Defensive Security Services

Defensive Security Services – Detect Threats and Reduce Risk

Strengthen your security operations with Toptal’s Defensive Security Services. From monitoring and threat detection to response and governance, our security specialists help improve how threats are identified and handled.

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Clients Served

30,000+

Total Vetted Professionals

20,000+

Toptal Total Projects Delivered

85,000+

Years in Business

15+

TRUSTED BY LEADING BRANDS

Our Services

Toptal Defensive Security Services

Improve how your organization detects, manages, and responds to threats. Toptal’s security specialists design and operate programs that improve visibility and support ongoing protection.

Security Strategy and Governance

Define a security strategy tied to business risk, then establish governance structures that guide decision-making, ownership, and accountability across teams.

Risk and Threat Intelligence

Assess risk exposure using threat intelligence and internal data so teams can prioritize mitigation efforts based on likely attack scenarios.

Compliance and ISMS Enablement

Implement ISMS frameworks that support ISO 27001 and other standards, structuring policies and documentation required for audits and certification.

Security Operations Center (SOC)

Establish continuous monitoring with defined escalation paths, enabling teams to detect suspicious activity, triage alerts, and respond to incidents in real time.

Managed Security Operations

Operate day-to-day security functions, providing ongoing monitoring, alert handling, and response coordination to maintain consistent protection across systems.

Threat Hunting and Detection Engineering

Search for hidden threats and develop detection rules that improve how suspicious activity is identified and investigated over time.

Incident Response and Recovery

Contain incidents quickly, coordinate response efforts, and restore operations while documenting root causes to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

Security Automation and Orchestration

Automate response workflows to reduce manual intervention, standardize actions, and improve how quickly teams can respond to common security threats.

Cloud Security Review

Assess cloud configurations and access controls to identify gaps, then recommend changes that improve protection across infrastructure and services.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Define and enforce access policies that limit exposure so users only have permissions required for their roles, reducing insider risk.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Monitor endpoint activity to identify malicious behavior, enabling rapid investigation and containment across devices connected to your environment.

Vulnerability Management

Identify weakness across applications, then prioritize remediation based on risk, exploitability, and potential business impact.

Looking for guidance about the perfect defensive security service for your needs?

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PARTNERSHIP THAT WORKS

How We Deliver Defensive Security Services

Our Defensive Security experts, with experience at leading companies, develop and deploy tailored solutions to meet your business needs and unique industry demands for sustainable results and long-term success.

Discover

A leader from our team works with you to understand your business challenges, pain points, and strategic goals to uncover new opportunities and identify the options to reach your objectives.

Define

Toptal leaders collaborate with your team to define your specific goals and service needs, evaluating multiple approaches and aligning requirements with your strategic objectives to define the best solution.

Develop

We will create your unique project timeline, process, and first drafts, whether your goal is to strengthen your security posture and reduce cyber risk across your organization.

Deploy

Toptal will get to work, tracking quality assurance, handling project management, and maintaining the delivery schedule.

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Zohra Ibrahimi

Information Security Practice Lead

Zohra is a seasoned cybersecurity and risk executive with more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise risk management, cybersecurity strategy, IT governance, and regulatory compliance initiatives across Fortune 500 companies and global organizations.Zohra is a seasoned cybersecurity and risk executive with more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise risk management, cybersecurity strategy, IT governance, and regulatory compliance initiatives across Fortune 500 companies and global organizations.

Previously At

CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS

Defensive Security Solutions That Deliver Value

Toptal delivers leading defensive security services through its diverse talent network and flexible delivery models. We implement the right skills at each project phase, blending expertise from various roles for seamless execution.

End-to-End Delivery by Toptal
On-demand Talent & Teams

End-to-End Delivery by Toptal

Comprehensive project delivery, tailored to your specific requirements.

Information Security Practice Lead

Delivery Manager

Cloud Security Engineer

Enterprise Security Architect

Security Risk Strategist

Cybersecurity Engineer

Executive Security Advisor

IAM Expert

Zohra Ibrahimi

Information Security Practice Lead

Zohra is a seasoned cybersecurity and risk executive with more than 15 years of experience leading enterprise risk management, cybersecurity strategy, IT governance, and regulatory compliance initiatives across Fortune 500 companies and global organizations. As Toptal’s Information Security Practice Lead, she takes a strategic, business-aligned approach—building scalable, results-driven security programs that not only protect critical assets but also enable business growth.

Previously at

Experience

15+ Years

Rachael Karaffa

Delivery Manager

Rachael serves as a Delivery Manager at Toptal with a focus on leading diverse global teams in developing innovative solutions for our clients. She works across multiple disciplines, including technology, marketing, and management consulting. Rachael specializes in managing people and client relationships, process optimization, and driving teams toward optimal business outcomes.

