vCISO - Virtual Chief Information Security Officer
A full-time CISO costs $150,000 - $250,000 annually. vCISO gives you the same expertise for a fraction of the price. You get strategy, policy oversight, board reporting - without recruitment and long-term commitments.
Full-time CISO costs $200k/year + 12 months to recruit
Senior CISO on-demand without recruitment and long-term commitment
Strategy
Security roadmap, budget, prioritization
Governance
Policies, procedures, standards, compliance
Leadership
Team and vendor oversight, board reporting
A year recruiting CISO = a year without security strategy
A fintech company searched for a CISO for 12 months. During that time: no security strategy, random tool purchases, compliance chaos, 3 incidents that could have been blocked. When they finally found a candidate, they cost $15,000/month plus benefits.
Without a security leader:
- No strategy - security investments are random
- Compliance is chaotic - GDPR, NIS2 postponed “for later”
- Vendor chaos - buying tools that don’t integrate
- Board has no visibility - zero risk reporting
Senior CISO who starts tomorrow, not in a year
We take over the role of security leader in your organization. Not just consulting - real execution with a team of engineers in the background.
What you get:
- Security strategy: roadmap, budget, prioritization for 12-24 months
- Governance: policies, procedures, security standards
- Compliance management: NIS2, GDPR, SOX, ISO 27001, industry-specific
- Vendor management: oversight of security providers (MDR, SIEM, pentests)
- Incident oversight: coordination of incident response
- Security awareness: employee education program
- Reporting: KPIs, dashboards, board presentations
- Team oversight: coaching internal security team
Who is this for?
This service is for you if:
- You need a security strategy but can’t afford a full-time CISO
- You’re recruiting a CISO but the process takes months - you need coverage now
- You have a young security team that needs a leader and mentor
- You must comply with NIS2/GDPR but don’t know where to start
- Board requires risk reporting and you don’t have anyone to do it
vCISO Scope
1. Security Strategy & Roadmap
- Risk assessment - identifying critical business risk
- Gap analysis - current state vs target security posture
- Roadmap - action plan for 12-24 months
- Budget - security budget with ROI for each investment
- KPIs - metrics to measure progress
2. Governance, Risk & Compliance
- Security policies - Information Security Policy, AUP, BYOD
- Procedures - incident response, change management, access control
- Standards - hardening, encryption, password policy
- Compliance - NIS2, GDPR, SOX, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA
- Risk register - risk tracking and mitigation
3. Vendor & Program Management
- Vendor selection - choosing security tools and providers
- Contract review - verifying vendor contracts
- Program management - oversight of security projects
- Budget control - controlling security spending
4. Incident Response Oversight
- IR plan - developing and testing incident response plan
- Tabletop exercises - incident simulations with team
- Coordination - coordinating response during real incidents
- Post-incident - lessons learned and remediation
5. Security Awareness
- Training program - employee training
- Phishing simulations - phishing tests + education
- Security champions - building security culture
6. Board & Executive Reporting
- KPI dashboards - real-time security visibility
- Risk reporting - top risks for business
- Presentations - quarterly security reviews for board
- Incident reports - incident communication to C-level
7. Team Development
- Coaching - mentoring internal security team
- Hiring support - help with security role recruitment
- Process improvement - optimizing security operations
How it Works
vCISO Packages
Silver Package: Compliance Guardian ($4,000 - $7,000/month)
- For small companies (up to 200 people)
- Focus: compliance maintenance, documentation oversight
- 1-2 meetings per month + remote support
- Quarterly reporting for board
- Policy and procedure oversight
- Compliance audit support
Gold Package: Active Defense ($10,000 - $16,000/month)
- For mid-sized companies (200-500 people)
- Everything in Silver plus:
- Security vendor management
- Pentest and audit coordination
- Incident response (SLA response)
- Security awareness program
- Monthly board meetings
Platinum Package: Strategic Partner ($20,000 - $30,000/month)
- For large companies (500+ people) or interim CISO
- Everything in Gold plus:
- Full CISO replacement
- Board and advisory board meeting participation
- Security architecture and roadmap
- IT Security budgeting
- Security team oversight
- Security role recruitment support
Onboarding - first 30 days
Week 1-2: Assessment
- Interview with C-level: business goals, risk appetite
- Current state review: tools, processes, compliance
- Quick wins and critical gaps identification
Week 3-4: Strategy
- 12-month security roadmap
- Prioritization by business impact
- Budget and resource requirements
- Board presentation
Month 2+: Execution
- Roadmap execution
- Project oversight
- Vendor management
- Regular reporting
vCISO vs Full-time CISO
| Aspect | vCISO | Full-time CISO |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $48k - $192k | $150k - $250k + benefits |
| Time to start | 1-2 weeks | 6-12 months (recruitment) |
| Commitment | Flexible contract | Long-term employment |
| Expertise | Senior (15+ years) | Depends on budget |
| Team | Backed by agency | Solo or small team |
| Scope | Strategic + oversight | Full operational |
How we work
Our proven service delivery process.
Onboarding
Security assessment, understanding business and goals
Strategy
Security roadmap, budget, KPIs
Execution
Implementation oversight, vendor management, policies
Reporting
Dashboards, KPIs, board presentations
Benefits for your business
What you gain by choosing this service.
5x cost savings
vCISO costs fraction of full-time CISO
Start in weeks
Don't wait a year for recruitment - start now
Senior expertise
Access to experienced security leaders
Regulatory compliance
NIS2, GDPR, SOX - vCISO leads compliance
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Read more →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about vCISO - Virtual Chief Information Security Officer.
How much does vCISO service cost?
Silver package (small companies): $4,000 - $7,000/month. Gold package (mid-sized): $10,000 - $16,000/month. Platinum package (large/interim): $20,000 - $30,000/month. Price depends on organization size and responsibility scope.
Can vCISO replace a full-time CISO?
For small and mid-sized companies (up to 500 people) - yes. For larger companies, vCISO works well as an interim solution during recruitment or as an advisor for a junior CISO. vCISO provides 5x cost savings vs full-time.
How often is vCISO available on-site?
Depends on the package. Part-time is 1 day per week + remote. Fractional is 2-3 days per week. Interim can be 5 days but often hybrid. Remote contact is always available.
How long does a typical vCISO engagement last?
Minimum 6 months (needed for strategy + initial execution). Typically 12-24 months. Some clients extend indefinitely as a permanent vCISO model.
Can vCISO represent the company to regulators?
Yes. vCISO can be the official security officer in contacts with data protection authorities, CSIRT, financial regulators, and auditors. Also supports ISO 27001 certification and NIS2 compliance preparation.
Contact your account manager
Discuss vCISO - Virtual Chief Information Security Officer with your dedicated account manager.