Cybersecurity spending can be daunting, but the true cost is inaction. IBM quotes the U.S. average data breach cost at $4.45 million (£3.6m). Any business, big or small, can fall victim. Ransomware, phishing, malware, and data breaches are on the increase, and attackers can hit hundreds of thousands of businesses in one go.
Understanding the average cost of cybersecurity services, cybersecurity pricing, and budgeting wisely is essential to safeguard information, maintain clients’ trust, and comply with regulation. This report gives all the expenses, factors, and measures to secure your company wisely in 2025.
Why Cybersecurity Investment Matters
Financial Protection: Restoration from a breach is much costlier than investing in advance. For example, £3,000/month managed cybersecurity service cost can be invested by a small business but lose £50,000+ in downtime or stolen information.
- Regulatory Compliance: GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS compliance is costly, but penalty amounts for breaches can amount to millions.
- Brand Reputation: Breaches erase customer trust, leading to lost sales and long-term reputational damage.
- Operational Continuity: Cyberattack downtime may bring business to a standstill for days or weeks, impacting delivery of contracts and services.
Average UK Cost of Cybersecurity Services (2025)
Cybersecurity charges differ according to company size, scope, and type of service. A breakdown follows:
Small Business (£1–50 employees)
- Managed antivirus & firewall: £50–£200/month (management cost of firewall, antivirus service fee)
- Per-user endpoint protection: £4–£10/user/month (endpoint security service fee)
- Basic monitoring & alerts: £80–£120/hour (security monitoring service cost)
Medium Business (51–250 employees)
- Full-managed security services (SOC & monitoring): £4,000–£12,000/month (enterprise-class cybersecurity pricing, cost of cybersecurity subscription)
Incident response & simulation of threats: £80–£120/hour (incident response service cost, cost of threat detection services) - Cloud security & security compliance management: £120–£160/hour (cloud security service cost, security compliance service cost)
Large Enterprise (250+ employees)
- Enterprise-class managed services: £16,000+/month (business cybersecurity budget)
Advanced threat detection & IAM: £120–£160/hour (cybersecurity consultant fee, cybersecurity risk management charge) - Penetration testing & audits: £4,000–£20,000/project (penetration testing fee, security audit fee, vulnerability assessment fee)
Note: Prices are inclusive of repeated service, software subscription, employee training, and risk management.
Standard Pricing Models
- Flat Fees: Small-scale requirements like antivirus and firewall. £50–£200/month.
- Per-User/Per-Device: Tied to users or endpoints. £4–£16/user/month.
- Tiered Packages: Antivirus is part of standard packages; advanced packages include 24/7 monitoring, compliance, and incident response. £400–£2,500/month (prices of cybersecurity packages)
- Project-Based: Penetration testing, auditing, and major overhauls are billed per engagement. £4,000–£20,000/project (a one-time charge of a cybersecurity project)
- Hourly Consulting: Specialist guidance or crisis response billed £80–£160/hour (hourly fees for security consulting)
Factors Affecting Cost
Organization Size
The more employees, devices, or offices, the more it costs in terms of cyber security services.
Service Level
Basic antivirus is less expensive; sophisticated threat simulation and monitoring is more costly (IT security service fee, network security service fee, malware protection service fee).
Expertise Level
Business domain experts pay higher fees (HIPAA cybersecurity fee, PCI DSS cybersecurity fee).
Delivery Model
Fees are determined by managed services, subscriptions, or ad-hoc projects.
Geographic Location
Providers based in the UK are higher-cost than offshore providers, although remote access might be less costly.
Customization & Scalability
Tailor-made solutions for customers are costly in the early stages but are cheaper in the long term (cost of cybersecurity for startups, cheap cybersecurity services, premium cybersecurity solutions).
