Security Ideals
Security Ideals is a privately held Boise-based cybersecurity and AI governance consultancy delivering vCISO, SOC 2, CMMC, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and AI governance (ISO 42001, EU AI Act) advisory services to mid-market companies across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBoise, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Security Ideals does
Security Ideals is a privately held cybersecurity and AI governance consulting firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 2019 by Nick Gibson and operating as Security Ideals LLC, the firm delivers vCISO, compliance, and security testing services to mid-market companies in the United States. The company operates an AI-first internal model, running 15+ integrated AI agent systems across its own security operations, compliance automation, and client delivery, which it cites as practitioner evidence when advising on AI governance. Total headcount is reported in the 11-50 band, organized around a small senior team with no junior consultants or account managers in the client-facing path.
The service portfolio covers four practice areas: compliance and certification (SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC Level 2, HIPAA, HITRUST, NIST CSF); vCISO and security advisory with AI governance bundled in; AI governance (ISO/IEC 42001 readiness, NIST AI RMF alignment, EU AI Act compliance, responsible AI program design); and cybersecurity testing (penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, gap assessments, tabletop exercises). Engagement models range from short fixed-scope assessments (2-4 weeks) to multi-month program builds (3-6 months) and ongoing vCISO and AI advisory retainers. Disclosed operational scale includes 116 SOC 2 audits and 43 penetration tests completed in the past year, an 18+ year average vCISO team tenure, and a longest client engagement exceeding four years.
Revenue is generated entirely through professional services on a quote-based model; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct enterprise field sales, Calendly-based consultation booking, an SEO-optimized blog library, and conference participation to reach mid-market buyers. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, M&A, or restructuring activity, and serves clients primarily in the United States with select EU-exposure engagements tied to its AI Act advisory.
Security Ideals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Security Ideals
- Legal name
- Security Ideals LLC
- Website
- https://securityideals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Security Ideals is a privately held Boise-based cybersecurity and AI governance consultancy delivering vCISO, SOC 2, CMMC, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and AI governance (ISO 42001, EU AI Act) advisory services to mid-market companies across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Security Ideals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cybersecurity Consulting
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Security Architecture & Engineering Advisory (Zero Trust, IAM, Network) (BPAKADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) (HDAAAMAE), Security Maturity Assessments & Benchmarking (BPAKADAO)
Keywords
Where Security Ideals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boise
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Security Ideals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Compliance & Certification Services: SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC Level 2, HIPAA, HITRUST, NIST CSF compliance programs. Prepares evidence, organizes controls, and manages audit process for clients.
- vCISO & Security Advisory: Fractional security leadership providing strategy, compliance, risk management, and board reporting. Includes AI governance advisory built into service.
- AI Governance Services: ISO 42001 readiness, NIST AI RMF implementation, EU AI Act compliance, and responsible AI program design. Includes AI governance assessments and ongoing advisory retainers.
- Cybersecurity Testing Services: Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning services for network, web application, cloud, and API environments. Includes remediation support and retesting.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Security Ideals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Security Ideals is a cybersecurity and AI governance consulting firm that delivers fractional vCISO leadership, compliance preparation services (SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC Level 2, HIPAA/HITRUST, NIST CSF), AI governance programs (ISO 42001, NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act), penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, gap assessments, and tabletop exercises for mid-market companies. The firm operates an AI-first internal model with 15+ integrated agent systems that power service delivery.
Product overview
Security Ideals is a cybersecurity and AI governance consulting firm offering advisory and implementation services rather than a unified software product. Their portfolio consists of professional services including AI Governance (ISO 42001, NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act), vCISO & Security Advisory, CMMC Level 2 Compliance, SOC 2 Audit Services, Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Scanning, Gap Assessment, HIPAA & HITRUST Compliance, and Tabletop Exercises. The company operates an AI-first internal model with 15+ integrated agent systems to deliver these advisory services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AI Governance Services
Companies that use Security Ideals
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Security Ideals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Security Ideals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Security Ideals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GuidePoint Security: Large cybersecurity advisory and solution provider with vCISO, compliance, and risk-management practices serving mid-market and enterprise; matches Security Ideals' advisory-led GTM at greater scale.
- RSI Security: Cybersecurity and compliance consultancy offering SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC, HIPAA, and vCISO advisory to mid-market customers across SaaS, fintech, and healthcare; nearly identical service portfolio to Security Ideals.
- Compass IT Compliance: Compliance-focused managed services and consulting firm delivering SOC 2, CMMC, HIPAA, and ISO 27001 advisory; shares Security Ideals' mid-market compliance-readiness focus and service model.
- Schellman & Co. Top-tier cybersecurity attestation and compliance firm offering SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, PCI, and FedRAMP services; closely matches Security Ideals' advisory-led compliance positioning.
- Linford & Co. Managed compliance and cybersecurity firm focused on SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA/HITRUST readiness plus fractional CISO support; directly comparable service mix and mid-market positioning.
- A-LIGN: Specialized cybersecurity and compliance advisory firm offering SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, PCI, and penetration testing services across a similar mid-market and enterprise client base; highly analogous service mix to Security Ideals.
- Tevora: Cybersecurity consulting firm providing compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, HIPAA), penetration testing, and vCISO services to mid-market and enterprise clients across regulated industries.
- BARR Advisory: Cybersecurity and compliance consulting firm offering SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA/HITRUST, and related advisory; competes for the same mid-market SaaS and healthcare buyers as Security Ideals.
Emerging players
- Drata: Compliance automation platform that streamlines SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and other framework readiness; adjacent rather than direct because automated tooling substitutes some of Security Ideals' manual readiness work.
- Vanta: Leading compliance automation platform for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and emerging frameworks including AI governance; competes indirectly by enabling buyers to handle compliance in-house rather than engaging Security Ideals.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Security Ideals social profiles
Digital presenceSecurity Ideals compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Security Ideals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Security Ideals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Security Ideals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Security Ideals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Security Ideals
What does Security Ideals do?
Security Ideals is a cybersecurity and AI governance consulting firm that delivers fractional vCISO leadership, compliance preparation services (SOC 2, ISO 27001, CMMC Level 2, HIPAA/HITRUST, NIST CSF), AI governance programs (ISO 42001, NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act), penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, gap assessments, and tabletop exercises for mid-market companies. The firm operates an AI-first internal model with 15+ integrated agent systems that power service delivery.
Is Security Ideals a public or private company?
Security Ideals is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Security Ideals founded?
Security Ideals was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Security Ideals based?
Security Ideals is headquartered in Boise, United States, in the North America region.
How does Security Ideals make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Compliance & Certification Services are the primary driver. The others are vCISO & Security Advisory, AI Governance Services and cybersecurity Testing Services.
Who are Security Ideals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GuidePoint Security, RSI Security, Compass IT Compliance, Schellman & Co., Linford & Co., A-LIGN, Tevora and BARR Advisory. Emerging players are Drata and Vanta.
Does Security Ideals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Security Ideals.
What industry is Security Ideals in?
Security Ideals's product category is Cybersecurity Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKADAF, Security Architecture & Engineering Advisory (Zero Trust, IAM, Network), with a secondary code of HDAAAMAE, Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001). Its NAICS code is 541512.