What BH Consulting does

BH Consulting (legal name BH IT Consulting Ltd.) is an independent cybersecurity and data protection consultancy founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The firm delivers professional services across four categories: cybersecurity advisory (Virtual CISO, Security Maturity Assessment, Third Party Risk Management, SOC/SIEM Advisory, Security Architecture, Incident Response Tabletop Exercises, and OT Cybersecurity for Smart Buildings), test and assurance (Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment, Cloud, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace security assessments), data protection and GDPR services (Outsourced DPO, GDPR Maturity Assessment, ROPA management, DPIA, EU Representative, and EU-US Data Privacy Framework support), and regulatory compliance (ISO 27001, ISO 27701, NIS2, DORA, TISAX, PCI DSS, CSA STAR, Cyber Essentials, and AI Governance). The firm is ISO 27001 certified and ISO 27701 aligned, and positions itself as vendor-neutral with no ties to IT vendors.

The business model is professional services delivered on a quote-based, engagement-by-engagement basis with senior consultants working directly with client organizations. The go-to-market is expert-led, leveraging thought leadership and earned media (CEO Brian Honan is regularly cited in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The Times) to drive inbound inquiries. BH Consulting serves enterprise and mid-market clients across industries including aviation, financial services, healthcare, retail, hospitality, telecommunications, logistics, education, and government, alongside nonprofit clients. Named customers include AerCap, Canada Life, Universal Investment, three.ie, DPD, Dalata Hotel Group, Brown Thomas Arnotts, University College Dublin, Origin Enterprises, and Make-A-Wish Ireland. Geographic reach spans Ireland, the UK (London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast), the United States (New York), and the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. The firm has 11-50 employees and is founder-led by CEO Brian Honan and COO Dr. Valerie Lyons, with no external institutional investment disclosed.

Name

BH Consulting

Legal name

BH IT Consulting Ltd.

Website

https://bhconsulting.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BH Consulting is an independent cybersecurity and data protection consultancy, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Dublin, providing advisory, testing, compliance, and training services to enterprises and mid-market organizations across Ireland, the UK, the US, and other international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cybersecurity Consulting Services: Revenue generated from providing cybersecurity advisory, assessment, testing, and consulting services to organizations. Services include Virtual CISO, Security Maturity Assessment, Penetration Testing, Incident Response Planning, and Security Architecture services.
2. Data Protection Services: Revenue from outsourced DPO services, GDPR compliance assessments, ROPA management, Data Protection Impact Assessments, and EU Representative services.
3. Compliance Services: Revenue from helping organizations achieve compliance with regulatory frameworks including NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, Cyber Essentials, TISAX, and PCI DSS.
4. Training Services: Revenue from delivering cybersecurity awareness training and data protection awareness training programs, as well as conference presentations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BH Consulting is an independent cybersecurity and data protection consultancy delivering professional services including Virtual CISO, security maturity assessments, penetration testing, outsourced DPO, GDPR compliance, and ISO 27001/27701 alignment. The firm serves organizations requiring expert security leadership, regulatory compliance, and vendor-neutral advisory without ties to IT vendors.

Product overview

BH Consulting is a professional services firm offering an integrated portfolio of cybersecurity, data protection, compliance, and training services. The offering consists of multiple service categories: Cybersecurity services (including Virtual CISO, Security Maturity Assessment, Third Party Risk Management, SOC/SIEM Advisory, and Incident Response Tabletop Exercises); Test & Assurance services (Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Assessment, Cloud Security Assessment, and platform-specific assessments for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace); Data Protection services (Outsourced DPO, GDPR Maturity Assessment, ROPA & Policy Management, and EU-US Data Privacy Framework support); Compliance services (ISO 27001/27701 alignment, NIS2 Directive compliance, Cyber Essentials, TISAX, CSA STAR, DORA, AI Governance, and PCI DSS); and Training services (Cybersecurity Awareness Training and Data Protection Awareness Training). The services are delivered as consulting engagements rather than a unified software platform, providing expert guidance across governance, risk, compliance, testing, and training to help organizations protect their information assets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BH Academy: Training and educational programs offered by BH Consulting for cybersecurity and data protection awareness.

