discuss and write our full set of policies.

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group?

I found them through a Google search while looking for local vendors. They’re just down the road from us, which is helpful when we want to meet face-to-face.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first engaged them in January 2019, but the assessment itself took place around April. The vCISO work is a year’s contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Harbor setup a timeline and kept to it, providing all deliverables in a timely manner.  Their proposed actions to mitigate the risks identified have already strengthened our level of security.  We have a roadmap for the future and a knowledgeable partner in Harbor.  I’m happy to have found Harbor Technology Group. Their team is very personable and easy to get on with. I feel like I can ask them any question, and they’ll answer it well.

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?

The team set out a very clear timeline ahead of time and have stuck to it. They’re organized, thorough, and very detailed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They clearly enjoy what they do. Even though security policy is fairly onerous (but necessary) to me, they bring enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge to the process. It’s second nature to them, so it feels like far less of a burden to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Meet regularly, read their recommendations, and ask questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the senior director of IT governance and security for a medical device company. In my role, I’m responsible for putting cybersecurity frameworks in place and completing security assessments for any software deployed throughout the company. I also make sure our systems comply with Title 21 CFR Part 11 for validation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group? 

We needed to hire an external partner to perform a cybersecurity risk assessment and create a framework of benchmarks to evaluate our future security programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Harbor Technology Group started with a cybersecurity risk assessment, delivering a report that noted any areas of risk or exposure in our current security program. Then, we engaged them for a second project of putting together a strategy based on that initial assessment. They’d identified items that we were falling behind on, so they help us address those and put together a strong program. After a lot of discussion, they pulled together a PowerPoint presentation that lays out a new strategy.

We’ve also consulted Harbor Technology group in our search for a managed service security provider. They provide their input on who we should consider for an RFP, as well as what to include in the RFP. They’ve also reviewed all of our current outsourced vendors for security monitoring tools. They gave us advice on which other vendors are stronger or have a niche in the market. 

What is the team composition? 

Matt (Partner & Co-Founder, Harbor Technology Group) is our primary contact. He led the project and was responsible for pulling together all deliverables. 

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group? 

My boss had worked with them in the past and put me in contact with Matt. After a couple of phone calls and an in-person meeting, we engaged them for their services.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started having discussions in the fall of 2017, and they did the final read out in November 2018. We’re still working together as needed. I’ve set a portion of our budget for Matt's services as we continue to address our security strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Ultimately, we wanted to use the information from the risk assessment to developing a framework to guide and evaluate our security strategy. We’re on track to address many of the gaps that Harbor Technology identified.

We continue to have meetings with Matt each quarter to keep him up to speed on everything we’ve accomplished. Our next meeting with him is in June. We’ll talk to him about where we're at with the security strategy and our RFP for the managed service provider. 

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint? 

I have a good working relationship with Matt and his team. During the bulk of the project, we had standing weekly meetings to share status updates. I’ve never had any concerns with the status of the project or them going over budget. Communication was constant, and Matt always let me know where he was with hours. There were never any issues. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personalized service they offer is excellent. I can call Matt and have a candid conversation with him without worrying about getting billed. He has the subject matter expertise that I need. I started in my role about three years ago, so he's been a tremendous resource of information and advice. He’s always willing to share his industry knowledge and experience, making sure that I'm on the right track.

The Harbor Technology team also offers candid responses about any vendors that we're considering. I can trust that Matt isn’t trying to push me to choose a vendor he’s already partnered with. He is open and honest, letting me know if a particular vendor is more expensive and where we can find the same level of service at a lower cost. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

I can't think of anything to improve. Matt does a good job of pinging me periodically to keep the lines of communication open. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Set the scope up front. Have candid conversations about what you expect and what the deliverables should be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the chief operating officer at MC3, a pharmaceutical training company. We train sales forces, and then we organize and produce national sales meetings as well as launching other events. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group?
We wanted to update our IT Infrastructure, especially with regard to how we manage and protect data. Instead of hiring a chief cybersecurity officer full time, we decided to bring Harbor Technology Group into that role. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
The team helps to protect our existing IT infrastructure against cybercriminals and malware. We’re in our third year of the partnership, and we have a recurring system for identifying security risks. First, they perform risk assessments of our infrastructure and processes. Then, we create a roadmap of issues to address. After mitigating security hazards, we perform more risk assessments and create a new roadmap to address the gaps. 

Since the partnership began, we found we needed to install endpoint protection software on all of our devices, which we purchased from Sophos Group PLC. Harbor Technology Group monitors all of our devices for software issues through a Sophos dashboard. 

