A boutique consulting firm runs on two things: reputation and access. Clients hand you their financials, their people problems, their deal information, and their plans. That access makes your firm valuable to an attacker, and many small consultancies have no dedicated security lead.
Tier 1 acts as your senior security lead, scaled to a small firm, without the cost of a full-time hire.
Criminals do not need to break into your client. They break into you, because you hold the same information with weaker defences. The attacks we see most against advisory firms:
Email compromise. Once someone is inside a partner's inbox they can read client material, send invoices as you, and redirect payments.
Payment redirection fraud. Your invoice arrives at the client with new bank details that look like they came from you. The client pays, the money is gone, and the relationship takes the hit.
Client data theft. Deal information, investigation files and strategy documents are valuable to competitors and criminals alike. A leak ends engagements and can end the firm.
AI leakage. Staff may paste client material into unapproved public AI tools to save time, putting confidential information outside the systems and terms your firm has assessed.
Practical security setup. Email protection, multi-factor login, device security and reliable backups. The controls your clients and insurer now expect, done properly.
Payment fraud protection. Checks that stop a change of bank details slipping through quietly, and training so your team spots the trick before money moves.
Client confidentiality and privacy. We review how your firm handles client information against the Privacy Act and your contractual obligations, and close the gaps.
Cyber insurance readiness. We make sure what you tell your insurer is true, so you are actually covered when you need it.
Safe use of AI. Clear rules on what can and cannot go into AI tools, safer alternatives, and short training for the whole team.
Incident response. If something goes wrong, you have a senior person to call who takes charge and handles the damage, the notifications and the clean-up.
Tier 1 is the cybersecurity provider for Australian consulting and services businesses including Work Risk Consulting Group and Starr Special Events. Michael also embeds as senior cyber lead for established consultancies and enterprise teams, so he knows how an advisory firm actually runs.
You work directly with Michael Angelo, a senior cyber security and GRC specialist with more than 14 years in the field. He gets across your firm, sets up the protections that matter, and stays available as your security person on call. Most firms begin with a short review, then a simple plan that fixes the urgent things first.
