How to Choose Cybersecurity Solutions: A Buyer's Guide for Belgian SMEs
Choosing cybersecurity solutions feels overwhelming. Dozens of vendors, confusing terminology, and fear of making the wrong choice. This practical guide walks you through the decision process step by step, so you can choose with confidence.
Why This Guide Exists
Most cybersecurity buying guides are written by vendors trying to sell you something, or by consultants trying to convince you that you need their expertise. This guide is different. It gives you a practical framework to evaluate options and make decisions that fit your business.
- No vendor bias - we explain the criteria, you apply them
- Specific to Belgian SMEs (5-250 employees)
- Focused on practical outcomes, not technical perfection
- Includes questions vendors hope you don't ask
Define Your Actual Needs
Before looking at solutions, understand what you're solving for
The biggest mistake is shopping for solutions before understanding your needs. Are you trying to comply with NIS2? Satisfy a customer requirement? Get cyber insurance? Prevent a specific type of attack?
Actions:
- • List your primary motivation (compliance, customer demand, insurance, protection)
- • Identify any specific requirements (NIS2, ISO 27001, customer contracts)
- • Assess your current security posture honestly
- • Determine who will be responsible for implementation and maintenance
- • Document your IT infrastructure basics (cloud vs on-premise, key systems)
Outcome: A clear statement of what success looks like for your organization.
Set Your Budget Realistically
Consider total cost, not just license fees
Cybersecurity costs more than the sticker price. Factor in implementation time, training, ongoing maintenance, and the hidden cost of complexity.
Actions:
- • Calculate your budget range (realistic minimum and maximum)
- • Account for implementation costs (setup, configuration, migration)
- • Budget for training (internal staff, IT partner)
- • Plan for ongoing costs (renewals, updates, support)
- • Consider opportunity cost of staff time
Budget Guidelines by Company Size
| Size | Budget | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 5-10 employees | 1,500 - 5,000/year | Focus on essentials |
| 11-50 employees | 5,000 - 20,000/year | Basic to Important level |
| 51-100 employees | 15,000 - 50,000/year | Important to Essential |
| 100+ employees | 40,000+/year | Full compliance program |
Outcome: A realistic total budget that accounts for all costs, not just software licenses.
Create Your Shortlist
Narrow down to 3-5 realistic options
Don't try to evaluate every option in the market. Create a shortlist of 3-5 solutions that meet your basic criteria, then evaluate those in depth.
Actions:
- • Research solutions that match your company size and sector
- • Filter by Belgian/EU presence (GDPR compliance, local support)
- • Eliminate options clearly outside your budget
- • Prioritize solutions with SME focus over enterprise tools
- • Ask your IT partner and peers for recommendations
Must Have
- GDPR compliant (EU data processing)
- Support in your language (NL/FR/EN)
- Pricing transparent and within budget
- References from similar companies
Nice to Have
- CyberFundamentals/NIS2 specific features
- Integration with your existing tools
- Belgian company or presence
- Free trial or pilot program
Outcome: A shortlist of 3-5 solutions worth evaluating in depth.
Ask the Right Questions
Questions that reveal what vendors don't advertise
Every vendor claims to be the best. These questions help you cut through marketing and understand what you're actually getting.
1. "What happens when I need help at 3 AM on a Saturday?"
Why: Reveals actual support reality vs. marketing claims
2. "Show me an example implementation for a company like mine."
Why: Tests whether they have relevant experience
3. "What does the total first-year cost look like, including implementation?"
Why: Uncovers hidden costs and implementation fees
4. "How do I prove compliance to an auditor using your solution?"
Why: Tests whether compliance features are real or marketing
5. "What happens to my data if I leave?"
Why: Reveals lock-in and data portability
6. "Who in your company will I actually work with?"
Why: Determines if you get experts or junior staff
7. "What do you NOT do well?"
Why: Tests honesty - everyone has weaknesses
8. "Can I speak to a customer who left you?"
Why: Reveals how they handle unhappy customers
9. "How long has your average customer been with you?"
Why: Low retention suggests problems
10. "What does implementation actually require from my team?"
Why: Reveals true resource requirements
Outcome: Clear understanding of each vendor's strengths, weaknesses, and fit for your needs.
Run a Pilot
Test before you commit
Never commit to a significant cybersecurity investment without testing it first. A pilot reveals problems that demos and sales calls never will.