Products and services

• Virtual CISO Provides executive-level cybersecurity leadership and strategic guidance without the cost of a full-time hire, offering expert guidance on security strategy and governance for organizations lacking internal CISO resources.
• Security Maturity Assessment Evaluates an organization's current security posture and benchmarks it against industry standards to identify gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Third Party Risk Management Assesses and manages risks associated with vendors, suppliers, and other third parties to protect the organization's supply chain.
• Business Continuity Planning Develops plans and strategies to ensure critical business functions can continue during and after a disruption or cyber incident.
• Security Review & Advisory for SMEs Provides tailored cybersecurity advice and security reviews designed specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises.
• SOC/SIEM Advisory Offers guidance on Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) implementation and optimization.
• Security Architecture & Design Designs and reviews security architectures to ensure robust protection of IT infrastructure and systems.
• Identity & Access Management Strategic Planning Strategic planning services for managing digital identities and controlling access to systems and data.
• OT Cybersecurity Risk Assessment for Smart Buildings Assesses cybersecurity risks specific to operational technology in smart building environments.
• Incident Response Tabletop Exercises Facilitates simulated incident response scenarios to prepare organizations for real cyber incidents.
• Penetration Testing Simulates real-world attacks to identify vulnerabilities in systems, networks, and applications before attackers can exploit them.
• Vulnerability Assessment Systematically identifies and evaluates vulnerabilities across the organization's IT infrastructure.
• Firewall Security Assessment Reviews and tests firewall configurations to ensure they provide adequate network protection.
• Cloud Security Assessment Evaluates the security of cloud environments and configurations across various cloud platforms.
• Microsoft 365 Security Assessment Assesses the security posture of Microsoft 365 environments and identifies configuration weaknesses.
• Google Workspace Security Assessment Evaluates the security configuration and settings of Google Workspace deployments.
• Outsourced DPO Provides a professional Data Protection Officer to fulfill GDPR requirements without the cost of internal recruitment.
• GDPR Maturity Assessment Benchmarks an organization's compliance with GDPR requirements and identifies areas for improvement.
• ROPA & Policy Management Services Maintains Records of Processing Activities (ROPA) and develops data protection policies in line with GDPR.
• Data Protection Audit (GDPR) Conducts comprehensive audits of data processing activities to ensure GDPR compliance.
• EU Representative Acts as the required EU representative for organizations based outside the European Union under GDPR Article 27.
• Data Protection Impact Assessment Assesses the impact of data processing activities on individuals' privacy rights as required for high-risk processing under GDPR.
• EU-US Data Privacy Framework Implementation Support Guides organizations through the requirements and implementation of the EU-US Data Privacy Framework for transatlantic data transfers.
• ISO 27001 Alignment Service Guides organizations through achieving ISO 27001 certification for information security management systems.
• ISO 27701 Alignment Service Supports organizations in achieving ISO 27701 certification, extending ISO 27001 for privacy information management.
• ISO 27001 & ISO 27701 Internal Audit Services Conducts internal audits against ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 standards to identify gaps and prepare for certification.
• Compliance with NIS2 Directive Helps organizations understand and comply with the EU NIS2 Directive requirements for cybersecurity.
• Cyber Essentials Assists organizations in achieving Cyber Essentials certification for baseline cybersecurity hygiene.
• ISMS Manager as a Service Outsourced Information Security Management System (ISMS) management to maintain ISO 27001 compliance continuously.
• TISAX Alignment Service Supports automotive industry organizations in achieving TISAX compliance for information security assessment.
• Cloud Security Alliance STAR Programme Helps cloud service providers achieve CSA STAR certification to demonstrate cloud security capabilities.
• Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) Guides financial sector organizations in meeting DORA requirements for digital operational resilience.
• AI Governance, Risk & Compliance Provides guidance on managing AI systems responsibly in compliance with the EU AI Act and related regulations.
• PCI DSS Supports organizations in achieving and maintaining PCI DSS compliance for secure payment card data handling.
• Cybersecurity Awareness Training Educates employees on cybersecurity best practices and how to recognize and respond to threats.
• Data Protection Awareness Training Trains staff on data protection principles and GDPR compliance requirements.
• Conference Presentations Expert speaking engagements at industry conferences on cybersecurity and data protection topics.

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cyberis: UK cybersecurity consultancy offering penetration testing, ISO 27001, GDPR, security architecture and incident response services. Similar vendor-neutral, advisory-led model to BH Consulting, focused on enterprise and regulated clients.
• SureCloud: UK cybersecurity consultancy delivering compliance assessments (ISO 27001, PCI DSS, Cyber Essentials), penetration testing, and GRC advisory. Comparable boutique-scale compliance and assurance peer to BH Consulting.
• NCC Group: UK-headquartered cybersecurity consulting and assurance firm offering penetration testing, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, GDPR/DPO, incident response and managed security services. Most directly comparable to BH Consulting on service catalog, regional base and compliance-led positioning.
• Integrity360: Ireland-based cybersecurity services firm providing managed security, penetration testing, ISO 27001, GDPR consulting and vCISO offerings. Closest geographic and product-market fit to BH Consulting across enterprise and mid-market clients.
• Bridewell: UK-based independent cybersecurity consultancy delivering cyber risk management, penetration testing, ISO 27001, NIS2/DORA advisory and managed security. Comparable to BH Consulting as a similarly-sized, vendor-neutral, UK/Ireland-focused specialist.
• TwoFive (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopey in cyber) / TwoFive: UK/Ireland cyber consultancy offering penetration testing, ISO 27001, GDPR/DPO and vCISO services. Overlaps with BH Consulting across advisory, testing and outsourced leadership offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Mandiant: Now part of Google Cloud, Mandiant is a global incident response, threat intelligence and cybersecurity consulting leader. Larger-scale incumbent competing for the same enterprise IR, NIS2 and DORA advisory engagements.
• Trustwave: Global cybersecurity company offering consulting, managed security, penetration testing, GDPR/PCI DSS and ISO 27001 services. Larger incumbent competing in adjacent segments of BH Consulting's portfolio.
• WithSecure: European-headquartered cybersecurity firm providing consulting, managed detection and response, and compliance advisory (including ISO 27001). Comparable on consulting services, broader portfolio than BH Consulting.
• KPMG Cybersecurity Services: Big Four advisory practice delivering cyber risk, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2/DORA and resilience consulting globally. Competes for the same enterprise compliance and risk engagements from a much larger platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInie.linkedin.com/company/bh-consulting
• Xx.com/bhconsulting

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 BH Consulting