Needling Worldwide

What Needling Worldwide does

Needling Worldwide is a U.S.-based boutique compliance and certification consultancy founded in 2016 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. The firm helps organizations assess, strategize, and build information security management systems, with a service portfolio spanning seven offerings: Policy Development, Internal Audits, Risk Assessment, Certification Readiness, Security Awareness Training (including ISO/IEC 42001 AI Governance Training), Audit Readiness & Defense, and Virtual CISO (vCISO). Its core capability is guiding enterprises through certification and audit processes against more than 18 recognized frameworks, including ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 20000-1, ISO 22301, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, ISO 42001, SOC 1 and SOC 2 (Type 1 and Type 2), NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, HIPAA, CMMC Levels 1-3, TISAX, and FFIEC. The company is Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certified and operates with 1-10 employees.

The business model is pure professional services: revenue is generated through quote-based consulting engagements sold directly to enterprise and mid-market clients via a sales-led, direct-engagement motion. There are no software products, no API or SDK surface, and no channel partners or resellers; the firm delivers services itself, supported by a WOSB-certified status, conference speaking presence (ISSA, ISACA, IIA), content marketing, and organic social channels. Pricing is custom per engagement with multi-year contract cadence, and there is no publicly disclosed standard pricing.

The firm is founder-led by Paige T. Needling, a 30-year information security veteran with CISA, PMP, ITIL credentials and ISO Lead Auditor certifications across 27001, 22301, 20000, and 9001, and prior CISO/CCO roles at Recall Holdings, OneAmerica Financial Services, IHG, Coca-Cola, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin. Named enterprise customers include Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Amsted Automotive Group, EXTEND Resources, AuthenticID, PowerPlan, Sanibel Captiva Trust Co., Whoa Networks, and Definitive Logic, spanning aviation, automotive, technology, software/cloud, financial services, and consulting verticals.

Name

Needling Worldwide

Legal name

Needling Worldwide

Website

https://needlingworldwide.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Needling Worldwide is a Greenville, SC-based boutique consultancy that guides enterprises through ISO, SOC, NIST, HIPAA, CMMC, and TISAX certification and compliance. The founder-led firm delivers policy development, internal audits, risk assessment, certification readiness, audit defense, and vCISO services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Information Security Compliance Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting (BPAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting (BPAHACAJ)

Keywords

• Information security consulting
• ISO certification support
• Compliance management services
• Risk assessment consulting
• Virtual CISO services

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Revenue generated through consulting engagements for compliance and certification services including policy development, internal audits, risk assessments, certification readiness, security awareness training, audit defense, and vCISO services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Needling Worldwide provides professional information security and compliance consulting services that help organizations build, assess, and certify their information security management systems. The firm delivers policy development, internal audits, risk assessment, certification readiness, security awareness training, audit defense, and fractional virtual CISO (vCISO) services against international standards including ISO 27001, ISO 22301, ISO 20000, ISO 9001, SOC 1/2, NIST 800-53/171, HIPAA, CMMC, FFIEC, and TISAX. Engagements are delivered as custom consulting projects rather than software products.

Product overview

Needling Worldwide offers professional consulting and advisory services focused on information security, compliance, and certification support. The company provides a portfolio of seven interconnected consulting services: Policy Development assists organizations in creating security documentation; Internal Audits and Risk Assessment evaluate controls and identify vulnerabilities; Certification Readiness prepares organizations for compliance certifications; Security Awareness Training (including ISO/IEC 42001 AI Governance Training) educates personnel; Audit Readiness & Defense provides support during external audits; and Virtual CISO delivers executive-level security leadership on demand. These services are offered as professional consulting engagements rather than software products, with the core value proposition being guidance through certification and compliance processes for standards such as ISO 27001, SOC, NIST, HIPAA, CMMC, and FFIEC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Development Hands-on assistance in developing written policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures within a formal asset protection plan, designed for organizations establishing or maintaining security documentation for certifications such as ISO 27001.
• Internal Audits Professional internal audit services performed by specialists experienced in conducting IT, security, and operational audits for organizations globally, with the goal of evaluating internal controls and readiness for external certification audits.
• Risk Assessment Formal risk assessment service that systematically identifies and values critical IT assets, determines applicable threats, documents vulnerabilities and likelihoods, and provides an ordered list of risks for management budgeting decisions.
• Certification Readiness Expert advice and hands-on assistance in preparing organizations for certification audits and building compliant information security programs against recognized global standards including ISO 27001, ISO 22301, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, SOC, NIST, HIPAA, CMMC, FFIEC, and TISAX.
• Security Awareness Training Program design and delivery services for security education, training, and periodic awareness programs tailored to organizational needs and specific threats, including focused ISO/IEC 42001 AI Governance Training for executives and risk leaders.
• Audit Readiness & Defense On-site audit support and certification/compliance attendance services to ensure clients are prepared to defend their policies, scope, and positions during external audits.
• Virtual CISO (vCISO) On-demand CISO service providing strategic leadership skills at fractional cost of full-time staff, offering flexible scheduling, independent assessment, and cross-industry knowledge for organizations needing immediate or ongoing security leadership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted organizations in passing ISO 27001 external audits
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• A-LIGN: A-LIGN is a cybersecurity compliance assessor providing SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, PCI, FedRAMP and CMMC audits for mid-market and enterprise clients. It is the closest direct competitor to Needling Worldwide, operating the same compliance-readiness and attestation model.
• Schellman: Schellman is a top-tier compliance and cybersecurity assessment firm delivering SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, PCI and FedRAMP services. It competes head-to-head with Needling in certification readiness and audit defense for enterprise and SaaS clients.
• BARR Advisory: BARR Advisory is a cybersecurity compliance and risk advisory firm specializing in SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST and FedRAMP. Its service portfolio and target buyer (regulated enterprises pursuing certifications) directly mirror Needling's.
• KirkpatrickPrice: KirkpatrickPrice delivers audit and compliance services including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, HIPAA and penetration testing. It is a comparable boutique-to-mid-market compliance assessor targeting similar regulated buyer profiles.
• Linford & Co: Linford & Co specializes in SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI and HITRUST audits for technology and SaaS companies. It is a closely comparable boutique audit firm competing for the same mid-market certification-readiness engagements.
• AssuranceLab: AssuranceLab is a modern audit and compliance firm providing SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI assessments with a tech-forward delivery model. It competes with Needling for SMB and mid-market certification engagements.
• Pivot Point Security: Pivot Point Security provides ISO 27001 consulting, vCISO services and information security advisory — overlapping Needling's ISO Lead Auditor practice, vCISO offering and GRC consulting focus.

Broad incumbents

• Coalfire: Coalfire is a larger cybersecurity advisory and assessment provider offering cloud security, FedRAMP, CMMC, ISO and SOC services. It is a broader incumbent that competes with Needling for federal, financial and enterprise compliance mandates.
• Optiv: Optiv is a large cybersecurity solutions integrator offering advisory, risk, compliance and managed security services. It is a broader incumbent competing with Needling on enterprise risk and compliance mandates.
• Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory: Deloitte's risk advisory practice covers ISO, SOC, NIST, HIPAA, CMMC and broader GRC services for the largest enterprises. As a Big 4 incumbent it competes with Needling for the largest enterprise and regulated-buyer engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/needling_world
• Facebookfacebook.com/needlingworldwide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/needling-worldwide
• Instagraminstagram.com/needlingworldwide

Compliance20 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Needling Worldwide