The short answer
Cyber security consultancy is expert help to work out which security standards apply to you, close the gaps and prove it to customers, auditors and regulators. Sovereign Secure is a PCI SSC-approved QSA, QPA and CPSA company, an IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials certification body and ISO 27001 certified, covering PCI DSS, Cyber Essentials, ISO consultancy and penetration testing.
On this page
Cyber security consultancy is expert help to work out which security standards and risks apply to your organisation, close the gaps and produce evidence that customers, auditors and regulators accept. Sovereign Secure is a consultancy and an approved assessor in one firm: a PCI SSC-approved Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), Qualified PIN Assessor (QPA) and Card Production Security Assessor (CPSA) company, an IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials certification body and ISO 27001 certified.
What does a cyber security consultant do?
A cyber security consultant assesses how well you are protected, recommends fixes and helps you meet a standard or a customer’s security requirements. The work usually covers:
- Scoping: which systems, sites and data a standard covers.
- Gap analysis: what you do today against each requirement.
- Remediation guidance: a prioritised plan your team or IT provider carries out.
- Testing: penetration tests and scans that show what an attacker could exploit.
- Assessment: the formal assessment or certificate, where we are the approved body.
Which cyber security consulting services do we provide?
Our cyber security consulting (also called IT security or information security consulting) covers four lines of cyber security services, each backed by an approval you can check at the source:
| Service line | What it covers | Our status | Start here |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCI DSS, PIN, card production, P2PE and 3DS | Scoping, gap analysis, SAQ support, QSA assessments, PIN and card production audits, P2PE and 3DS assessments | PCI SSC-approved QSA, QPA, CPSA, P2PE Assessor (Europe and USA) and 3DS Assessor | PCI DSS consultancy |
| Cyber Essentials, CE+ and other IASME schemes | Readiness support, certification, the CE+ technical audit, IASME Cyber Assurance and Defence Cyber Certification Levels 0 and 1 | IASME-licensed certification body | Cyber Essentials consultancy |
| ISO management systems | ISO 27001 gap analysis, implementation and internal audit, plus ISO 9001, 14001, 22301 and others | ISO 27001 certified; certification audits by MQA International | ISO 27001 consultancy |
| Testing and scanning | Web, API, network, cloud, mobile, hardware, wireless, social engineering and AI/LLM testing | ASV scans through a PCI SSC Approved Scanning Vendor partner | Penetration testing services |
Two guides sit across all four lines: what a cyber security audit measures, and how a cyber security risk assessment sets priorities. For each standard in more depth, see our guides on PCI DSS, Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001.
What about NIS2, DORA, SOC 2 and other frameworks?
We cover these in guides, not as separate services, because most ask for evidence our four lines already produce, such as an ISO 27001 management system or penetration test reports. More framework guides, including the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework, are listed below.
| Framework | Who it affects | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| NIS2 Directive | Essential and important entities in EU member states | NIS2 guide |
| DORA | EU financial entities, since 17 January 2025 | DORA guide |
| Cyber Security and Resilience Bill | Proposed UK law updating the NIS Regulations 2018 | Cyber Security and Resilience Bill guide |
| SOC 2 | Service organisations selling to US customers | SOC 2 guide |
| UK operational resilience | Firms in scope of the PRA and FCA rules | operational resilience guide |
| AI governance | Organisations building or buying AI | AI governance guide |
| Cyber Governance Code of Practice | Boards and directors of medium and large UK organisations | Cyber Governance Code of Practice guide |
| CIS Controls v8.1 | Organisations wanting a prioritised technical security roadmap | CIS Controls guide |
| Supply chain security | Any organisation that relies on IT providers, cloud services or third-party code | supply chain security guide |
How does a consultancy engagement run?
- Scoping call to confirm what is driving the work and what is in scope.
- Fixed quote for the agreed scope before any work starts.
- Gap analysis or test through document review, interviews and technical testing.
- Remediation by your team or IT provider, with our guidance.
- Assessment or certification, where we are the approved body.
PCI SSC and IASME both set independence rules, so we explain up front how advice and assessment are kept apart, and you are free to use a different assessor.
How do I choose a cyber security consultancy?
Choose a cybersecurity consultancy on credentials you can check and depth in your standard, not the length of a service list.
- Verify approvals on the PCI SSC assessor listings and IASME’s Network Directory.
- Ask about independence: who advises, who assesses, and can you appoint another assessor?
- Insist on a fixed scope and price for each phase.
