Cybersecurity Is Not a Cost Center

If we asked you what cybersecurity means to your organization, you might say something like “compliance,” or “protection.”

You probably wouldn't use words like “competitive advantage” or “growth-driver.” 

We think that’s a missed opportunity.  

In fact, we think it’s time to stop looking at cybersecurity as a cost center and start seeing it for what it really is—a strategic investment in your long-term growth. 

Sound like a hot take? 

Hear us out ... 

Meet the Midmarket Paradox 

It’s easy to see why so many mid-sized companies take the old-school, reactive approach to cybersecurity.  

First off, they’re in a challenging position—large enough to attract sophisticated cyberattacks, but too resource-constrained to build enterprise-grade defenses in-house. 

The problem is, a lot of them aren’t bringing in any outside help; in fact, only 15 percent of midmarket firms hire third-party cybersecurity partners, mostly due to budget issues and perceived cost barriers. 

This has led to systemic underinvestment, misaligned priorities and a general tendency to follow reactive cybersecurity frameworks that focus on cleaning up messes rather than preventing them. 

You can see this in the data. Nearly 1 out of 5 midmarket firms have experienced some sort of data breach within the last year. And yet, a staggering 97 percent of executives still report overall confidence in their existing cybersecurity posture. 

Are these leaders overconfident or simply resigned to their fate? Either way, the costs are real considering 75 percent of consumers say they’ll stop doing business with a company that fails to protect their data. 

Translation: the trust, reputation and revenue you’ve spent years building up can all vanish in the blink of one data breach. 

What’s the Actual Point? 

Because of these high stakes and low budgets, many midmarket organizations continue to approach cybersecurity as a check-the-box cost center rather than a catalyst for transformation.  

But the high performers do it different. That’s because they understand the actual point of cybersecurity. It’s not about compliance. It’s not even about cyber threats.  

It’s about growth!  

According to Deloitte’s 2023 Global Future of Cyber Survey, companies with more mature cybersecurity programs outperform their peers in a variety of growth-oriented categories. These include brand reputation, customer trust/retention, operational stability and yes, revenue. 

It’s no accident these top-performing companies are investing 285 percent more in cybersecurity than their peers. They’ve recognized cybersecurity can protect more than data. It can protect growth by giving them the confidence to expand, adopt new tech and preserving what they've already built as they focus on the future 

To put it another way, you can’t grow what you can’t protect! 

Overhead vs. Opportunity  

At Inversion6, we organize our work around three key buckets, CISO Services, Managed Cybersecurity and Incident Response—and we think of all three as potential growth drivers. 

• Working with a CISO drives growth because it helps align your cybersecurity strategies with tangible business goals—like unlocking new markets and gaining access to industries, customers and regions where trust and regulatory compliance are prerequisites to growth. 

• Managed Cybersecurity Services drive growth because they give our clients the confidence and agility to move fast, adopt new technologies and scale without hesitation. It’s quicker and safer to launch new products, expand infrastructure or integrate third-party services when you know you have 24/7 continuous monitoring from an enterprise-grade Security Operations Center based right here in Ohio. 

• Proactive Incident Response drives growth because it minimizes reputational damage and maximizes customer trust at the most decisive moment. Trouble will inevitably come someday, and when it does, and incident response plan is one of the best investments you can make to fight off the sort of full-on trust meltdown that can destroy sustainable growth. 

As you can see, each of these services delivers more than threat protection—they deliver strategic readiness, operational resilience and the freedom to grow with less fear. 

Investing in Strategic Security  

Like any opportunity, cybersecurity does require investment. But smart cybersecurity isn’t about spending “MORE.” It’s about spending more strategically. 

Often this requires a shift in mindset for our midmarket clients, as we help them reframe cybersecurity from a reactive necessity to a strategic priority. 

If you view it as a sunk cost, it’s easy to dismiss managed cybersecurity as “too expensive.” Once you realize it can be a driver of digital transformation, it makes a lot more sense to partner with a provider you trust. 

That’s why our clients rely on us to help them right-size their spend and bring them solutions custom-tailored for their risk profile, growth goals and budget realities. 

Done right, cybersecurity delivers far more than threat mitigation. It delivers confidence. It enables expansion. It protects the growth of your business. 

It’s time to stop treating cybersecurity as overhead and start seeing it as a true strategic investment. 

Still skeptical? Reach out and let us prove it to you. 
 

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