Shield 7 Consulting

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and co-founder of Unleashed Technologies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shield 7 Consulting?

We needed to make sure that we had regular penetration testing and audits and that we are in compliance for our financial customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Shield 7 Consulting does our annual and regular security work. Annually, they audit, test, and ensure that we’re following all best practices in our policies and procedures. They recommend and give us adjustments to those to make sure that we’re in compliance with bank-related security practices. When we need them, they’re on call to help us with any emergency issues. They do work on-site and remotely.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from their team. Our project manager is Matthew (Partner & Principal Security Consultant).

How did you come to work with Shield 7 Consulting?

I came across Shield 7 Consulting because they have one of the best reputations in the market for being able to work with penetration testing, intrusion detection, auditing, and security compliances. They’re very high up on Check Point. They’re the best in the area. I heard about them through word-of-mouth and then saw them speak at different shows.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000–$1 million over the past four years.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company began working with Shield 7 Consulting in March 2016. Our work together is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve never missed a deadline. If they’ve ever been delayed, it’s been because of us. Their auditing and reporting help us stay secure; we’ve had no breaches over the last four years. 

How did Shield 7 Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

Shield 7 Consulting is an amazing group that’s able to keep and maintain their deadlines. They understand the importance of the client and how their work affects the ongoing success of the client. They’re very transparent in their communication with us; they keep us up to speed on what they’ve found and what they’d recommend. I give them high marks for communications, work product, and adherence to milestones. They’re a vendor I don’t have to worry about.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They maintain truly deep subject matter expertise. This is what they do. There are a lot of groups that try to spread themselves thin and say they’re experts in everything, while Shield 7 Consulting really focuses on being a mile deep. I trust and rely on their consulting because they’re constantly staying with new trends and seeing what’s out there. They’re very, very experienced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m completely satisfied. I’ve never asked them to change a thing, and they do exactly what I need them to do.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d say to just hire them and understand that this group understands how to quote and build out project plans; if they say a project is going to take a certain amount of time, it will. These guys really have their stuff together.