Previously Managed Client

Experience

9+ Years

Ike Anyanwu

Verified Expert in Engineering

13+ Years

of Experience

Cloud Security Engineer

Ike is a senior cloud security engineer with 13 years of experience and a solid knowledge of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publications, cybersecurity, cloud, and DevSecOps tools. Ike is proficient in infrastructure as code, managing a CI/CD pipeline, and protecting applications, websites, cloud networks, and infrastructure.

Previously at

Montasir Azad

Verified Expert in Engineering

20+ Years

of Experience

Enterprise Security Architect

Montasir is an InfoSec leader with 20+ years of experience managing cybersecurity and enterprise architecture. He has designed and enforced security solutions for complex IT systems, including creating five-year security technical architecture roadmaps. With solid technical expertise and a profound grasp of industry best practices, Montasir develops and executes cybersecurity strategies that effectively mitigate risks, protect sensitive data, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Previously at

Mark Castagneri

Verified Expert in Engineering

15+ Years

of Experience

Security Risk Strategist

Mark is a risk assessor, program manager, security operations engineer, and architect with over 15 years of experience implementing risk reduction initiatives. He has a deep understanding of various security frameworks and tools. Mark has successfully developed budgets, risk-informed roadmaps, and project plans and has led multidisciplinary teams to effectively reduce risks and demonstrate compliance with standards, as confirmed by third-party auditors.

Previously at

Poliana Moraes

Verified Expert in Engineering

18+ Years

of Experience

Cybersecurity Engineer

Poliana is an embedded security engineer with 18+ years of experience integrating embedded systems in the automotive and aerospace products industry. Her expertise includes security requirements, threat modeling, risk analysis, secure architecture, and compliance based on systems engineering fundamentals.

Previously at

Joe Bagdon

Verified Expert in Engineering

31+ Years

of Experience

Executive Security Advisor

Joe is a seasoned security and infrastructure engineering professional with experience performing application and network assessments, writing and enforcing policies, providing defense for an enterprise environment, and administrating infrastructures. He has in-depth knowledge of information security, information technology, and information warfare. Joe is a competent Python programmer, adding automation and integration that reduces workloads.

Previously at

Subbu Somasundaram

Verified Expert in Engineering

22+ Years

of Experience

IAM Expert

Subbu is a subject matter expert in information security and has more than 22 years of information technology experience. He has assisted large enterprise customers in the banking, telecommunication, and e-commerce sectors with security transformation, DevSecOps, security architecture, and implementations. Subbu’s security expertise includes AWS, GCP, IAM, enterprise security, data protection, and application security and compliance.

Previously at

On-demand Talent & Teams

20,000+ vetted professionals, ready to deploy individually or in teams.

Security Engineer

Virtual CISO

Enterprise Security Architect

Security Compliance Specialist

DevSecOps Engineer

Penetration Testing Expert

Threat Intelligence Analyst

Security Solution Architect

Threat Analytics Consultant

Verified Expert in Engineering

7+ Years

of Experience

Security Engineer

Nicaury is a security engineer with 7+ years of experience in information security, cybersecurity, and systems administration. She has worked in fast-paced, remote environments for years, developing excellent communication and leadership skills. Nicaury is a certified professional with proven problem-solving and analytical skills, a fast learning curve, and the ability to adapt to any team.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

20+ Years

of Experience

Virtual CISO

Christopher is an experienced principal consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the private and public industries. He is skilled in security, software development, enterprise architecture, operations management, IT strategy, cloud computing, and training. As a consulting professional with a doctorate in business administration, Christopher is focused on information systems and enterprise resource management.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

14+ Years

of Experience

Enterprise Security Architect

Tarun is a software architect who has worked with Fortune 500 clients and enterprise-level companies like Nestlé and Deloitte. He is also a result-oriented Citect SCADA Certified Engineer experienced in leading industrial control systems, SCADA, energy management systems (EMS), and critical infrastructure solution strategy development. As an IRCA Certified ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, Tarun has expertly consulted and audited based on the said ISO framework.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

10+ Years

of Experience

Security Compliance Specialist

Anurag is an experienced security professional with a strong background in incident handling and threat hunting based on different attack frameworks. He has expertise in Active Directory and cloud security (Azure), utilizing offensive security tools such as Bloodhound to identify and mitigate threats. He's played a key role in the development and deployment of SOC infrastructure. He's delivered training to different tiers of the SOC team on security best practices, compliance, and the cyber threat landscape.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

