Security in a due diligence context
Security diligence is not a penetration test bolted onto a deal process. It is a risk assessment tied to ownership outcomes. Investors need to understand where security posture could affect transaction certainty, integration plans, customer retention, regulatory exposure, or future exitability.
We assess control maturity, governance quality and evidence of real operational discipline. The goal is to separate acceptable risk from material exposure and identify what must be remediated now versus what can be sequenced post-close.
What we assess
Our assessment covers identity and access controls, data handling, vulnerability management, incident readiness, third-party risk, and cloud/security configuration hygiene. We review policy evidence and operational behaviour, not just policy documents.
- Access management and privileged account control
- Application and infrastructure vulnerability posture
- Data protection controls, encryption and retention practices
- Monitoring, logging, and incident response capability
- Security ownership, accountability and board visibility
- Supplier and dependency risk management
GDPR and compliance exposure
For UK and EU-relevant businesses, GDPR readiness can materially affect risk transfer and post-close workstreams. We review practical compliance posture across data mapping, lawful basis, consent, retention and breach response obligations. We also consider sector-specific obligations where relevant.
Compliance is not binary. We provide a realistic view of where practices are fit for purpose and where gaps could lead to customer, legal or reputational impact.
Common findings and deliverables
Common findings include over-privileged access, incomplete logging, delayed patching in critical systems, and immature incident runbooks. In higher-growth businesses, we also see controls that have not evolved at the same pace as product and commercial expansion.
Deliverables include a risk-ranked findings report, an immediate action plan, and a phased remediation roadmap aligned to 100-day priorities and longer-term value creation. We cross-link findings with broader diligence themes from buy-side DD, code review, and post-acquisition planning. For a full framework, see our technology DD guide.