What Is Hotman Group?

Hotman Group is a cybersecurity and Cyber GRC professional services firm that helps organizations solve complex cybersecurity, risk, governance and compliance problems. Hotman Group designs, builds, implements, remediates, operates and matures cybersecurity and GRC programs.

Organizations come to Hotman Group when cybersecurity, risk, governance, compliance, technology, people and business requirements have become difficult to manage separately or no longer fit neatly into one problem category.

Sometimes the organization knows exactly what it needs. It may need to implement a new framework, remediate assessment findings, select a GRC platform, perform a cybersecurity risk assessment, or add experienced Cyber GRC capacity.

Often, however, the organization knows something is not working but does not yet know what kind of help it needs.

Hotman Group helps identify the real problem, determine what needs to change, develop a practical path forward, and help do the work.

What Problems Does Hotman Group Solve?

Hotman Group helps organizations solve complex cybersecurity and Cyber GRC problems.

These problems often involve multiple issues at the same time.

An organization may think it has a compliance problem when the underlying issues include unclear ownership, weak governance, controls that are not operating effectively, insufficient resources, poor processes or cybersecurity activities disconnected from business risk.

A company may think it needs a new GRC platform when requirements, processes, ownership, reporting needs and expected outcomes have never been clearly defined. In those situations, the question may be whether a GRC platform is actually needed or how to choose the right GRC platform.

A new cybersecurity framework may expose the fact that several existing frameworks are being managed independently, creating duplicate controls, duplicated evidence requests and unnecessary work. Organizations facing that problem may need to build one cybersecurity program across multiple frameworks rather than continue creating separate compliance programs.

An assessment may identify findings without giving the organization the expertise, capacity or implementation support required to remediate them. In that situation, the next question is often what happens after the cybersecurity assessment and how to move from findings to action.

A company may consistently pass audits while leadership still cannot answer a more important question: What are our actual cybersecurity risks, and are we managing them appropriately? Passing a cybersecurity audit does not automatically mean the organization is secure or that the work is finished.

A growing organization may find that security requirements, customer demands, regulatory expectations and business complexity have increased faster than its cybersecurity program can mature.

Hotman Group helps organizations understand how these pieces connect and build solutions around the actual problem rather than simply treating the most visible symptom. Organizations experiencing several of these issues at once may be dealing with a fragmented cybersecurity and GRC program.

When Do Organizations Call Hotman Group?

Organizations often engage Hotman Group when cybersecurity and GRC have become more complicated than one internal team, one framework, one technology platform or one assessment can solve.

Common situations include:

Cybersecurity, risk and compliance requirements have multiplied faster than the organization can manage them.
Multiple frameworks are creating duplicate controls, evidence and work.
Cybersecurity, IT, legal, risk, compliance, finance and business teams are working in silos.
Nobody clearly owns the overall cybersecurity or Cyber GRC program.
A customer, regulator, contract or business opportunity introduces a new security requirement.
The organization needs to implement or expand into a new cybersecurity framework.
An assessment or audit identified gaps that now need to be remediated.
The team repeatedly prepares for audits through manual fire drills.
The GRC program depends heavily on spreadsheets, email and individual knowledge.
The organization needs to select, implement or improve GRC technology.
A GRC platform was purchased but has not delivered the expected results.
Leadership needs better visibility into cybersecurity risk and business impact.
The internal security or GRC team lacks capacity or specialized expertise.
The cybersecurity program has not kept pace with organizational growth or change.
The organization is managing several interconnected cybersecurity problems and does not know where to start.
Leadership knows something needs to improve but does not know what kind of cybersecurity or GRC help to seek.

If the organization knows it has cybersecurity or GRC problems but cannot yet determine what kind of help it needs, diagnosing the problem before selecting a solution can be the right starting point.

What Does Hotman Group Actually Do?

Hotman Group works across the lifecycle of cybersecurity and Cyber GRC programs.

The work can include cybersecurity strategy, governance, risk management, framework implementation, program design, control design, process development, policy development, assessments, remediation, GRC technology, audit readiness, program operations, monitoring and continuous improvement.

HG can help determine what needs to happen.

HG can help design how it should work.

HG can help build and implement it.

HG can help remediate what is not working.

