Risk Advisory Services

Cyber Risk Advisory Services

Make a strong cyber risk management strategy happen.

CDW’s cyber risk advisory consultants architect, implement and operate a comprehensive security strategy with a portfolio of services that identify and assess IT network security risks, increase your understanding of and visibility into risks and prepare your organization for an evolving threat landscape.

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Cyber Risk Advisory Overview

Cyber risk is jeopardizing Canadian businesses.

CDW’s 2024 Canadian Cybersecurity Study revealed that cyber risk continues to be a major concern for Canadian organizations.

Learn more in our 2024 Canadian Cybersecurity Study

Critical Systems and Customer Data in Danger

The number of cyberattacks decreased slightly compared to the previous year, but the incident rate remained the same, which means attackers are more successful.

Increasing Regulatory
Pressure

There’s been an increased adoption of security frameworks such as NIST CSF, SOC 2 and ISO2700x.

Alarming Number of
Data Breaches

Over 60 percent of Canadian organizations reported at least one data breach in the last year.

Exposed Vulnerabilities on the Rise

The number of infiltrations went from 48 percent in 2023 to 52 percent in 2024, among medium-sized organizations. Denial of service went from 34 percent to 46 percent among small businesses. Cloud incidents increased across all segments.

Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC)

To mitigate cybersecurity and privacy risks, your organization’s people, policies, processes, technologies and facilities must all be aligned to provide a defence-in-depth response to the ever-changing threat landscape. CDW’s cyber risk consulting team can act as your trusted advisor and provide the governance, risk and compliance services your organization needs.

Assessments

Our assessment services provide a comprehensive evaluation of your organization's security posture. We identify potential vulnerabilities, assess the impact and likelihood of various threats and offer tailored recommendations to mitigate risks. This service helps determine how to secure your data, systems and operations against evolving cyberthreats and maintain compliance with business requirements, allowing you to focus on your core business with confidence.

Services:

Security Health Check
Gap Assessment
Risk Assessment
Threat Risk Assessment
Holistic Security Assessment
Privacy Impact Assessment

Program Implementations

Our information security management system (ISMS) implementation service empowers your organization to establish a robust framework for safeguarding critical assets. We guide you through the process of designing, implementing and maintaining an effective ISMS. By aligning with industry standards, we enable your organization to meet compliance, risk mitigation and continuous improvement obligations for the protection of data.

Services:

ISO 27001 Information Security Management System Implementation
Information Security Policy and Procedure Development
Information Security Awareness Training

Auditing

Our internal audit service provides a comprehensive evaluation of your organization’s processes, controls and compliance. By ensuring transparency, accountability and adherence to best practices, our internal audit service can provide you with the assurance you need that your information security program is performing as intended.

Services:

ISO 27001 Information Security Management System Internal Auditing
ISO 27001 External Audit Support

Incident Response Services

Our incident response plan development and tabletop exercise services ensure your organization is well-prepared to handle cyberincidents.

Services:

Incident Response Plan Development
Incident Response Tabletop Exercise

Business Continuity Services

Whether it’s a cyberattack, supply chain failure or natural disaster, having a robust business continuity plan is crucial. Our team of experts is dedicated to helping you navigate these challenges and helps you ensure your business can continue operating smoothly, even in the face of adversity.

Services:

Business Continuity Plan Development
Business Impact Analysis

Staff Augmentation

An information security program requires continual management and maintenance. Our vCISO and staff augmentation services can support your organization’s security function at the strategic and tactical levels.

Services:

Virtual CISO
Virtual GRC Security Staff Augmentation

Penetration Testing

Uncover security vulnerabilities in your environment with a penetration test before malicious actors exploit them.

We cover all kinds of penetration tests, from testing your infrastructure to your web application to social engineering assessments.

Learn how our penetration testers can help you

Vulnerability Management

An optimized vulnerability management program, designed and supported by security experts, enables organizations to eliminate backlogs, address threats quickly and efficiently and protect from attacks.

