Chief information security officers are expensive and, candidly, most mid-size organizations can’t justify having one as a full-time executive. As vital as it is, hiring a CISO is a huge challenge for every industry. They’re in high demand but short supply, and they command a significant salary. At the same time, most businesses need the expertise a CISO brings to the table, not the 40 hours a week that come with a full-time position.

Enter the virtual chief information security officer (vCISO). A vCISO’s “fractional ownership” model gives you part-time access to senior executive cybersecurity leadership and risk management capabilities. In other words, the CISO position is filled on a part-time basis by a consultant, and this person commits to providing strategic cybersecurity direction and helping organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture.

Whether it’s addressing vendor due diligence requests, responding to a security incident or enhancing your information security program, your vCISO provides both the oversight and ongoing assistance your organization needs. If you have a regulatory requirement to hire a CISO, the vCISO can fill that requirement.

Next steps

  • Engage a specialist provider of vCISO services: Work with a firm that has the resources and experience necessary to provide executive-level oversight for strategic cybersecurity issues. Whether you need to meet industry-specific cybersecurity requirements to move into a new market and drive growth, or restore customer confidence after a cybersecurity breach, you need someone who’s “been there and done that” to set your course.
  • Set priorities and cybersecurity program objectives: Your vCISO needs to interact at the executive level and understand your business objectives. This is critical to aligning the cybersecurity program to support your business growth.
  • Dedicate resources to do the work: By definition and structure, the vCISO isn’t a doing role. It’s oversight and strategic direction for your cybersecurity program. The vCISO will structure initiatives, track progress and clear roadblocks on initiatives. You’ll need to dedicate staff time to doing the work and making progress on the cybersecurity initiatives.
  • Ensure vCISO agenda time at executive and board meetings: It’s important that you view the vCISO as an extension of your executive team. The vCISO will be presenting progress and key performance indicators about your cybersecurity program effectiveness, and may be escalating issues to the rest of the C-suite. Without interaction and support of the executive team, the vCISO won’t be effective driving the change you need in your cybersecurity program.