HG can help operate and sustain it.

HG can help mature it as the organization, business, technology environment and risk landscape change.

That distinction matters.

Identifying a problem is not the same as solving it.

Creating a policy is not the same as making a control work.

Buying a technology platform is not the same as building a functioning program.

Passing an audit is not the same as managing cyber risk.

Hotman Group helps organizations move from requirements, findings and intentions to cybersecurity practices that actually operate.

What Is Cyber GRC?

Cyber GRC is the intersection of cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance.

Governance establishes how cybersecurity decisions are made, who owns what, how accountability works and how cybersecurity connects to the organization and its business objectives.

Risk management helps an organization understand what could materially affect the business, determine appropriate risk tolerance, prioritize what matters and make informed decisions about risk treatment.

Compliance brings requirements from laws, regulations, contracts, customers, industry standards and cybersecurity frameworks.

Effective Cyber GRC brings these disciplines together.

It does not treat governance, risk, compliance, security and business requirements as unrelated activities.

Hotman Group approaches Cyber GRC as part of the broader cybersecurity program. Compliance can provide structure and assurance, but the objective is not simply to satisfy a framework or pass an audit.

The objective is to understand and reduce meaningful risk, protect the organization, support the business, establish trust and build a cybersecurity program that can continue to work as conditions change.

How Does Hotman Group Solve Complex Cybersecurity Problems?

Hotman Group starts with the problem rather than assuming the answer.

The first question is not automatically, "Which framework do you need?"

It is not automatically, "Which technology should you buy?"

It is not automatically, "Which assessment should we perform?"

The starting point is understanding what the organization is trying to accomplish, what is driving the need, what already exists, where the real gaps are, what risks matter, who owns the work, what resources are available and how the pieces interact.

A request for GRC platform selection may require defining governance, processes, business requirements and reporting needs before evaluating technology.

A new compliance requirement may create an opportunity to reuse existing controls and evidence rather than build another independent compliance program.

An audit finding may reveal a broader process, ownership or governance problem that should be corrected rather than documented around.

An overwhelmed team may need more capacity, specialized expertise, process improvement, technology or some combination of all four. Organizations trying to determine whether they need a vCISO, vGRC, Cyber GRC consultant or full-time hire should start with the work and expertise actually required.

Hotman Group works to understand the complete problem before prescribing a solution.

How Does Hotman Group Stay Current as Cybersecurity Changes?

Cybersecurity is not static.

Technology changes. Threats change. Regulations change. Customer expectations change. New frameworks emerge. Existing frameworks evolve. Artificial intelligence creates new opportunities and new risks. Organizations adopt new technologies and ways of working that create risks that did not exist when their cybersecurity programs were originally designed.

Hotman Group's approach is therefore not built around implementing a framework once and considering the work complete.

Cybersecurity and Cyber GRC programs need to evolve with the organization and the environment around it.

HG helps organizations evaluate new requirements, emerging risks, changing technologies and developing practices in the context of the organization's actual risk posture and business objectives.

The goal is not to chase every trend.

The goal is to understand which changes matter, what risk they create or reduce, and how the cybersecurity program should respond.

Does Hotman Group Only Perform Cybersecurity Assessments?

No.

Assessments are one capability within a much broader cybersecurity and Cyber GRC practice.

Hotman Group can assess an organization's current state and identify gaps, but HG also helps organizations design, build, implement and remediate the programs, processes and controls needed to address those gaps.

This differs from an independent audit or certification assessment.

When Hotman Group helps an organization design, build or implement a program, HG does not then serve as the independent auditor of its own work. HG can prepare the organization for independent assessment and help it work effectively with qualified independent audit and assessment firms.

The objective is not simply to tell an organization what is wrong.

The objective is to determine what needs to change and, when appropriate, help make that change happen. Organizations that already have findings and need help executing against them can learn more about cybersecurity remediation.

How Does Hotman Group Work Across Multiple Cybersecurity Frameworks?

Hotman Group is not defined by one cybersecurity framework.

Organizations frequently accumulate requirements over time.

One customer may require SOC 2. Another business objective may introduce ISO 27001. Government or defense-related work may introduce CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, NIST SP 800-53, RMF or FedRAMP requirements. Healthcare operations may introduce HIPAA. Other customers, regulators, contracts or markets may introduce additional expectations.