Actions:
- • Request a free trial or paid pilot period
- • Test with real scenarios, not vendor-provided demos
- • Involve the people who will actually use the system
- • Evaluate support response during the pilot
- • Document what works and what doesn't
Pilot Evaluation Checklist
- [ ] Can non-technical staff understand and use it?
- [ ] Does it integrate with your existing tools?
- [ ] Is the support responsive and helpful?
- [ ] Does it address your primary use case?
- [ ] Would you recommend it to a peer?
Outcome: Real-world validation of the solution before commitment.
Make Your Decision
Systematic evaluation beats gut feeling
Use a structured approach to make your final decision. Gut feeling matters, but shouldn't override clear evidence.
Actions:
- • Score each shortlisted solution against your criteria
- • Weight criteria by importance to your business
- • Factor in implementation timeline and resources
- • Consider long-term relationship potential
- • Make the decision and commit fully
Decision Criteria Weighting
Outcome: A confident decision backed by evidence and clear reasoning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Buying more than you need
Enterprise solutions for SME problems waste money and create complexity. A Ferrari is great, but not for grocery shopping.
Avoid: Match solution sophistication to your actual needs and capabilities.
Ignoring ongoing costs
License fees are often 30-50% of total cost. Implementation, training, and maintenance add up.
Avoid: Calculate 3-year total cost of ownership, not just year-one price.
Choosing based on features you'll never use
Vendors love feature checklists. Most SMEs use 20% of features they pay for.
Avoid: Focus on features you'll actually use in the next 12 months.
Skipping the pilot
Demos are scripted success stories. Reality is messier.
Avoid: Always run a real pilot with your actual data and people.
Deciding alone
Cybersecurity affects your whole organization. Decisions made in isolation often fail in implementation.
Avoid: Involve IT partner, key staff, and management in the decision.
Decision Framework by Company Type
Different companies have different needs. Use this framework as a starting point.
Micro-business (1-9 employees)
Priority
Simplicity over sophistication
Focus
Basic protection with minimal overhead
Recommendation
Start with CyberFundamentals Small (free). Add cyber insurance. Consider managed services if no internal IT.
Small business (10-49 employees)
Priority
Balance between protection and practicality
Focus
Compliance-ready without enterprise complexity
Recommendation
CyberFundamentals Basic or Important level. Partner with IT provider. Focus on the controls that matter most for your sector.
Medium business (50-250 employees)
Priority
Structured approach with dedicated resources
Focus
Full compliance capability, scalable processes
Recommendation
CyberFundamentals Important or Essential level. Consider dedicated security resources. Build internal capability alongside external support.
NIS2-regulated entity
Priority
Compliance is mandatory, not optional
Focus
Meeting specific regulatory requirements
Recommendation
CyberFundamentals at the level matching your sector (Important or Essential). Document everything. Prepare for audits from day one.
Ready to Start Your Evaluation?
Easy Cyber Protection is designed specifically for Belgian SMEs. Start with our free Small level to see if our approach fits your needs.
Start Free EvaluationFrequently Asked Questions
How long should the evaluation process take?
For most SMEs, 4-8 weeks is reasonable. This includes defining needs (1 week), shortlisting (1 week), vendor discussions and demos (2 weeks), pilot (2-4 weeks), and decision (1 week). Rushing leads to poor decisions; overthinking leads to no decision.
Should I hire a consultant to help choose?
It depends on your internal capability. If you have someone who understands your IT landscape and can dedicate time, you probably don't need a consultant. If not, a few hours of expert guidance can save you from expensive mistakes. Be wary of consultants who push specific vendors - they may have financial incentives.
What if I choose wrong?
Most cybersecurity solutions have annual contracts. A wrong choice costs you time and money, but it's recoverable. What's worse is not choosing at all and remaining unprotected. Make the best decision you can with available information, commit to it, and adjust if needed.
How important is Belgian/local presence?
Very important for SMEs. Local presence means support in your language, understanding of Belgian regulations (NIS2 transposition, CyberFundamentals), and easier recourse if things go wrong. Global vendors often treat Belgian SMEs as too small to matter.
Can I start small and scale up?
Yes, and you should. Starting small lets you validate the approach before committing significant resources. Good vendors support this progression. Be cautious of vendors who push you to buy everything upfront - it often means their solution doesn't deliver value incrementally.