Virtual Information Security Officer

Achieve your cybersecurity goals in less time. Gain a cybersecurity leader as an extension of your team.

Cybersecurity Leaders are Difficult to Hire and Retain

According to research, the average tenure of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is 2 to 4 years. Many organizations are unable to hire a CISO let alone retain one. Organizations who cannot hire a security leader often prioritize incorrectly, struggle to become risk-aligned, and tend to be more reactive, allowing outside forces (e.g. breaches) to drive cybersecurity. Organizations who can hire a CISO but cannot retain those individuals long-term struggle to retain knowledge, lack consistency, and constantly change their plans. This amount of change can confuse the business and result in poor management of budget and time.

Consider a Virtual ISO

Our Managed Information Security Program or Virtual ISO service is designed to alleviate these challenges. With a Virtual ISO you get a part-time cybersecurity leader who brings a wealth of experience to the table. No longer do you need to worry about the price tag of an in-house ISO or what it will take to retain that highly coveted professional. A Virtual ISO will provide cybersecurity consistency during times of change at your organization and will help you sustain cybersecurity momentum.

Security is an ongoing process and not a one-time project. New threats emerge daily, technology is rapidly changing, and businesses are constantly evolving. The Virtual ISO service is designed to be a flexible ongoing relationship that integrates security into the business so that plans can adapt as the risk environment changes.

Benefits

Gain a cybersecurity leader as an advisor to your existing CISO, CIO, or Board.

Gain a custom prioritized roadmap to meet your cybersecurity and business goals.

Meet compliance requirements, best practices, and business needs.

Learn how to run a security program.

Work with a top-notch consultant.

Identify security blind spots.

Talk to a Cybersecurity Expert About
Your Security Program Needs

Key vISO Activities

  • Strategic Security Planning

    Identifying what priorities to tackle is a key responsibility of your Virtual ISO. There will always be more projects possible than resources available. Likewise, there will always be risk. Your Virtual ISO will assess risk, identify gaps, and build a strategic security plan for the organization to balance cybersecurity risk with business priorities.

  • Compliance Readiness

    Your Virtual ISO will help you determine your compliance scope up-front to avoid wasted time and money. We will walk you through strategies for minimizing your compliance burden. We will help you interpret vague compliance requirements, close compliance gaps, prioritize your efforts, and document evidence. We are experts at compliance and know what the auditors expect. Where possible we design a single control to address compliance requirements from various sources (e.g. HIPAA, PCI, business partner requirements) to avoid duplication of effort. More information on Compliance Readiness can be found here.

  • Cybersecurity Steering Committee Facilitation

    Your Virtual ISO can facilitate cybersecurity governance meetings and develop key metrics to communicate the state of information security. It is best practice to have cybersecurity report periodically to the executive management or a Cybersecurity Steering Committee composed of leaders from across the business. This ensures cybersecurity is not seen as just an IT problem and supports the business effectively.

  • Information Security Policy Development

    Information security policies set the cybersecurity expectations for the organization and are a key foundational component of a cybersecurity program. Without clearly defined and communicated policies, employees can put the organization at greater risk. Your Virtual ISO will assist with developing information security policies and procedures to clearly communicate cybersecurity expectations and inform employees of their role in cybersecurity. Policy development is an ongoing effort as policies should be reviewed periodically and kept updated.

  • Security Awareness

    Security awareness is a critical component of a cybersecurity program. Employees are often the first line of defense for threats such as phishing, unauthorized physical access, and unauthorized information disclosure. Personnel with access to company information resources should receive periodic security awareness. Your Virtual ISO can conduct these security awareness sessions and provide periodic security reminder content for electronic distribution.

Talk to a Cybersecurity Expert About
Your Security Program Needs