What is the team composition?
I primarily work with Mike (Co-Founder, Harbor Technology Group), and Matt (Co-Founder, Harbor Technology Group) also works with my team.

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group?
I knew Mike through an organization, and he called me to talk about his business. The timing of the phone call was perfect because I realized he could help with my company's needs. We had a meeting and worked through a few proposals to reach a deal. 

How much have you invested with them?
During the first two years, we spent between $35,000 and $40,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April 2016 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We feel much more comfortable with our level of security than we were two and a half years ago when we started the partnership. Now, when we fill out security questionnaires for clients, we pass them with flying colors. 

We identify process improvements when we’re developing a roadmap, and then when we run a risk assessment we can tell if those efforts were a success. We see progress each time we run through the cycle. Each year, we’ve been solving 3–4 issues and raising our standard for the issues we want to address.

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They are excellent at managing projects. They understand how to work within our resource constraints while still keeping us on track. 

What did you find most impressive about them?
They understand the nature of our business. They’ve prioritized tasks within the timeline in a structure that’s compatible with our business model and budget.

It’s also been really helpful to get personalized, hands-on attention from senior employees. Both of my main contact points are very skilled and experienced.  

Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any specific recommendations on how they could improve their business.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Future clients should start the partnership with a risk assessment and then plan out a roadmap where they prioritize all of the tasks. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former director of technology at a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group?

We engaged Harbor Technology Group to evaluate our existing cybersecurity efforts and make recommendations for how we could enhance our methods.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harbor Technology Group initially conducted a security risk assessment and produced a comprehensive report of our problem areas and the few things we were doing well. Together, our teams discussed their remediation recommendations. We ultimately hired them for their chief information security officer services and took their advice to implement Endpoint protection software, which they went on to manage for us.

What is the team composition?

Matt (Partner, Harbor Technology Group) was our point of contact every step of the way.

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group?

Many of the consultants we considered had prices that were beyond our budget. We learned of Harbor Technology Group through one of our partners, who knew Matt. I interviewed him and decided that they’d be the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere in the $25,000­–$50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in 2017 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The firm’s security risks were drastically reduced thanks to the strategies they put in place and the software they recommended.

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Matt was available at all times. There was never a question that went unanswered. Matt had a knack for knowing what I was going to ask, and he always had an answer. We were so far in the weeds with our security, so it helps to have somebody that could get us out.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their level of knowledge and their willingness to do some handholding throughout the entire process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we worked very well together. I was looking for advice and help, and they supplied that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re going to ask great questions that you likely haven’t thought of answers to, so make sure you are familiar with your own infrastructure. The more you know about what you have, the better their initial assessment will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Paynela uses AI and technology to streamline affordable care programs, offering fast claims processing, direct-to-patient payments, and a user-friendly portal for patients to manage their care funds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Harbor Technology Group?

We hired Harbor Technology Group to lay the foundation for our cybersecurity systems. Being a startup, we also needed guidance on everything, including employee training.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Harbor Technology Group provides leadership and guidance to our team in a fractional manner, allowing us to grow while getting the best cybersecurity expertise possible. They prioritize items, plan, build, and run day-to-day security operations for Paynela. Harbor Technology Group is leading the charge on our SOC 2 compliance, providing training to our employees, and advising on the cyber systems needed for our platform.

What is the team composition?

We work with three teammates from Harbor Technology Group.

How did you come to work with Harbor Technology Group?

We were connected to Harbor Technology Group through a mutual colleague. We felt an immediate connection to the team and liked their approach to startups. Their competency was evident in the cybersecurity space. They were confident, organized, and easy to talk to.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Harbor Technology Group has helped us create a platform with a security-first mindset. This is critical in our healthcare and fintech business to keep security as our top priority. The measurable outcomes from our project with Harbor Technology Group include having a security system in place, SOC 2 compliance auditing, system scans on a regular basis, and 24/7 monitoring. We measure the effectiveness of the security systems implemented by Harbor Technology Group by conducting scans and tests consistently.

How did Harbor Technology Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Harbor Technology Group has superior project management skills. At each weekly meeting, we can determine where we are, where we need to be, and how we’re going to get there. The team has always been available when called and is extremely prompt in their response.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their organization and project management. I also enjoy working with their knowledgeable management team. If I have any questions related to cybersecurity, I can count on Matt and his team to guide me to the answers. They’re a great group of people whom I genuinely enjoy working with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they did exactly what we needed them to do in a high-quality way.