A decade of tech driven, people powered: SEP2 marks ten years of cybersecurity growth

After launching with a mission to redefine cybersecurity services, SEP2’s three founders reflect on the milestone, how the business has changed, and next decade outlook

Today marks ten years in business for SEP2, a milestone that charts its evolution from a start-up focused on service excellence to a fast-growing MSSP with more than 100 employees, major vendor partnerships and an expanding international footprint.

Founded in February 2016, the company onboarded its first 24/7/365 support customer just months later, setting the tone for its services-led approach from the outset.

Within two years, SEP2 had opened its headquarters in Leeds and secured ISO27001 certification, reinforcing its focus on operational maturity and trust in the security market.

Since then, the business has built momentum through public sector supplier status with Crown Commercial Services in 2020, strategic partnerships such as Google Cloud in 2022, and a string of industry accreditations and community initiatives in 2023, including Cyber Essentials Plus, Check Point Elite Partner status, its first SEP2 Cyber School, and membership of the Chartered Institute of Information Security.

Expansion has continued with the launch of services in Ireland in 2024, the first SEP2 Cyber Summit, and a major growth phase in 2025 that saw the company surpass 100 employees, achieve CREST accreditation for its SOC, launch its Agentic SOC, and partner with Wiz to introduce Wingman Cloud Security.

Speaking to CRN, the ambitious trio pictured below celebrating SEP2’s first year in business, founders Mike Goodwin, Tim Ward and Paul Starr, reflect on the past decade.

For co-founder and CEO Paul Starr, the ten-year mark feels both fleeting and monumental.

“Celebrating this ten-year milestone feels like a true paradox of time. On one hand, it seems like only yesterday I was clicking 'register' on Companies House. On the other, the sheer scale of our team (over 100 employees now) and the impact we’ve achieved shows a lifetime of work has unfolded between then and now.”

He adds the company’s definition of success has fundamentally shifted.

“In the early days, our measure of success was simply survival. Today, it’s about sustaining the powerful culture we’ve built and providing a supportive environment for the people who have chosen to build their careers here. I am deeply moved that this initial vision has evolved to belong to everyone: to every employee who has contributed their talent and commitment, and to every client who puts their faith in us.”

Co-founder and director of customer success Tim Ward reflects on how external challenges have shaped the company’s resilience.

“Ten years have flown by. When we founded this business a decade ago, I certainly never imagined we would have to navigate challenges like Brexit, a global pandemic, and a cost-of-living crisis. Yet, not only have we endured, but we've grown into something far greater than I could have envisioned at the start.”

For the third and final founder and director of technical presales, Mike Goodwin, staying true to SEP2’s founding ethos has been central to its growth.

“As the others have said, it certainly feels a bit surreal to think we’re at ten years already. So much has changed, both within the business and in the world at large, but I’m proud to say that throughout these changes we’ve managed to stick to our values. We work with the leading technology providers (the TechDriven), but we are providing and delivering the services (our PeoplePowered). By sticking with that ethos and mentality through and through, we’ve been able to stay true to our mission.”

From participant to industry leader

Starr notes SEP2’s biggest moments weren’t single announcements but the realisation it was shaping the market.

“A massive part of that pride comes from the reputation SEP2 has built. Hearing peers and clients say we are doing great things is incredibly humbling because it validates that we’ve built this on substance, not gimmicks or fluff.

“Looking back, the growth has been beyond my wildest imagination, but seeing the team we’ve fostered and the genuine impact we have on our clients is what makes this decade so special.”

Ward points to physical expansion, industry recognition, and strategic alliances as defining moments.

“Opening our London Bridge Office: This felt like a real statement for SEP2. Now, it holds 25 desks and three meeting rooms and feels quite small, a great indication of our growth.

“Finally I’d mention the relationship between SEP2 and Check Point, culminating in SEP2 becoming one of only five Elite Partners in the UK in 2024 and also winning UK Check Point Partner of the Year.”

For Goodwin, success has been proven repeatedly in customer outcomes.

“Each and every technical win we’ve been involved with stays with me for different reasons. Sometimes it’s working with people we’ve known for years, sometimes it’s displacing some of the bigger named competitors, or securing multi-year renewals with customers that validate they’re getting exactly what they need from us. And of course, seeing all of the great case studies we now have, proving the quality of the services that we deliver and the trust our customers place in us year after year.

“Certainly becoming a Check Point Elite partner is a significant achievement. Being in our fourth year of partnership with Google as part of the Google Cloud Security and SecOps ecosystem, and being one of the leading MSSP partners, is another great source of pride and I am very thankful for all of our #TeamSEP2 colleagues who have worked tirelessly to build and deliver our services.”

People at the heart of the business

Despite the technology-heavy nature of cybersecurity, all three founders point to people as SEP2’s proudest achievement.

“When you start a business, you focus on the numbers, but for me reaching ten years, I realise the real achievement is the lives we’ve impacted for the better,” says Starr.

“Seeing our team members reach their personal milestones, whether that’s buying their first home, growing their families, or hitting a career peak they never thought possible is what makes the hard work worth it.”

Ward highlights the company’s apprenticeship programme as a standout success.

“What I am most proud of at SEP2 is our people. A great example of this is the award-winning SEP2 sales apprenticeship programme.

“So seeing them develop into leading sales people at SEP2 is fantastic.”

Goodwin echoes the sentiment.

“Our people are the most important asset in our business, and being #TechDriven and #PeoplePowered, we have to ensure that the people who power our services are successful.”

Raising the bar in cybersecurity services

From day one, SEP2 was founded to challenge what the founders saw as complacency in the channel.

“When we started SEP2, the problem we wanted to solve was actually quite simple: the lack of genuine value and service in the cybersecurity channel,” Starr explains.

“There is still a massive gap between ‘selling a product’ and ‘providing a service’ and even more so with providing a great service.”

Goodwin adds that specialisation was always core to the model.

“The problem we set out to address was the lack of technically-focused security specialist service providers.

“At SEP2 we don't do wider IT or even networking; we've always been focused on cybersecurity services, and that continues today.”

A rapidly evolving market

The founders agree the industry has transformed dramatically over the past decade.

“Over the last ten years, the cybersecurity market has moved from a state of building walls to managing resilience,” Starr says. “Identity has become the new perimeter.”

He also highlights the growing skills gap, a challenge SEP2 has actively tackled through initiatives like SEP2 Cyber Schools.

Ward notes the cultural shift within the sector: “Well, for a start it was called IT security ten years ago. Then cyber came along and made it sexy to non-technical people. I’d suggest the marketplace has become much more collaborative - people are more open and recognise ‘cybersecurity’ is a team sport.”

Looking to the next decade

As SEP2 enters its second decade, the focus is firmly on agentic security, continued growth, and preserving company culture.

“In a decade’s time, the technology we use will be unrecognisable,” Starr says. “SEP2 will be at the forefront of that.”

“I want us to be ten times the size we are today, yet still a place where every employee feels supported.”

Goodwin has a clear ambition in cloud security.

“I want to be known as Europe’s leading Google SecOps focused MSSP.”

And for Ward, the mission remains unchanged.

“SEP2 will continue to grow, delivering customer excellence with the people on our team leading the charge. As has always been since inception, SEP2 will continue to be Tech Driven. People Powered.”