Download our Vulnerability Management Overview (PDF) →

Managed Services

Provides continual visibility and meaningful security insight into your environments and the risks associated with vulnerabilities. This empowers your organization to manage your attack surface by identifying vulnerabilities as well as prioritizing and validating their remediation.

Services:

Continual scanning of your internal, external and web application environments
Rapid identification of vulnerabilities in critical business assets
Advanced trend and analysis reporting of your vulnerabilities
Recommendations for patch prioritization based on cyber risk
Validation that patches were successfully deployed
Service from highly skilled and experienced staff on our cybersecurity team
Optional PCI compliance attestation support

Professional Services

Helps you evaluate your current vulnerability management program and tools, identify opportunities for improvement and develop strong processes and policies to seamlessly manage your program.

Deployment Services

CDW will deploy and configure security solution modules and sensors that align with your organization's specific requirements. Professional guidance will be provided for the initial setup and configuration of the platform, including fine-tuning policies. Finally, CDW will perform a comprehensive knowledge transfer of the deployment configuration to the client team.

CDW's Vulnerability Management Lifecycle

Vulnerability management is an essential element of a cohesive security strategy, driven by a collaborative, cyclical process involving multiple teams and stakeholders. Our Management Lifecycle process includes identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities, validating their remediation, and continuously improving through refined reporting and data modeling. This ensures that both clients and system administrators have the data needed for informed decision-making, fostering an ongoing cycle of protection.

Why CDW?

CDW has unmatched capabilities to help your organization face cyber risk.

We have a team of Canada-based consultants with over 15 years of experience in security, privacy, governance, compliance, offensive security and IT risk management.

Full spectrum of cybersecurity services, ensuring all aspects of risk, from compliance to cyberthreats, are managed.

Extensive designations, industry certifications and security clearances.

500+

We are serving over 500 unique clients with our premier cyber risk advisory services.

200+

Customers through our governance, risk and compliance engagements.

Thousands of risks identified and mitigated across client organizations.

100% success rate in implementing and maintaining ISO 27001-based information security management systems.

Industries We Serve

The importance of cyber risk management for each business sector

At CDW we have experience helping organizations across all sectors develop a strong cyber risk management strategy. We also understand the broader public sector procurement landscape, and we have been awarded a number of public sector contracts – such as Kinetic GPO and HealthPro – that simplify the procurement process.

At CDW, we have worked with some of Canada’s most important law firms to uncover and fix their vulnerabilities.

Protect sensitive client data from breaches that could also harm the firm’s credibility
Ensure adherence to data protection laws and regulations
Identify and mitigate potential cyber risks

CDW is a trusted technology provider to many healthcare institutions throughout Canada and has been awarded several contracts that simplify the procurement process for them.

Ensure adherence to laws such as PIPEDA
According to the 2024 CDW Canadian Cybersecurity Study, 88 percent of healthcare respondents reported experiencing at least one cyberincident in the last 12 months
72.3 percent of respondents expressed challenges in protecting cloud environments

CDW has experience working with federal, provincial and municipal entities and offers a simplified procurement process thanks to the contracts it has been awarded.

Prevent data breaches that could undermine citizen confidence
According to CDW’s Canadian Cybersecurity Study, the average number of cyberattacks experienced by a public sector organization increased by 42 percent compared to the previous year
72.5 percent of public sector respondents expressed being concerned about ransomware attacks

CDW has helped several K-12 and higher education institutions build a strong cyber risk management strategy so they can focus on offering their students the best possible learning experience.

Ensure adherence to Canadian data protection laws and educational regulations
CDW’s Canadian Cybersecurity Study showed that education is one of the most targeted industries in Canada by cyberattackers
On average, an education organization in Canada endures 325 cyberattacks each year

At CDW, we have a proven track record of helping Canadian financial institutions improve their cyber risk management strategy.

Adhere to strict financial regulations like the PCMLTFA and guidelines from regulatory bodies like FINTRAC
Prevent and mitigate financial fraud and cyberthreats targeting financial assets
Maintain trust and confidence in your financial systems and services
Protect sensitive financial transactions and account information from fraud and breaches