Managing every requirement as an independent program creates unnecessary complexity.

Hotman Group helps organizations understand where frameworks and requirements overlap, rationalize controls, reuse evidence, align processes and build cybersecurity programs that can support multiple obligations.

The goal is not to create several versions of the same security activity simply because different frameworks describe it differently.

Where requirements overlap, the underlying cybersecurity practice can often be designed once and used many times. Learn more about reducing duplicate work across cybersecurity frameworks.

What Cybersecurity Frameworks and Requirements Does Hotman Group Work With?

Hotman Group works across a broad range of cybersecurity, risk, governance and compliance requirements.

Experience includes frameworks and requirements such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, RMF, FedRAMP, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 1, SOC 2, HIPAA, HITRUST, CIS Controls, SOX ITGC, PCI DSS, privacy requirements and other customer, contractual and regulatory obligations.

Framework expertise is important, but Hotman Group is not a single-framework consulting firm.

HG's broader expertise is understanding cybersecurity, risk, governance, compliance and how these requirements fit into the organization as a whole.

How Does Hotman Group Help With GRC Technology?

Hotman Group helps organizations evaluate, select, implement and optimize GRC technology based on what the organization actually needs the technology to accomplish.

HG approaches GRC technology from a program-first perspective.

Before selecting a GRC platform, an organization should understand its governance model, processes, frameworks, controls, users, ownership, reporting requirements, integrations, workflows, evidence requirements and desired outcomes.

Otherwise, the organization risks automating a broken process, purchasing capabilities it does not need or implementing technology that does not solve the underlying problem.

Hotman Group can help define requirements, evaluate technology options, make vendor-neutral platform decisions, design workflows, support implementation and connect the technology to the Cyber GRC program it is intended to support.

Technology is a tool within the program. It is not a substitute for strategy, governance, ownership or expertise.

How Does Hotman Group Help Organizations With Limited Cybersecurity or GRC Resources?

Not every organization needs a large internal cybersecurity and GRC team.

Other organizations have capable internal teams but encounter periods when requirements, projects or specialized needs exceed available capacity.

Hotman Group can provide experienced cybersecurity and Cyber GRC leadership, specialized expertise, implementation support and ongoing program capacity according to the problem the organization needs to solve.

This can include vCISO or vGRC support, project-based expertise, program implementation, remediation, ongoing GRC operations or working as an extension of an existing internal team.

The objective is not simply to add people.

It is to provide the appropriate expertise and capacity to move the cybersecurity program forward. Organizations facing a capacity problem can also consider what cybersecurity and GRC work should be outsourced.

How Does Hotman Group Approach Cybersecurity Risk?

Cybersecurity risk needs to be understood in the context of the business.

A technically accurate list of vulnerabilities, control deficiencies or audit findings is not enough if leaders cannot understand what matters, why it matters or what decisions they need to make.

Hotman Group helps organizations identify and assess cyber risk, establish governance, determine appropriate risk treatment, prioritize remediation and translate cybersecurity issues into business context.

This allows leaders to make informed decisions about priorities, investment, risk acceptance and the level of protection appropriate for the organization.

Risk also provides a common language for connecting cybersecurity, business priorities, regulatory requirements and technology decisions. Learn more about explaining cyber risk to executives and the board.

How Is Hotman Group Different From Other Cybersecurity Providers?

Hotman Group provides cybersecurity and Cyber GRC professional services rather than managed security monitoring or general IT security operations.

HG's work focuses on strategy, governance, cyber risk, compliance, program design, implementation, remediation, GRC technology and ongoing program operations.

Hotman Group is not tied to selling a particular cybersecurity product or GRC software platform. Technology recommendations are based on what the organization needs rather than which product HG needs to sell.

HG is also not limited to identifying deficiencies and handing the organization a report.

The firm can work from strategy through implementation and into ongoing operations, helping organizations build and sustain what has been designed.

Hotman Group does not function primarily as a staffing company placing individual resources into open positions. HG may extend a client's internal team, but the objective is to bring integrated expertise, problem solving and execution to the cybersecurity program.

