Hiring a cyber security leader is, in some cases, a financial burden most organizations can’t bear. Research shows that a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) can cost upto $300,000 per year on average. However, with the surge in cyber threats, as stated in a report by IBM, the need to stay ahead of these threats is paramount. This is where a virtual CISO comes in.
A vCISO is an outsourced cybersecurity expert providing security leadership on a fractional or flexible basis. They offer the same level of expertise as a full-time CISO, but at a lower cost, hence eliminating the need of an in house CISO.
If you need senior security leadership without hiring a full-time executive, our Virtual CISO page explains how a vCISO helps set priorities, guide strategy, and keep accountability moving—month after month.
Learn more about Virtual CISO services: https://www.ashersecurity.com/virtual-ciso/
But without the leadership of a CISO, how do you know what the vCISO should do?
Read on…
What do a vCISO do?
It’s important to note before covering what they do, that the type of people in this role of serving as a vCISO is self-driven, self-starters, and already took the risk of serving other companies with their passion and abilities instead of accepting a role they could have become ‘comfortable’ in. So, there is very little risk that you’ll be disappointed by what they do.
- Assess
After a qualification process, and initial preparations, a vCISO will usually start an engagement with some type of risk assessment. The assessment will be dependent on the current cybersecurity maturity of the organization they are serving, combined with the specific (if any) goals of the organization. This risk assessment is usually performed by them and done in a quantitative approach to show impact and likelihood. The results are reviewed and agreed upon, or updated, in conjunction with the leadership team so that the risk is accepted and understood across the business.
- Risk posture and risk prioritization
Next, the results will be used to identify risk posture and risk prioritization. Focusing on the highest risks, and focusing on the greatest returns per effort. These will be prepared in a road-map and project plan with timelines and goals.
Sometimes this will be complemented by a skills assessment to determine which efforts can be undertaken internally within the organization with the current labor force, and which initiatives will require outside support.
Efforts that require outside labor support (people), or require improvement in security capabilities (technology) will be scoped. A vendor review process is initiated and preliminary budget numbers and timelines are collected and reviewed.
- Alignment to regulatory and compliance requirements
In parallel, the maturity of the cybersecurity program is reviewed for alignment to regulatory and compliance requirements and alignment of an industry-accepted cybersecurity framework model.
Opportunities for process improvements are reviewed and candidates are elected for focus on improvements.
Ownership of technologies and processes are identified, documented and trained. And then cross-training, documentation, and long-term support efforts are reviewed and implemented.
In addition, strategic metrics are collected. These metrics serve as measurements of risk and success or failure of initiatives. They are ideally used to help measure the reduction of risk over time. Sometimes budget numbers can be used in addition to risk metrics to show the cost of the cybersecurity program over time and support the reduction of cost.
Asher Security Solutions
Asher Security can remove the stress of securing your business with our Virtual CISO Service.
We provide:
- A true gauge on your unique risk measured by an industry expert.
- A road map that is aligned with industry standards.
- Reports and metrics showing the ongoing quantitative improvement of your security program.
- A trusted partnership that can support you and your business.
Asher Security virtual CISO offer a wide range of cybersecurity services delivered by professionals with decades of on ground and hands-on experience in defending the most critical, and complex environments in the cyber world.
So, whether you’re looking for incident response playbooks , cybersecurity assessment or Audit and Logging, we are here.
Looking to ensure your business is protect from cyber threats? Schedule a 30 minutes, no obligation, security consultation with our experts.
Common Frequently Asked Questions About a Virtual CISO
What does a virtual CISO do?
A virtual CISO helps a company build and guide its cybersecurity program without hiring a full-time executive. That usually includes risk visibility, security planning, policy guidance, leadership input, and clearer decision-making around priorities.
How is a virtual CISO different from a full-time CISO?
A virtual CISO gives you experienced security leadership on a fractional basis. That makes sense for companies that need strategy, oversight, and structure but are not ready for a full-time executive hire.
When should a company hire a virtual CISO?
A company should consider a virtual CISO when it has growing compliance pressure, customer security demands, vendor risk concerns, cyber insurance requirements, or no senior security leader setting direction.
What kinds of deliverables should I expect from a virtual CISO?
Typical deliverables include a clearer risk picture, a prioritized roadmap, policy and governance guidance, executive reporting, and support for incident planning and vendor oversight.
Is a virtual CISO only for large companies?
No. A virtual CISO is often a practical fit for mid-size and growing businesses that need experienced leadership but do not need or cannot justify a full-time CISO.
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