Global data breach costs are falling. Canada's are rising. These are the verified 2025 numbers every Canadian business decision-maker needs to know.
CA$6.98M
Average cost of a data breach for Canadian organizations in 2025, up 10.4% from 2024
IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025
43%
Of Canadian organizations experienced a cyber attack in the last 12 months
CIRA Cybersecurity Survey 2025
42%
Of Canadian organizations experienced a breach of customer or employee data in the past year, up from 29% in 2022
CIRA Cybersecurity Survey 2025
CA$7.91M
Average cost of a phishing-initiated breach in Canada in 2025, a 24% increase from the prior year
IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025
Global data breach costs dropped 9% in 2025. Canada's rose 10.4% over the same period, making Canada one of the highest-risk breach environments in the world. (IBM 2025)
Canadian financial sector organizations face average breach costs of nearly CA$10 million per incident, the highest of any sector in Canada. (IBM 2025)
One in three Canadian businesses has no access controls on AI systems, creating high-value targets as AI adoption accelerates across every sector. (IBM 2025)
Ransomware remains the most disruptive form of cybercrime facing Canadian organizations, identified as a top threat by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. (CSE NCTA 2025-2026)
The question is not whether your business will be targeted. It is whether you will be ready when it is. Talk to our team today.
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Most Canadian SMBs face the same question before engaging a managed security provider. Here is an honest comparison.
| The Driz Group Managed | In-House Security Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | Fraction of a single hire. Scales up or down as needed. | $150,000 to $300,000+ per year for a small security team including salary, benefits, and tools. |
| Response Time | 24/7 monitoring and immediate response. No after-hours gaps. | Limited to business hours unless you pay for on-call coverage, which adds significant cost. |
| Expertise Depth | A full team of specialists across MDR, compliance, vCISO, vulnerability management, and application security. | One or two generalists. Specialised expertise requires additional hires or expensive contractors. |
| Time to Protection | Onboarded and monitoring within days. No recruitment or onboarding delays. | 3 to 6 months to recruit, hire, and onboard. Security gaps remain open during that window. |
| Compliance Support | PIPEDA, SOC 2, GDPR, and industry frameworks included. No additional consultants required. | Typically requires external compliance consultants at additional cost. |
| Scalability | Scales immediately as your business grows. No new hires required. | Each increase in scope requires a new hire, new tools, and additional budget cycles. |
Want to talk through the numbers for your specific situation? Book a free 30-minute consultation.
Not all managed security providers are equal. These are the questions every Canadian business should ask before signing a contract.
Is incident response included, or billed separately?
Many providers charge hourly rates during active incidents, which is precisely when you are most vulnerable and least able to negotiate. The Driz Group includes unmetered incident response in every managed service plan.
Is monitoring truly 24/7, or does coverage end after business hours?
Most attacks do not happen between 9am and 5pm. Ask whether human analysts are actively monitoring your environment overnight, on weekends, and during holidays, not just automated alerts with delayed human follow-up.
Are they vendor-agnostic, or do they resell specific products?
Providers who earn commissions on technology sales have an inherent conflict of interest. A vendor-agnostic provider recommends the best tool for your environment, not the one that pays the highest margin.
Do they understand Canadian compliance requirements?
PIPEDA, Quebec's Law 25, PHIPA for healthcare, and SOC 2 for service organizations are the primary frameworks affecting Canadian businesses. A provider without Canadian compliance expertise will give you generic guidance that may not meet your actual obligations.
Who actually handles your account day to day?
Some large providers sell on the strength of senior expertise and then hand the account to junior analysts or offshore teams. Ask who specifically will be monitoring your environment and handling incidents.
Can they demonstrate results with businesses similar to yours?
Ask for references from businesses in your sector and of a similar size. A provider experienced with enterprise clients may lack the agility and cost-efficiency required to serve a 50-person professional services firm effectively.
What does the contract look like if you want to leave?
Long lock-in contracts with heavy exit penalties are a red flag. A confident provider does not need to trap you. Ask about notice periods, data portability, and what happens to your security programme if you choose to transition.
Want to ask us these questions directly? Book a free 30-minute consultation and we will answer every one.
Virtual CISO Services for Canadian BusinessesMost growing businesses need a Chief Information Security Officer. Few can justify the cost of hiring one full-time. A Virtual CISO gives you senior cybersecurity leadership, strategic guidance, and compliance oversight at a fraction of the cost, with none of the overhead. |
Six fully managed services covering every layer of your cybersecurity programme. Each one delivered by experienced professionals with no outsourcing and no surprises.
SME CyberShield
24/7 managed detection and response for small and mid-sized businesses. Continuous monitoring, ransomware containment, and unmetered incident response.
