Virtual CISO offer on-demand security expertise to help you address business needs. They can be a cost-effective alternative to full-time chief information security officers.
They can also provide an interim solution for organizations that have an existing CISO who is leaving the company for other reasons. A temporary vCISO can help your organization get the cybersecurity it needs in place without disrupting its current policies or protocols.
Experience
A virtual CISO is a security expert who provides information security support to an organization on a part-time or remote basis. They work with organizations to establish cybersecurity strategies that align with their business objectives and reduce cyber risk.
Often, organizations don’t have the resources to hire and train a full-time CISO. They may need immediate assistance and a neutral outsider to help them establish and execute an effective cybersecurity program.
Hiring a Virtual CISO can be a great option for organizations that need to quickly and efficiently build a robust security strategy or establish a strategic foundation for their IT operations. The experience and leadership insight provided by a virtual CISO can be a significant asset to an organization.
In addition to providing strategic leadership, Virtual CISOs also work with businesses to develop security best practices and implement security protocols that will protect their business data. They can also provide guidance on how to comply with security regulations and standards such as SOC 1, SOC 2, and HITRUST audits.
The virtual CISO role is ideal for many types of organizations, including small and mid-sized organizations that don’t have the budget or capacity to hire a full-time CISO. For example, a small contractor with five employees might need a virtual CISO to help them implement an effective information security strategy that meets the latest industry standards and helps them meet their regulatory compliance requirements.
While vCISOs are a great option for organizations of all sizes, they’re especially useful for new organizational startups and launches. Their expertise will set a cybersecurity foundation that will streamline day-to-day IT operations for years to come.
Higher education institutions are another common place where organizations utilize a virtual CISO. Generally, this is due to the tight deadlines and lack of time that institutions have for dealing with IT security issues.
Having worked for universities and colleges of all sizes, a vCISO has the experience necessary to design a strong cybersecurity strategy that will benefit the institution for years to come. This experience includes designing a secure environment for sensitive student, faculty, and alumni information and technology systems as well as ensuring that these systems are compliant with state and federal laws.
Virtual CISO Expertise
A Virtual CISO has the same experience and qualifications as a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at a fraction of the cost. These outsourced infosec executives can work on a part-time or consulting basis to help companies strengthen their cybersecurity defenses.
VCISOs often have extensive experience working with a wide range of organizations, from small businesses to large corporations. This gives them a breadth of knowledge that can be invaluable for any organization looking to implement a strong cybersecurity program.
They also have a lot of expertise in the realm of regulatory compliance. They can assess your company’s cybersecurity posture and develop a plan to ensure that it meets the requirements of any industry or geographical regulations. This can save you thousands of dollars in noncompliance fees that are associated with not meeting these regulations, as well as prevent any data breaches that would leave your customers, clients or business partners vulnerable to identity theft and other financial damage.
These types of cybersecurity experts highly sought after by businesses across industries, especially those that need to comply with any number of cyber security regulations or that want to protect their clients’ data and reputations. They are also helpful for those who want to get their IT departments on the right track with information security best practices and cyber resilience.
Virtual CISOs can be on board as quickly as you need them, avoiding lengthy recruitment processes that can cause delays in getting the resources your company needs. They can start providing critical cybersecurity support as soon as they brought on board and will be able to ramp up their work quickly.
They can also provide additional cybersecurity expertise for larger organizations that have a full-time CISO on staff but overworked and inundated with tasks. In addition, they can take on some of the workload when the CISO is on leave or has to deal with other pressing matters that are distracting from their responsibilities as a CISO.
The most obvious reason that a Virtual CISO is in demand is because they can provide the same level of strategic leadership and expertise that you’d receive from a full-time CISO, at a much lower price tag. However, there are also several other reasons why a Virtual CISO can be beneficial for your organization.
Flexibility
Virtual CISOs are a great option for any business that needs cybersecurity leadership. They are scalable, flexible, and cost-effective. Moreover, they are also a valuable resource for businesses that aren’t able to hire a permanent CISO on full-time staff.
They can hire on a retainer basis, for short-term projects or blocks of time, or for a long-term contract. This flexibility allows them to work with companies of all sizes and industries, from startups to large corporations.
These vCISOs have a wide range of expertise, including security policies and procedures, training and awareness, vendor risk assessments, code reviews, vulnerability scanning, and security penetration testing. They can even help develop a company’s overall security program, which will reduce the likelihood of a data breach or other cybersecurity incident.
In addition to their expertise, these vCISOs can help organizations navigate cybersecurity insurance requirements. Many insurance policies are complex, and a lot of IT teams struggle to understand their terms and conditions.
Some vCISOs can also help companies establish security best practices and policy guidelines that align with industry standards, such as password management, data protection, and access control. Developing these policies and guidelines will ensure that a company’s systems protected from malware, ransomware, and other threats.
Other tasks a vCISO can perform include reviewing IT security policy, establishing change control processes, and creating a response plan if a business experiences a security event. These tasks can help businesses comply with a variety of security standards, including PCI DSS, SOC 2, and ISO 27001, and can also improve the efficiency of IT operations.
As a result of their broad skill set, these vCISOs can be a vital asset to any organization. They can bring on to address specific risk and compliance issues, to prep for an IPO or acquisition, or to provide support during a crisis.
When deciding on a vCISO, organizational leaders should be sure to ask specific questions that will allow them to determine whether or not the consultant is right for their business. These questions will also help them determine the best way to structure their engagement.
Virtual CISO Cost
Hiring and retaining a traditional CISO can be costly, especially for small- and medium-sized organizations. In addition to a high salary, hiring an in-house CISO requires a significant staffing investment and a commitment of time and resources to build up their skill set.
If a company cannot afford to hire a CISO, utilizing a Virtual CISO is the next best option. These professionals are able to provide the same level of expertise as an in-house CISO for a much lower price.
Many vCISOs offer a variety of services including security strategy, governance, reporting, compliance management and future planning at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. This can be especially helpful for companies who are struggling to keep up with their cyber security needs.
Another benefit of using a vCISO is the ability to scale their services as needed, giving an organization the freedom to fill in gaps when they need. They can hire on a project basis for a short-term tactical need, bought as a block of time, or even signed on as a permanent employee.
The cost of a Virtual CISO will vary depending on a number of factors. These include overall information security program maturity, a vCISO’s experience with the specific security challenges you face, and their availability to work with your team.
Choosing a vCISO who has extensive experience with the specific security challenges you’re facing will give you the peace of mind that they will be able to help your business get back on track with its cybersecurity efforts. For example, if your organization deals with customer data that collected across several different jurisdictions, a virtual CISO who has expertise in the handling of this data will be able to advise you on how to best secure your organization against data breaches and legal liabilities.
A vCISO who has extensive experience with specific technology systems that your organization uses can also be very beneficial. This can save your organization a lot of time, money and stress.
A Virtual CISO can also be a great way to ensure that critical functions of compliance, governance and risk management continue if the company were to lose a key staff member or executive. This can be particularly important for organizations that have high-profile or highly regulated programs or initiatives, like healthcare or financial services.
Recommended readings:
- Managed Security Services
- 5 Ways That Security Is Defined
- Virtual University of Pakistan
- Dawood University of Engineering and Technology Karachi