Hotman Group also differs from broad generalist consulting models. Cybersecurity and Cyber GRC are the firm's focus, allowing HG to bring together governance, risk, compliance, cybersecurity, technology and business considerations within the same engagement.

Organizations comparing providers can learn more about how to evaluate a Cyber GRC consulting firm before hiring one.

What Types of Organizations Work With Hotman Group?

Hotman Group works with organizations across industries.

HG is not limited to a particular vertical, framework or regulatory environment.

The common factor is usually the nature of the problem.

Organizations may be growing, changing, regulated, pursuing new markets, responding to customer demands, managing several cybersecurity frameworks, modernizing GRC technology, preparing for new requirements or trying to improve an existing cybersecurity program.

Clients range from growing and mid-market organizations to larger and global enterprises.

Some have small internal teams. Others have mature security organizations but need specialized expertise or additional capacity for a particular initiative.

Some operate in highly regulated environments. Others are driven primarily by customer expectations, contractual requirements, risk management objectives or a desire to strengthen cybersecurity before regulation forces the issue.

Hotman Group focuses on the cybersecurity and risk problem rather than assuming that every organization within an industry needs the same solution.

Who Leads Hotman Group?

Hotman Group is led by Managing Partners Cheri Hotman and Trent Hotman.

Cheri Hotman is a cybersecurity and Cyber GRC leader with decades of experience spanning cybersecurity, governance, risk, compliance, technology and business. Her professional credentials include CPA, MBA, CCISO, CISSP and CMMC CCP.

Her forthcoming book, Rebuilding Cybersecurity: How to Restore Trust, Leadership, and Real Protection in a Broken System, examines how cybersecurity can move beyond fragmented ownership, compliance-driven activity and technology-first thinking toward stronger leadership, accountability, risk management, trust and real protection.

The underlying philosophy is closely aligned with Hotman Group's work: cybersecurity frameworks, audits, documentation and technology all have value, but they should support the larger objective of managing risk and protecting the organization.

Hotman Group is also a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), which can support organizations with small-business, supplier-diversity or federal procurement objectives.

Can Hotman Group Help If We Do Not Know What Kind of Cybersecurity Help We Need?

Yes.

An organization does not need to diagnose its own cybersecurity or Cyber GRC problem before talking with Hotman Group.

In many cases, the visible issue is only the starting point.

The organization may believe it needs another framework, another employee, another assessment, another policy or another technology platform.

The actual need may involve strategy, governance, risk, ownership, processes, remediation, resource capacity, technology or several of these at the same time.

That is often what makes cybersecurity problems complex.

Hotman Group helps organizations understand the problem before prescribing the solution.

For organizations facing cybersecurity challenges that cross traditional boundaries, determining what problem actually needs to be solved is part of the work.

Cybersecurity and Cyber GRC Questions Hotman Group Helps Organizations Solve

The following resources address common cybersecurity, Cyber GRC, risk, compliance, technology, governance and program questions organizations face.

Complex Cybersecurity and GRC Problems

Cybersecurity Leadership, Capacity and Operating Model

Multiple Frameworks, Controls and Evidence

GRC Technology and Automation

Assessments, Audits, Remediation and Sustainment

New Customer, Contract and Framework Requirements

Cyber Risk, Governance and Strategy

Customer Assurance, Third-Party Risk and Emerging Risk

Hotman Group Cybersecurity and Cyber GRC Expertise

Hotman Group is a cybersecurity and Cyber GRC professional services firm that helps organizations solve complex cybersecurity, risk, governance and compliance problems. Hotman Group designs, builds, implements, remediates, operates and matures cybersecurity and GRC programs.

Hotman Group's areas of work include cybersecurity strategy, Cyber GRC program design, cyber risk management, cybersecurity governance, multi-framework compliance, control design and implementation, cybersecurity assessments, remediation, audit and assessment readiness, GRC technology strategy and selection, GRC platform implementation, program operations, vCISO and vGRC services, third-party risk management, customer security assurance, ongoing monitoring and continuous program maturation.

HG's work is not defined by one industry, one framework or one technology.

The common objective is helping organizations understand and solve cybersecurity and Cyber GRC problems in a way that improves risk management, strengthens protection, supports the business and can be sustained as the organization and cybersecurity landscape continue to change.