Cybersecurity consulting · UK SMEs
Expert security,
billed by the hour.
No retainer lock-ins. No junior consultants. No inflated enterprise fees. You get 25 years of enterprise-grade security expertise applied directly to your business — and you only pay for the time you actually use.
Consulting rate
£95 +VAT
per hour · 1-hour minimum, then hourly
No hidden fees. No travel charges within the South East. A written quote confirmed before any work begins.
- Security health check 2–4 hrs £190–£380
- Microsoft 365 assessment 4–8 hrs £380–£760
- Cyber Essentials prep 6–10 hrs £570–£950
- Staff phishing simulation 4–6 hrs £380–£570
- Incident response from 3 hrs from £285
Discovery calls are free and carry no obligation.
Important — read before booking
- Billable time starts at the beginning of a scheduled appointment.
- Email support, documentation, and any deliverables are billable time.
- Invoices are issued and must be paid before work starts.
- Hours are valid for 12 months from purchase. Unused time expires after 12 months.
What you get
When you book
an hour with me.
You're not buying a product. You're buying direct access to someone who has spent 25 years solving complex security problems — and actually knows what they're talking about.
Direct access to me — no middlemen
You speak to me, and I do the work. No account managers taking messages, no junior staff relaying questions. The person who picks up is the person solving the problem.
25 years of enterprise security experience
I spent 25 years designing multi-million pound IT infrastructure in oil and gas. The security thinking I bring to your business is the same thinking used to protect critical global operations — just applied at your scale.
Properly certified — CISSP & CEH
CISSP is the gold standard in information security. CEH means I think the way attackers think. You're not getting someone who watched a few YouTube videos — you're getting someone who passed the exams and does this for a living.
Straight answers, not a longer engagement
I'll tell you exactly what I think — including if you don't actually have a problem, or if there's a free fix. My interest is in giving you a straight answer, not in keeping the clock running.
No upselling — if you only need an hour, I'll say so
Some problems genuinely only take an hour to diagnose. I won't manufacture complexity to justify more time. If we sort it in 45 minutes, you'll know about it before the hour is up.
Remote or on-site — whatever works for you
Most engagements work perfectly well over a call or screenshare. For anything that benefits from being in the room — a site walkthrough, a team briefing, a hands-on assessment — I'm available on-site anywhere in the UK. Travel time is charged at £50/hr, with parking and any other travel expenses agreed upfront and charged at cost.
What is “Consulting” exactly?
Consulting is simply booking time with me (James Batt) to help with security work—ad-hoc support, projects, compliance prep, vCISO-style guidance, incident support, reviews, and anything else security-related that needs moving forward.
How do I book time?
Work out how many hours you think you need, confirm the total using the online calculator, then click Schedule Consultation and tell me the number of hours and what you need help with.
I’m not sure how many hours I need — what should I do?
Use Schedule Consultation to request a 30-minute scoping call. After that, I’ll recommend how many hours to purchase for the work you want done.
When does billable time start?
Billable time starts at the beginning of the scheduled appointment time.
Is email support included or billable?
Email support is billable. Time spent on email support, documentation, and any other deliverables is also classed as billable time.
Do purchased hours expire?
Yes. Hours purchased are valid for 1 year from the date of purchase. Any unused hours after 1 year expire and can’t be used.
Do you invoice before starting work?
Yes. Once the scope and hours are agreed and you accept the quote, I’ll issue an invoice and work will begin after that’s in place.
Do I get something in writing after the work?
If the work involves advice, decisions, or next steps, I’ll provide written notes or documentation as part of the time booked (and that time is billable).
Can these hours be used across different tasks?
Yes—hours can be used flexibly across multiple requests (for example: a policy review now, a Microsoft 365 security check next, then help with a supplier questionnaire later), as long as it fits within the purchased time.
Is the work remote or on-site?
Most consulting can be done remotely. If on-site time is needed, that can be discussed during the scoping call or when you submit the request.
Do you guarantee we won’t get hacked?
No honest consultant can promise that. What I can do is help reduce risk, remove common weaknesses, and build practical habits and controls that make the business harder to hit and quicker to recover.
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Systems Secure Ltd
6 The Meadow, Copthorne, West Sussex. RH10 3RG
07588 455611
Company Registration: 7295869
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