The Forrester Wave™: Information Security And IT Risk Consulting, Q1 2009

In Forrester's 72-criteria evaluation of information security and IT risk consulting service providers, we found that Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) lead the pack because of their superior understanding of business requirements coupled with their deep technical skills. Accenture stands out as a very competent security consulting provider and could pose a significant challenge to the current front-runners. Ernst & Young (E&Y) has vast experience in taking a business view for developing security and IT risk solutions. Wipro Technologies, VeriSign, and IBM offer competitive services but typically excel in niche integration or managed services areas. BT Global Services leads the telcos with superior current offerings while Verizon Business exhibits a slightly better strategy. AT&T still needs to expand its current capabilities and develop a more comprehensive strategy, while T-Systems remains a regional player at best. BearingPoint offers strong public sector capabilities, but clients should invest in due diligence as the company goes through its financial restructuring. Protiviti and Crowe Horwath have smaller practices and offer a viable alternative to the large accounting companies.