Hidden Costs of Cybersecurity
Most businesses overestimate indirect costs:
- Staff training: Employees need phishing and threat awareness training, £20–£50/user per session (fees of cybersecurity assessment)
- Staff time spent on security: Internal staff time diverted for managing security
- Software upgrades: Endpoints, cloud security, and firewalls are usually license-and-upgrade based
- Potential downtime: Exposed systems could be facing thousands of pounds a day if they get breached (cost of preventing cyberattack, cost of data protection service)
Key Cybersecurity Services and Costs
| Service | Description | Average Price (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Threat Detection & Incident Response | Identifying, mitigating, and responding to attacks | £80–£120/hour (cost of threat detection services, incident response service cost) |
| Identity & Access Management (IAM) | Secure user access and authentication | £80–£120/hour |
| Cloud Security | Protection for cloud-based applications | £120–£160/hour (cloud cybersecurity solutions cost, cloud security service cost) |
| Penetration Testing | Simulated attacks to find vulnerabilities | £4,000–£20,000/project (penetration testing cost) |
| Managed Security Services | 24/7 monitoring and threat management | £4,000–£12,000/month (managed cybersecurity service cost, cybersecurity subscription cost) |
| Compliance & Auditing | GDPR, HIPAA, ISO compliance support | £80–£120/hour (GDPR compliance cybersecurity cost, security compliance service cost) |
| Employee Training | Security awareness programs | £20–£50/user/session |
ROI of Cybersecurity Services
Cybersecurity is an expense, not a cost:
- Financial savings: Saved data breaches cost millions
- Regulatory compliance: Avoid fines to kill SMEs
- Brand trust: Customers trust safe businesses, generating loyalty and sales
- Operational continuity: Systems stay online, preventing service disruption
Case Studies
Yahoo (2013–2014)
Breach: 3 billion accounts exposed
Cost: Lawyer fees, fines, $350m (£280m) Verizon sale price hit
Lesson: Spending on better security, encryption, and employee training now will prevent future breaches
Adobe (2013)
- Breach: 38 million users affected, source code exposed
- Cost: Hundreds of millions of dollars in attorney fees, settlements, and security enhancements
- Lesson: Two-factor authentication and cloud security are a priority
- Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Provider
- Experience & Reputation: Industry certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS) matter
Tools & Technology: Up-to-date software, threat detection, and response
Support & Response:s without Sacrificing Security
- Use managed security services instead of setting up an in-house SOC
- Train employees to reduce human error (cybersecurity audit fees)
- Audit and risk score to effectively allocate spending
- Consider hybrid models: onshore support blended with offshore monitoring
- Review and optimize services annually based on risk exposure
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is the business’s investment of utmost significance. Forking out £4,000/month upfront may save your company from making millions of pounds in lost revenue, fines, and damage to reputation in the future. Those companies that invest in aggressive security, choose the right provider, and think ahead stay strong against evolving cyber threats.
Protect your company today. Call NetNavi today to talk about managed security services, penetration testing, and end-to-end IT security solutions according to your company’s requirements. Learn more at NetNavi Cybersecurity Services.
FAQs on Cyber Security Costs in the UK
1. How much do cyber security services cost in the UK?
For small and medium businesses, outsourced cyber security services usually cost £500 to £2,000 per month. This includes threat monitoring, system audits, and vulnerability management. Larger companies with complex systems may spend more depending on risk and coverage.
2. What is the average budget for cyber security in the UK?
Enterprise-level organisations in the UK typically allocate around £21 to £22 million per year for cyber security. For small businesses, the annual budget usually ranges between £6,000 and £24,000, depending on the level of protection and service scope.
3. How much are the fees for cyber security experts in the UK?
Independent consultants in the UK charge approximately:
- £400 to £600 per day for junior consultants.
- £600 to £800 per day for mid-level consultants.
- £800 to £1,200+ per day for senior consultants.
Project-based engagements can have fixed fees based on complexity and duration.
4. How much does it cost to hire a cyber security expert full-time in the UK?
- Entry-level roles (Analyst): £28,000 to £35,000 per year.
- Mid-level roles: £40,000 to £65,000 per year.
- Senior roles (Architects, CISOs): £65,000 to £100,000+ per year.
In London, the average cyber security salary is around £67,800 per year.
5. How can small businesses plan their cyber security budget?
A small business should plan to spend around 10% of its IT budget on cyber security. For a company with 50 employees, a reasonable yearly estimate would be £6,000 to £15,000, depending on tools, monitoring, and consultancy needs.
