Robust Cybersecurity Assessment Mitigates Portfolio Risk
The Private Equity firm needed a team of cybersecurity experts to conduct a cybersecurity health assessment and report to ensure it understood areas of risk across its portfolio as the threat of cyberattacks increased amid the COVID-19.
Industry: Financial Services, Industrials, Healthcare, Consumer
Service: Cybersecurity
The Challenge
Given the increasing emphasis on cybersecurity and the heightened risk of cyberattacks, the Private Equity firm needed to evaluate the existing security governance and identify the activities required to reduce risk across its portfolio.
The Solution
The PIP team performed a portfolio-wide Cybersecurity Health Evaluation to understand the risk posture of the firm’s portfolio and developed a high-level report outlining the security controls and threats that required further investigation and attention.
The Result
Through its assessment, PIP provided the Private Equity firm with a visual security assessment and roll-up report, ranking the current level of risk for each individual portfolio company based on size, industry, and current security protocols, in addition to tailored action plans for the five high risk companies identified.
Proven. Pragmatic. Results-Driven Value.
Portfolio Companies
Portfolio-wide Cybersecurity Assessment
Companies Identified as High-Risk
A Middle-Market Private Equity Firm. A Cybersecurity Challenge.
As the COVID-19 pandemic scaled the globe, cybersecurity hackers escalated their attacks, targeting the deep pockets of Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies.
As cyber threats increased, this middle-market Private Equity firm recognized the need to better understand the risk posture of its portfolio and conducted a portfolio-wide cybersecurity assessment to identify the companies at highest risk.
Once the risks were understood, the Private Equity firm then needed a tailored action plan that outlined the activities required to minimize and mitigate near-term risks.
“If you’re a private equity firm and you own 20 companies that have a 5% risk each, you have a certainty that you’re going to have a significant type of attack.”
Fred Purdue
Infrastructure Practice Manager | Performance Improvement Partners
Solution: Evaluating the Risk Posture and Required Security Measures
PIP began by conducting a cybersecurity assessment, developing and distributing a cybersecurity health survey to each of the Private Equity firm’s portfolio companies. After assessing the current security measures in place, PIP developed a report and action-plan for the companies, with a focus on the five with the highest risk.
Scope Identification
PIP and the Private Equity firm worked in partnership to identify the necessary resources and experience needed to complete the cybersecurity assessment.
Cybersecurity Assessment
The team developed and distributed a cybersecurity health survey across the Private Equity firm’s 21 portfolio companies to understand significant areas of risk across each organization, in addition to the Private Equity firm.
Report and Action-Plan
Following the survey, the PIP team developed a visual cybersecurity assessment ranking each company’s risk posture by size, industry, and current security measures, in addition to tailored remediation plans focused on the five companies identified as high risk.
Robust Cybersecurity Assessment. Tailored Action-Plan.
Assessing the risk posture of portfolio companies – and firm – leads to increased understanding and opportunities to enhance security measures.
With PIP’s assessment and tailored action-plans, the Private Equity firm and each of their businesses now know their current cybersecurity risk-level and the activities required for increased protection.
Related Resources
Learn How to Protect Your Portfolio
Understand the cybersecurity risks to your firm and best practices to minimize risks with The Private Equity Guide to Cybersecurity: New Risks, Responsibilities, and Remediation Strategies.
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