Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)
What is the mission of a vCISO?
The vCISO is a highly trained cybersecurity expert contracted by an organization to provide guidance, insight, and direction into its IT security and compliance programs.
The vCISO brings years of cybersecurity experience gained from working with multiple organizations and sectors from across all areas of the economy. Your vCISO learns the technologies you have deployed, and builds partnered relationships with the C-suite, other executives, and the IT staff. The vCISO combines this client knowledge with their industry experience to provide the best cybersecurity advice and build a strategy to deliver protection, governance, compliance, reporting, and a roadmap for guiding the cybersecurity posture of your organization.
A vCISO becomes a trusted member of each organization's management team and helps them deliver the core cybersecurity protection that is needed. In conjunction with providing technical expertise, the vCISO also ensures that administrative and managerial requirements are met and maintained as required for company or regulatory requirements.
The average CISO costs over $200,000 a year, according to Salary.com. Even though every startup and SMB would do well by having a CISO on their payroll, it is not possible for most of them due to the investment expense. On the other hand, vCISOs allow organizations to avoid the overhead of a full-time employee by only paying for specific key functions.
Core Benefits of Leveraging a vCISO
Cybersecurity Expertise and Guidance
A vCISO brings top-tier expertise and cybersecurity guidance to companies who do not have an on-site executive. A vCISO assists organizations in developing and executing strategic protections against threats.
Scalable and Flexible
A vCISO provides scalability and flexibility with respect to diverse organizational structures. vCISOs provide support during critical periods, offer long-term strategic guidance, or assist with ongoing projects, adapting their expertise to the organization’s core needs.
Practical & Effective
High stress and burnout have been identified as primary reasons that a CISOs tenure at an organization is approximately only two years. This prevents long-term sustainability for this key role within an organization. Constant attrition and recruitment of a top-tier high expense role can be detrimental. When we contrast this with a virtual CISO, who is much less likely to part ways with their client, the stability, economics, and reliability gained when leveraging a vCISO is apparent.
Specialized Cybersecurity Resources
As Cybersecurity specialists with a wealth of expertise, virtual CISOs typically have access to a range of tools and resources that are needed to administer and manage a strategic cybersecurity program. Organizations then benefit from the latest knowledge and practices, without having to start from scratch.
Objective Vantage Points
A vCISO brings a unique and objective perspective to an organization, making it easier to identify potential vulnerabilities and offer new insights.
