• Participating in Government-Sponsored Events
  Identify and attend events, such as trade shows, conferences, procurement fairs, and open forums that focus on cybersecurity and procurement within local, state, or federal government. Regularly check official government websites such as GSA’s Interact and join industry associations like ISACA, ISC2, and InfraGard.
• Leverage Government Advisory Services
  The Small Business Administration (SBA) hosts events and offers federal contracting support services and other local assistance resources for small businesses interested in government contract opportunities. Visit the APTAC website to find APEX Accelerators (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), which offer events and workshops designed to help businesses navigate government procurement.
• Build Up Your Online Presence
  Maintaining a consistent online presence is critical for staying top of mind and engaging with government buyers. A professional website, active social media accounts, and regular publishing of thought leadership content, such as blog posts or ebooks, can position your organization as an expert in providing valuable solutions.
• Follow Up and Maintain Relationships
  Networking does not end after initial contact and face-to-face meetings. Consistent follow up and regular, transparent communication is an ongoing process essential to building lasting professional relationships. Be timely with personalized follow-up messages, keep in touch through regular updates, newsletters, or invitations to company networking events, and continue to demonstrate value to buyers and decision-makers.

The public sector’s procurement policies must often adhere to regulated procedures to evaluate competing potential vendors on a fair and level playing field. However, a relationship built on trust and experience can enhance opportunities to work with government buyers.

Market Research

Thorough market research is a fundamental component of impactful market intelligence. For cybersecurity service providers, effective market research involves understanding the current demand for cybersecurity services within various public sector agencies. By understanding funding priorities and identifying trends such as adopting new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) in threat detection, providers can tailor their offerings and proposals to meet the specific needs of prospective customers. Public sector agencies often publish their cybersecurity strategies, budget plans, and procurement forecasts that outline expected purchases or contract opportunities for the coming year.

Competitor Analysis

Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of competitors who have successfully secured government contracts can reveal effective strategies and highlight areas where businesses can differentiate offerings.Studying publicly available data on awarded contracts can provide insights into who the successful bidders were, what they offered, and at what price. By studying this data, you can identify patterns in winning bids, adjust your strategy accordingly, and benchmark offerings against successful competitors.Some agencies also publish performance reviews of contractors that highlight the strengths and shortcomings of competitors, offering lessons on what to emulate and what to avoid in proposals.

Government Reports

Regularly reviewing reports and publications from government agencies and public watchdog organizations is essential. This can include reviewing strategic government plans, legislative changes, or policy priorities. Reviewing offers insight into cybersecurity priorities, funding allocations, and indications about upcoming procurement opportunities. With cybersecurity becoming a significant priority for many agencies, long-term plans often include robust cyber solutions. Understanding these priorities can help providers tailor proposals to address the agency’s most pressing needs.

Cybersecurity “as a service” (CSaaS) has become widely adopted, offering providers new growth opportunities and giving customers access to specific, targeted cyber solutions. Growing demand for cloud-based cybersecurity among smaller and mid-size businesses is a driving factor in the growth of the CSaaS market. Increased regulatory requirements and compliance concerns in many industries contribute to the higher costs and additional risks of managing in-house cybersecurity departments.

According to a 2024 global market report by The Business Research Company, recent growth in the CSaaS sector is significant and will continue. From a previous high of $145.46 billion in 2023, the CSaaS market size is expected to surpass $161 billion in 2024 and reach nearly $247 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 11.3%. The report attributes the forecasted growth to increased cloud security adoption, other innovative technologies, a rise in bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies, and the rising number of data breaches and cyber incidents.

Whether or not cybersecurity services are CSaaS, creating tailored offerings can help grow businesses while providing needed cyber protection for customers.

Healthcare Sector

The healthcare sector is one of the industries most frequently targeted by cybercriminals. The sensitive nature of patient health records, personal information, and payment details makes healthcare a lucrative target. According to a report by IBM Security, the healthcare industry’s average cost of a data breach reached $10.10 million in 2022, the highest among all sectors.

Cybersecurity providers offer comprehensive solutions tailored to healthcare organizations. These include in-depth encryption technologies to protect patient data, secure cloud storage solutions for electronic health records, and advanced network security to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, providers can offer employee training programs to raise awareness about cybersecurity best practices and ensure compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and HITRUST CSF.

Critical Infrastructure

Critical infrastructure services, including energy, telecommunications, and transportation, are prime targets for cyberattacks due to their essential role in maintaining public safety and national security. Forescout’s 2023 Global Threat Roundup Report reveals the critical infrastructure sector experienced 13 attacks per second in 2023, a 30% increase from 2022.

Cybersecurity providers can address the growing need for protection by offering strong identity and access management tools, advanced intrusion detection systems, and robust incident response plans. By implementing these measures, providers can help critical infrastructure organizations enhance their resilience and security, mitigating the risk of potentially catastrophic incidents.

Financial Sector

The financial sector is another high-value target for cybercriminals. The high value of financial data and the potential for monetary gain make this sector particularly attractive to cybercriminals. According to a report from FS-ISAC and Akamai, attacks against this sector rose 154% between 2022 and 2023.

Cybersecurity providers can offer specialized solutions to protect financial institutions from cyber threats. These include advanced encryption technologies for sensitive financial data, secure payment gateways to prevent fraud, and sophisticated fraud detection systems to identify and mitigate fraudulent activities. Providers can also help financial institutions comply with regulations such as PCI DSS and SOX, ensuring consumer data protection and financial system stability.

Government and Public Sector

Government agencies and public sector organizations handle highly sensitive information and are frequent cyberattack targets. As reported by StateScoop, the most recent survey results from the Center for Internet Security reveal an increase in all types of cyberattacks targeting government agencies over the past year. Malware attacks have surged by 148%, and ransomware incidents have become 51% more common.

Cybersecurity providers can help government organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture by offering strong identity and access management tools, security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, and employee cybersecurity training. These solutions can help government agencies detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats effectively, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and the continuity of critical services.

Education Sector

Although less heavily targeted than healthcare or critical infrastructure, the education sector still faces significant cybersecurity challenges. In 2023, the education sector experienced its worst year on record for ransomware attacks. According to ThreatDown research, the sector saw a dramatic 70% increase in attacks, rising from 129 incidents in 2022 to 265 in 2023.

Cybersecurity providers can offer secure cloud storage solutions, network security, and comprehensive endpoint protection to safeguard educational data. Additionally, they can provide employee training programs to raise awareness about cybersecurity best practices and prevent human error.