Your Vendor Evaluation Road Map

Choosing a cyber security vendor shouldn’t feel like guesswork. This three‑part framework gives SMEs a clear, structured way to understand the market, test vendor claims, and make a confident, defensible decision — without jargon, spreadsheets, or sales pressure.

Each part builds on the last, guiding you from confusion to clarity, and finally to a practical, evidence‑based choice.

Part 1 — Why Choosing a Cyber Security Vendor Is Hard

Most SMEs struggle not because they lack expertise, but because the industry is noisy, inconsistent, and full of confident claims that sound identical. Part 1 reframes the problem and shows why traditional vendor selection fails.

Read Part 1 →

Part 2 — How to Compare Cyber Security Vendor Claims

Part 2 takes you past the marketing language and into the reality of what a vendor can actually deliver. You’ll learn how to test claims, validate evidence, evaluate onboarding, spot red flags, and build a shortlist based on truth — not promises.

Read Part 2 →

Part 3 — Turning Evidence Into a Clear, Confident Decision

Once you’ve gathered real‑world evidence, Part 3 shows you how to turn it into a structured, defensible decision. You’ll learn how to score vendors, compare them consistently, and identify the strongest partner for your organisation.

Go to Part 3 →

Interactive Tool — Cyber Security Vendor Scorecard

The scorecard is the practical engine of the framework. It converts qualitative evidence into quantitative scoring, highlights strengths and weaknesses, and gives you a clear winner — without spreadsheets or complexity.

Use the Scorecard →

Why Weighting Matters — Understanding the Scoring Logic

Not all evaluation criteria matter equally. This guide explains the weighting behind the scorecard, why certain categories carry more influence, and how weighting helps SMEs make decisions based on business impact — not noise.

Learn Why Weighting Matters →

Summary

The SME Cyber Security Vendor Evaluation Framework gives you a complete, end‑to‑end decision system:

• Part 1 explains why vendor selection is so difficult
• Part 2 shows how to gather real‑world evidence
• Part 3 turns that evidence into a confident decision
• The Scorecard provides a practical, structured comparison tool
• The Weighting Guide explains the logic behind the scoring

This framework is designed for SMEs who want clarity, confidence, and a defensible choice — without needing technical expertise.