by Jim Masters • Jan 3, 2023
Bridewell, ranked No. 117 on MSSP Alert’s Top 250 MSSPs list, operates a 24/7 security operations center (SOC) from its headquarters in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
The SOC forms a critical part of Bridewell’s links with Welsh cybersecurity communities and educational partners, according to Martin Riley, director of Managed Security Services. These relationships include Cyber Colleges Cymru, a government initiative that creates pathways into a career in cybersecurity for Sixth Form College students, and the University of South Wales. Bridewell partners with the university for both internship and apprenticeship programs, with students embarking on a development plan to build the essential skills needed to run a modern, agile and responsive SOC under the guidance of experienced Bridewell analysts.
Commenting on Bridewell’s SOC, which opened in 2022, Riley said:
“Run by a team of more 50 experienced, industry-certified consultants, the new SOC provides Bridewell with a fivefold increase in capacity, allowing the company to scale in line with rapidly expanding client needs. The opening comes amidst a 100% increase in SOC analysts at Bridewell in the last year alone. Driving our commitment to be threat led across all managed services, we have our own threat intelligence and research function that serves our customers and the communities in which we operate.”
Bridewell expanded into the U.S. with a new office strategically located in the Houston, Texas “Energy Corridor.” The move, says Riley, enables Bridewell to better serve the needs of its existing client base in the U.S., many of whom the company already serves from the UK. It will also enable Bridewell to secure new clients in the region and provide a springboard for further growth across North America.
Bridewell is the U.K.’s first carbon-negative cybersecurity firm, Riley said. Despite a 156% increase in headcount, at the time of achieving a carbon-negative status, Bridewell reduced carbon emissions by 10% through a combination of initiatives. These include switching its offices to renewable energy, offsetting emissions and other climate projects.
Riley noted that one of Bridewell’s smartest business moves in 2022 was investment in its threat research teams.
As Riley explained:
“Alongside the move to our new SOC to support our threat intelligence domain, we’ve made new appointments within our Cyber Threat Intelligence team to bolster our capabilities and further support other areas of our managed security services. The area we continually review is the effective use of security operation and striking the balance between automation and the leveraging the capabilities of our great teams.”
Riley noted key wins in 2022 included Ventient Energy, HESA and Northern Gas Networks. He added that the business continues to “target delivering exceptional, customer focused security services internationally for the continuation of the expansion into the U.S. and new geographies.” In the coming year, Bridewell will focus on the continued growth of managed security services delivered to critical infrastructure providers.
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