8+ Years

of Experience

DevSecOps Engineer

Blessed is a senior information security analyst and engineer with more than 8 years of experience aligning enterprise security architecture, policies, and processes with security standards and frameworks to meet business goals. He specializes in designing and implementing security solutions for enterprise-grade cyberdefense teams and conducting penetration testing. Blessed has also been in red/blue teams, implemented ISO 27001 ISMS, and operated as a security lead in a DevSecOps environment.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

5+ Years

of Experience

Penetration Testing Expert

Anas is an IT security engineer with five years of experience helping organizations secure their SaaS platforms from threat actors. He is an expert in application security, cloud security, penetration testing, and information system compliance, including ISO 27001 and SOC 2. With keen attention to detail and the ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment, Anas outperforms clients' expectations and provides agile and secure solutions to meet their business needs.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

23+ Years

of Experience

Threat Intelligence Analyst

Isra is a cybersecurity architect and threat intelligence lead with over 23 years of experience, specializing in dark web monitoring and an expert in data collection, analysis, framework development, and reporting. A highly skilled cybersecurity professional with a proven track record of success in IT expertise, Isra is also an active participant in ethical hacker events and conferences.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

19+ Years

of Experience

Security Solution Architect

Claudio has 19+ years of software development experience and a cybersecurity degree. He has handled back-end, front-end, and full-stack development, DevSecOps, application security, penetration testing, and solutions architecture. With his combined expertise, Claudio focuses on helping companies by developing and architecting secure and resilient web and mobile applications.

Previously at

Verified Expert in Engineering

13+ Years

of Experience

Threat Analytics Consultant

Mohammad is a seasoned cybersecurity professional who excels in translating cybersecurity into practical business language. He is well-versed in cybersecurity risk management and compliance and experienced with standards such as ISO 27001 and ISO 22301, GDPR, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Previously at

Looking for guidance about the perfect defensive security service for your needs?

Get a Free Consultation Now

Looking for guidance about the perfect defensive security service for your needs?

UNRIVALED EXPERTISE

Our Talent Has Worked With Top Companies

Having previously worked with these leading global companies, our talent brings valuable insights and expertise to deliver world-class outcomes.

Why organizations choose us

Toptal in Action

Discover the cutting-edge benefits our clients enjoy from the global Toptal network.

Toptal delivers world-class security for nonprofit children’s hospital.

Challenge: Nonprofit hospitals often struggle with limited security budgets and bandwidth while processing high volumes of protected healthcare information on a daily basis. In the wake of a breach, a leading US pediatric hospital needed to restructure its security infrastructure. However, budget constraints and inflexible vendors posed major roadblocks.

Solution: Toptal introduced an experienced information security team, including a virtual chief information security officer (vCISO) with decades of experience evaluating and developing security solutions. The Toptal team carried out a thorough analysis of the hospital’s current infrastructure, teams, and procedures.

Outcome: Thanks to the roadmap developed by Toptal’s team, the client now has a strong security presence that will help protect patient data and donor information from future cybersecurity threats. The hospital is better prepared than ever to ensure the safety of sensitive information for years to come.

Toptal Ranked #1 Most Reliable Professional Services Company in America

Newsweek and Statista’s rankings were based on an independent survey of more than 2,400 decision-makers at Fortune 500s.

IBM — Newsweek's Most Reliable Companies in America 2026 ranking. Toptal is ranked #11, the highest-ranked professional services firm.

See the Most Reliable Companies in America

Methodology for the Rankings

How likely the respondent is to recommend the selected company to others.

Measures the convenience of interaction with the company and efficiency of processes.

Measures the company’s cost-effectiveness and quality relative to price.

Measures whether the company consistently meets or exceeds expectations in quality and timeliness of deliverables.

Measures the company’s ability to consistently fulfill commitments and maintain customer trust.

See the Most Reliable Companies in America

OUR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Explore Insights From the Defensive Security Field

Read the latest articles and resources to keep you current on emerging trends in defensive security, threat intelligence, risk management, and more.

3 Cybersecurity Archetypes and How They Affect Risk Priorities and Staffing

Is your organization an Operator, a Builder, or a Governor? A leading figure in the information security industry shares how this knowledge helps CISOs fine-tune their security teams and tactics.

Michael Figueroa

27 Years of Experience

Michael is a seasoned information security leader with experience at the Advanced Cyber Security Center and Toptal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in high-tech crime investigations from George Washington University.

Previously at

Cybersecurity Spotlight: Preparing Your Organization for Deepfake Voice Clone Fraud

Christopher Holloway

Christopher Holloway is Toptal’s Senior Writer for Technology. An award-winning journalist with more than a decade of experience investigating how technology transforms sectors like retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and banking, he has held editorial positions at highly reputed media companies in Latin America, including AmericaEconomia, La Tercera, and Netmedia.