Learn more →Web Application Security
Cloud-based WAF, DDoS protection, and application security monitoring. Deployed in under 10 minutes with no hardware or software to manage.
Learn more →Virtual CISO
Senior cybersecurity leadership on a fractional basis. Strategy, risk management, compliance oversight, and board-level reporting without the full-time cost.
Learn more →IT Compliance Consulting
PIPEDA, SOC 2, GDPR, and industry-specific compliance managed end to end. Readiness assessment, gap remediation, and attestation support.
Learn more →Third-Party Risk Management
Assess and monitor the cybersecurity posture of your vendors and suppliers. Identify third-party risks before they become your incidents.
Learn more →Vulnerability Assessment Services
Network and application vulnerability assessments with clear remediation steps. Find what attackers would exploit before they get the chance.
Learn more →We work with businesses across every sector that handles sensitive data or operates critical systems. Here are the industries where we have the deepest experience.
Financial Services
Banks, credit unions, investment firms, insurance companies, and fintech platforms handling sensitive financial data and subject to strict regulatory requirements.
Healthcare and Digital Health
Clinics, hospitals, digital health platforms, and healthcare software vendors managing patient data under PHIPA, PIPEDA, and increasingly SOC 2 requirements.
SaaS and Technology
Canadian SaaS companies, cloud providers, and technology firms that need SOC 2 attestation to close enterprise deals and protect their development environments.
Legal and Professional Services
Law firms, accounting practices, and consulting firms handling privileged client data and increasingly required to demonstrate cybersecurity controls during RFP processes.
Managed Service Providers
IT service providers and MSPs that manage infrastructure for multiple clients and need robust security controls to meet enterprise client requirements and protect their own supply chain.
Non-Profit and Public Sector
Municipalities, universities, healthcare networks, and non-profits operating with limited security resources but facing the same threat landscape as private sector organizations.
Your industry not listed? Contact us and we will tell you how we can help.
Our team holds industry-recognised certifications and works with best-in-class security technology partners. Vendor-agnostic means we choose the right tool for your business, not the most profitable one for ours.
CISSP
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
CISM
Certified Information Security Manager
CEH
Certified Ethical Hacker
Sophos Partner
Authorised Sophos Security Technology Partner
Vendor-Agnostic Promise:
We work with leading security technology vendors but earn no commission on product recommendations. Every technology recommendation is based solely on what is right for your environment.
Managed cybersecurity services are ongoing security functions delivered by an external provider on your behalf. This includes 24/7 threat monitoring and detection, incident response, vulnerability management, compliance support, and strategic advisory. Rather than building and maintaining an internal security team, you engage a managed provider who covers all of these functions for a predictable monthly cost.
Pricing depends on the size of your organisation, the number of endpoints and systems in scope, and the services included. For most Canadian SMBs, managed cybersecurity services cost significantly less than a single internal security hire, which typically runs $150,000 or more per year including salary, benefits, and tools. Contact us for a quote based on your specific environment.
IT support focuses on keeping your systems running, managing hardware and software, and resolving day-to-day technical issues. Managed cybersecurity focuses specifically on protecting your systems, data, and people from threats. The two functions are complementary but distinct. Many businesses have IT support without any dedicated cybersecurity coverage, which leaves significant gaps that attackers exploit.
Our managed detection and response service monitors your environment 24/7. When a threat is detected, our team investigates and responds immediately, regardless of the time of day. For businesses on our SME CyberShield plan, incident response is included and unmetered. You will not receive an unexpected bill while already dealing with an incident.
Antivirus software detects known threats based on signatures. It cannot detect zero-day exploits, insider threats, advanced persistent threats, or attacker activity that has already bypassed the endpoint. Managed cybersecurity provides a human-monitored layer that catches what automated tools miss, investigates anomalies, and responds before damage is done. Most businesses that experience a breach had antivirus in place.
Yes. Our managed services include compliance support for PIPEDA, SOC 2, GDPR, and other frameworks. We help you understand which requirements apply to your business, assess your current gaps, implement the controls required, and prepare for audits. Compliance and security are managed together rather than as separate workstreams.
We are vendor agnostic. We do not resell specific security products or earn commissions on technology recommendations. Every recommendation we make is based on what is right for your business. We also include incident response in our managed service plans with no hourly billing during an active incident. Our team works directly with your executives and IT staff, not through a ticketing queue.
Spend 30 minutes with us. We will assess your current risks, identify the gaps, and recommend the right level of protection for your business size and budget. No obligation, no sales pressure.
Schedule a Free Consultation Call 1-888-900-3749
No obligation. No sales pressure. Just real answers.
