Built on Operational
Experience, Not Theory
Cylos Advisory is a Cyprus-based cyber security and risk advisory firm founded by a practitioner with over a decade of experience across some of the most demanding security environments in Europe.
Pragmatic, Intelligence-Led Security Advisory
We work hand-in-hand with security leaders, IT teams, and governance stakeholders to design and implement security improvements that are practical, defensible, and aligned with both business objectives and regulatory requirements.
Operating within high-risk, highly regulated environments, Cylos Advisory delivers intelligence-led services that strengthen security operations, improve incident readiness, and build the internal capability your team needs to sustain progress long after the engagement ends.
People
Senior practitioners with real operational backgrounds — not graduates with frameworks and no field experience.
Process
Documented, repeatable frameworks aligned to NIS2, DORA, ISO 27001, and NIST — built for real operations, not paper compliance.
Technology
Vendor-agnostic guidance to maximise value from your existing security investments across cloud and on-premise environments.
Intelligence
Threat-informed decision making grounded in current adversary behaviour, MITRE ATT&CK, and sector-specific risk context.
Independence & Integrity
No vendor affiliations. No hidden incentives. Just honest advice in your best interest — even when that's uncomfortable to hear.
Pragmatic Delivery
Security that works in the real world, not on paper. We deliver practical, workable solutions — not theoretical reports that gather dust.
Knowledge Transfer
We build internal capability, not dependency. Every engagement is designed to leave your team stronger — with the understanding and processes to maintain security long-term.
European Focus
Cyprus-based, with reach across the EU and Middle East. We understand the regulatory landscape you operate in — NIS2, DORA, GDPR, and beyond.
Simon Binks
Simon helps security teams in regulated industries build operations that hold up — to attackers, to auditors, and now to the pace of AI adoption.
For five years he has worked inside financial services, healthcare, and national security environments designing the practical machinery of security operations: incident response frameworks, SOC processes, governance forums, detection content, and the documentation that makes all of it repeatable. He progressed from front-line SOC analyst to SOC Lead at a multi-tenant MSSP before moving into senior consulting roles across some of Europe's most demanding regulated environments.
His focus sits across three areas. Security Operations — maturing SOC capability, designing incident response programmes, and building the playbooks, runbooks, and detection logic (Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk) that turn ad-hoc response into a measured, audit-ready process. AI secure design, deployment & governance — designing and building AI systems for security teams, governing them, and helping organisations adopt AI safely. At a UK private bank he built RAG-grounded AI agents for SOC analysts and incident managers, co-authored AI deployment architecture, and developed AI governance and AI-specific DLP strategy. He is a CSA-certified Trusted AI Safety Expert (TAISE). Governance & regulatory alignment — designing and chairing security governance forums, aligning controls to GDPR, NIS2, DORA, FCA/PRA expectations, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, and MITRE ATT&CK.
What ties it together: Simon builds the operating models, documentation, and AI tooling that let security functions move fast without losing control or compliance. A background in education means he is also good at the part that's often skipped — making sure the people who inherit a framework can actually use it.
Certifications
CSA Trusted AI Safety Expert (TAISE) · ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) · Microsoft SC-900 · Splunk Fundamentals 2 · Certified Forcepoint NGFW Administrator
Frameworks
NIS2 · DORA · GDPR · ISO 27001 · ISO 27035 · NIST CSF · MITRE ATT&CK · PCI DSS v4.0 · FCA SYSC · PRA PS6/21 · SMCR
Security Operations
SOC maturity assessment and uplift, detection engineering, SIEM/SOAR design (Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk), and operational process design. Built and chaired a cross-functional Security Operations Approval Board at a dual-regulated private bank.
Incident Response
IR framework and programme design — including a 34-document programme at a private bank covering IR plan, dual-track playbooks and Sentinel KQL runbooks. SOAR automations at a healthcare client achieved a 70% improvement in incident response times.
Governance & Regulatory
Security governance forum design, control framework alignment, and regulatory programme delivery across NIS2, DORA, GDPR, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, PCI DSS, and FCA/PRA requirements.
AI for Security
Designing and building RAG-grounded AI assistants for security teams in Microsoft Copilot Studio, AI governance frameworks, AI-specific DLP strategy, and safe enterprise AI adoption. CSA-certified TAISE.
Industries We Serve
Real experience across the sectors with the most demanding regulatory and threat environments.
Financial Services
Banks, investment firms, and fintechs navigating DORA compliance, FCA/PRA requirements, PCI DSS, and sophisticated threat actors targeting financial data.
Healthcare
Protecting patient data and critical clinical systems. NIS2-aligned security programmes for hospitals, clinics, and health technology providers.
Critical Infrastructure
OT/IT convergence security, resilience frameworks, and incident response for energy, utilities, and transport operators under NIS2 essential entity obligations.
Technology & SaaS
Security by design for product teams. vCISO advisory, cloud security architecture, and ISO 27001 / SOC 2 readiness for scale-ups and enterprise technology companies.
Professional Services
Law firms, accountancies, and consultancies protecting sensitive client data with proportionate, ISO 27001-aligned controls and supply chain risk management.
Government & Public Sector
Security advisory for public bodies navigating NIS2 obligations, legacy infrastructure, and constrained budgets — with experience in national security environments.
Ready to Work Together?
Whether you need strategic advisory, hands-on support, or just an honest second opinion — we're here to help.