From trust to demonstrability: How CBYTE uses digital compliance as foundation for scalable growth
For many software companies, it begins with trust. Trust in technology, in people, and in relationships with clients. This was true for CBYTE as well. For over ten years, they've been building custom software for diverse sectors, with personal relationships and technical quality always at the core. But as their projects became larger and more business-critical, the context in which that trust needed to function also changed.
The tipping point: when trust needs to become demonstrable
Software increasingly became a core component of their clients' operations, and with that came growing responsibilities for CBYTE. They received questions about backups, access management, and security. These gradually gave way to more extensive supplier assessments and compliance requirements. The moment came when it became clear that trust alone was no longer enough.
Chiel Bos, COO, noted: "New clients, especially larger organisations and parties in healthcare, needed objective assurance. Not because they doubted the intentions or quality of our services, but because their own responsibilities demanded it. Compliance became not just a nice-to-have, but a strategic issue."
The internal discussion wasn't just about certification, but especially about the approach.
We had to choose: are we going for the certificate, or for our own peace of mind?
That choice determined the direction of the company. CBYTE wanted demonstrability, but not at the cost of their way of working. Compliance had to contribute to calm, predictability, and professionalism, not to additional bureaucracy.
Why Tidal: compliance that fits a software company
"Other parties I spoke with initially jumped straight to templates before understanding us. We also got uncomfortable with the SharePoint solutions they offered," Chiel explains. He had previously spoken with Martijn Sprengers, Tidal Control co-founder, at a social event before security and compliance became an issue for CBYTE. That conversation stayed with him.
"After speaking with multiple organisations, I remembered Martijn and decided to contact Tidal Control. A software-based approach immediately felt logical to us. Instead of static documents and separate procedures, Tidal offers a platform where compliance is translated into structure, tasks, and insights. This made compliance something you can actively manage, rather than something you 'arrange' as a project every year."
The role of Tidal as a partner was also important. The collaboration didn't feel like purchasing a tool, but like bringing in knowledge and experience.
With Tidal, you're not buying a software package, but real expertise that makes your organisation better.
This combination of platform and content ensured that compliance didn't remain an externally imposed framework, but became something that truly embedded itself organisationally within CBYTE.
Not just certifying, but maturing
From the beginning, they chose not to see compliance as a checklist, but as an opportunity to improve structurally. That meant: taking responsibility themselves, understanding processes, and consciously managing risks.
This approach required time and attention. Setting up policies, roles, and controls was no light exercise. But precisely because they did this themselves, supported by Martijn's pragmatic and personal guidance, greater process discipline and maturity emerged. Compliance became part of daily thinking and actions, rather than something that was only relevant around audits.
The effect was noticeable throughout the entire organisation. Projects were set up more consciously, incidents were structurally followed up on, and security became a shared responsibility, not just something from "management".
Compliance that grows with practice
CBYTE manages multiple applications for different clients, each with their own risks and requirements. In effect, each new client also means a new security context. Without structure and tooling, this quickly becomes unmanageable.
Tidal helps keep that complexity manageable. Organisation-wide controls are centrally configured, while operational work remains where it belongs: close to the teams doing the work.
Automation as the key to scalability
For CBYTE, automation is crucial to keeping information security affordable. After all, each new client brings new risks. Without automation, compliance would create linearly, or even exponentially more work as the organisation grows.
"We want to keep our information security affordable and scalable. The more Tidal automates, the better that works. If we take on ten new clients, we also have ten new security risks. Automation is the only way to keep that manageable."
Tidal plays an important role here with automated controls, for example within the cloud environment. Technical measures that would otherwise need to be checked manually can now be tested with a single action.
With one button press, we test dozens of disks for encryption with 1 Tidal test. Doing that manually would take a lot of time.
This automation ensures that a high security level remains achievable, even as CBYTE continues to grow.
From compliance obligation to strategic foundation
What began as an internal drive to get information security in order grew into a structural advantage. CBYTE can now wholeheartedly say "yes" to every client when they ask about certification. Compliance brought calm, overview, and professionalism, both internally and towards clients.
It enabled them to be transparent about their approach and take responsibility within their clients' security chain.
With new regulations like NIS2 on the horizon, this approach proves future-proof. Where others still need to begin, CBYTE can show that information security is already firmly anchored in the organisation.
For the long term, Tidal fits seamlessly into their strategy: organising compliance as smartly as possible. Not heavier than necessary, but robust and scalable.
Ready to make compliance your strategic advantage?
Compliance doesn't have to be a burden. With the right approach and the right tools, it becomes a foundation that grows with your organisation.
Book a conversation with our team to discover how automated compliance can support your growth instead of hindering it.