Back when your cyber defense was simple, you probably didn’t think too much about the cost. Now that your cybersecurity strategy is more sophisticated and requires a bigger investment, you might wonder if what you’re paying is reasonable. So, what’s the average cost of cyber security services? The honest answer is — it depends.
Costs can range from a few hundred dollars a month for basic protection to thousands for more advanced, fully managed solutions. What you pay will depend on your risk profile, regulatory requirements, and how much is already in place in regards to tools, policies, and security practices. This article breaks down the factors that drive cybersecurity pricing so you can better evaluate what’s reasonable for your business.
Cybersecurity Costs are About Outcomes, Not Line Items
The first thing to keep in mind as you’re evaluating cybersecurity services costs is that there are a lot of moving parts — and most of them aren’t priced à la carte. That would be like going to a restaurant and asking for the price of every ingredient and labor cost that went into the meal you’re buying.
In a restaurant, the outcome that you’re buying is the meal, plus the convenience of not having to go to the grocery store or cook, plus the experience that you’re having as you eat your meal. It’s similar for cybersecurity services.
With cybersecurity, you’re buying risk management, which contributes to your business resilience and sustainability. What’s more, in your evaluation of costs, you need to go a step further and compare the cost of cybersecurity versus the cost of a cyberattack.
For small and mid-sized businesses, a cyberattack isn’t just a temporary disruption — it can be a costly blow to operations, reputation, and client trust. According to a 2024 Microsoft report, the average total cost of a cyberattack on small and mid-sized businesses is $254,445, with some incidents reaching as high as $7 million. These figures include costs related to investigation, recovery, reputation damage, and missed business opportunities.
Even if you have a spare budget set aside to mitigate a data breach, there are repercussions to your reputation that may weaken your business to the point of failure. However, just because you know you need it doesn’t mean that you’re willing to spend blindly on security. Let’s shed some light on what goes into cyber security pricing and what to expect from monthly service costs.
➡️ Want to know what cybersecurity should cost for your business? Schedule a consultation.
Cybersecurity Cost Components
Every security strategy includes tools and labor. How those two broad components are combined depends on your business and industry, the type of data you need to protect, and your need to maintain regulatory compliance or other types of security accountability.
There are other costs that can be organized under the security umbrella that are separate from service delivery but are required to effectively manage risks. Here’s a breakdown of the main cost components of cyber security services pricing.
- Security tools and management
- Security expertise
- Onboarding with a new provider
- Network improvements
- Exclusions for service delivery
- Cyber insurance
1. Security Tools and Management
Every software tool that your cybersecurity provider uses has a license fee or subscription cost associated with it. These costs can range from $7 – $20 per month, per user.
Each tool requires management which could add between $12 – $40 per month per user.
Management of security tools includes monitoring performance and responding to alerts. Security staff provide monthly reporting to executives on how security tactics are working and make recommendations for changes as cyber-criminal methods evolve. Many tools now include AI-enhanced detection and automated response, which helps improve speed and reduce noise — but that sophistication often comes with a higher price tag.
2. Security Expertise
Whether it’s managing software tools or deciding which tools to weave together to create a cohesive defense, there’s a lot of security brain power involved. Cybersecurity professionals are in high demand and salaries need to be competitive in order to attract and retain talent.
If you get the services of a vCISO for guidance and planning, that will affect your costs but it’s well worth it to make sure that your security strategy matches up with your risk profile and tolerance. If you have regulatory compliance needs, you may need to pay more for cybersecurity leadership.
Related: What’s a vCISO and Why Do I Need One?
3. Onboarding with a New Cybersecurity Provider
There’s usually an onboarding cost to get set up with a new cybersecurity services provider. First, they’ll deploy their security tools. Then they’ll configure hardware, cloud environments, and software to their optimum settings.
An important phase of onboarding will be taking a deep dive into your IT network in order to create documentation and a knowledge base that will facilitate support. Additionally, this discovery phase may uncover urgent needs to upgrade your systems, which brings us to our next point.
4. Network Improvements
If your IT network doesn’t meet the provider’s standards, you may have some catch-up to do. The improvements that you need to make could be simple like updating your firewall, or you could be looking at a more extensive renovation if you’ve been putting off investment in your IT systems.
You may also need to look at the devices that are connecting to your network and upgrade to newer equipment in order to get built-in security features. Many companies are rethinking their Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or implementing stricter endpoint protection as hybrid work continues.
5. Exclusions for Service Delivery
If you decide not to invest in the IT improvements that the cybersecurity services provider recommends, you can expect exclusions that limit services and their liability if anything bad should happen. For example, out-of-support operating systems present known vulnerabilities, so if you decline to update those systems, your provider may decline to support them.
Check the statement of work for other exclusions that may apply or present additional costs such as onsite work. Additionally, if you allow unauthorized individuals to work on your IT systems, be prepared for additional costs if they cause harm or a cyber event happens.
6. Cyber Insurance
Cyber insurance has become an important part of cybersecurity strategy, and your security services provider will probably recommend that you have it. Insurers have raised their standards, often requiring evidence of MFA, endpoint protection, backup validation, and incident response plans.
Your cybersecurity provider should be able to create a plan to bring your IT systems up to date and implement the technologies that insurers view as essential for minimizing risk. They may also help you go through the application process, which usually includes verification that the security tactics you indicate are in place, are actually there. This is especially important because executives signing the application may not have the technical expertise necessary to validate everything for themselves.
➡️ Learn how Bellwether combines all of these components into an effective cybersecurity strategy.
How Much Does Cybersecurity Cost? Pay Now or Pay Later
Cybersecurity might feel like a cost center, but it’s actually a strategic investment. When you compare the expense of proactive protection to the operational, financial, and reputational damage that can come from an attack, the value becomes clear. Prevention isn’t just cost-effective, it’s a better experience for everyone involved. Once you’ve been through a breach, you never want to go through it again. For today’s businesses, cybersecurity is foundational to resilience and long-term success.
Related: How to Evaluate a Cybersecurity Services Provider
Managed Cyber Defense from Bellwether
At Bellwether, we go beyond the basics to give business leaders cybersecurity peace of mind. Our SOC 2 Type 2 accreditation is a signal of our commitment to providing security at a level that’s just not possible with a small internal team or IT company.
Get a cybersecurity consultation and find out if your team is doing everything they should be to defend against cyber threats.