- Expect honest limits. We do not provide managed security monitoring (SOC) or incident response retainers.
Where should you start?
Start with the standard a customer, acquirer or contract is asking you to meet. Each service line has a free first step you can take before you speak to anyone:
| If you need | Free first step |
|---|---|
| PCI DSS compliance | PCI compliance check |
| Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus | Cyber Essentials readiness check |
| ISO 27001 certification | ISO 27001 checklist |
| A penetration test | Scope your test online |
If nobody has named a standard yet, our comparison of UK cyber security certifications helps you choose where to begin.
Why Sovereign Secure
Sovereign Secure Ltd (company no. 08334453, est. 2012) works across the UK, including London, Manchester and the North West, from its head office in Accrington, Lancashire, and internationally through offices in Los Angeles, Singapore, Dubai and Dhaka. For local services, see cyber security in Lancashire and cyber security in Manchester. We are also a member of the PCI SSC Global Executive Assessor Roundtable for 2026 to 2028. Clients shown on our site include Accor, Fiserv, Ticketmaster and Kuwait Finance House; see cyber security by industry for your sector’s standards.
Tell us what is driving the work through the enquiry form, or call +44 161 523 5276, for a scope and fixed quote.
In this section
- AI governanceAI governance explained for UK organisations: what a framework covers, ISO 42001 and NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act dates and the testing evidence you will need.
- CIS ControlsCIS Controls v8.1 explained: all 18 controls, 153 Safeguards and implementation groups IG1 to IG3, mapped to Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001 to plan your next step.
- Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)The NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework explained: the 4 objectives, 14 principles and 41 outcomes of CAF 4.0, who must use it and how it maps to ISO 27001.
- Cyber Governance Code of PracticeThe Cyber Governance Code of Practice explained for UK boards: the 5 principles, the 22 director actions and a quarterly question list. Read the guide.
- Cyber Security and Resilience BillThe Cyber Security and Resilience Bill explained: status, scope (MSPs, data centres, critical suppliers), 24-hour reporting and how it differs from NIS2.
- Cyber security auditWhat a cyber security audit covers, how auditors test your controls against Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001 or PCI DSS, and how to prepare for a clean result.
- Cyber security risk assessmentHow to run a cyber security risk assessment: identify assets and threats, score likelihood and impact, then build a risk register and treatment plan that works.
- DORA regulationDORA regulation explained for UK firms: who the Digital Operational Resilience Act covers, its five pillars, testing and supplier rules, plus a checklist.
- EU Cyber Resilience ActThe EU Cyber Resilience Act for UK manufacturers: products in scope, key dates, essential requirements, 24-hour reporting and the test evidence you will need.
- Incident response plan templateFree incident response plan template (Word) for UK organisations, mapped to PCI DSS 12.10 and ISO 27001: roles, severity levels, ICO and acquirer notification.
- NIS2NIS2 explained for UK companies: who the EU directive covers, when UK firms are in scope, the Article 21 security measures, 24-hour reporting and ISO 27001 mapping.
- NIST CSF 2.0NIST CSF 2.0 explained for UK organisations: the six functions, tiers and profiles, NIST CSF vs ISO 27001, and a free mapping to ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.
- Operational resilienceOperational resilience for UK financial firms: PRA SS1/21, FCA PS21/3, impact tolerances, scenario testing and the Critical Third Parties regime explained.
- Ransomware preventionHow to prevent ransomware: protected backups, fast patching, MFA, remote access and Active Directory hardening, mapped to NCSC guidance. Use the checklist.
- SOC 2 complianceSOC 2 compliance for UK companies: what SOC 2 is, SOC 1 vs SOC 2 vs SOC 3, Type 1 vs Type 2, how to prepare and the penetration testing evidence auditors expect.
- Third-party risk managementThird party risk management explained: the TPRM lifecycle, supplier tiering, contract terms and the DORA, PRA, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 rules behind each step.
- UK cyber security certificationsCyber security certification in the UK compared: Cyber Essentials, CE+, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2 and IASME Cyber Assurance, so you start with the right one.
- Vendor risk assessmentVendor risk assessment guide: a supplier security questionnaire template, the evidence to request (AOC, Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001) and how to verify each one.
- Virtual CISO (vCISO)What a vCISO does, how virtual and fractional CISOs differ, what drives the cost and when one beats a full-time hire. A plain guide for UK businesses.
Last reviewed October 2026 by the Sovereign Secure assessment team.
