Companies know cybersecurity is no longer a "nice to have" but a mission-critical imperative. However, talent shortages, expensive in-house hiring, and a lack of internal expertise make investments in cybersecurity defense and in hiring security leadership complicated, time-consuming, and costly.
Given the challenges above, many businesses are considering engaging Virtual Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), thus taking a tailored, modernized approach to cybersecurity that balances the need to take action without introducing additional risks and pressures to already strained operating budgets. For businesses that take this path, external vCISOs step in to create, implement, and maintain cybersecurity initiatives at a fraction of the cost of fully staffing an in-house security team, which can cost upwards of $1,000,000 per year in salaries alone.
While the benefits are potentially significant, it is important to note that integrating a vCISO program into an organization requires a thoughtful, strategic approach to maximize benefits and avoid common challenges.
For many small and mid-sized businesses, hiring and retaining a broad team of general and specialist security professionals isn't feasible. From cloud engineers to data scientists to security architects and IT analysts, it's challenging to manage salaries, professional development, industry licenses, and certifications while paying full price for hardware and software costs, as well. A well-structured vCISO program not only provides a fully functional security team on day one, but it also provides accelerated time to value in program creation, security awareness training, monthly phishing simulations, quarterly vulnerability scans, tabletop exercises, and annual penetration tests.
Other benefits include:
vCISO services work best for small and mid-sized businesses, fast-growing startups, businesses with stringent industry regulations, and companies that lack dedicated security leadership. However, integration presents challenges.
While research shows company leadership knows cybersecurity is a priority, individual employees might feel resistant to what they see as a disruption or barrier to their workflow. New policies around device management, password protections, or more restricted user access might come with pushback from internal teams. A well-structured vCISO program provides alignment with key business stakeholders as well as a governance methodology that proactively addresses common change management struggles, including training and resources to ease changes, as well as team member education on why such changes are essential.
Cybersecurity must align with overall business objectives, and anytime you bring in an external leadership role, there is the potential for miscommunication. This is where hiring vCISOs with proven experience at the executive and enterprise levels is critical, as these are resources that understand the importance of executive alignment with the business and other leaders in the IT organization.
While your business may need comprehensive vCISO support, you may only have a limited budget. Working with a vCISO company that will work within your budget is extremely important – and necessary.
vCISOs might make new recommendations for hardware, software, and applications, or suggest consolidating the number of third-party vendors you work with, as third-party risk represents one of the most significant and vulnerable links in your security chain. A robust Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) strategy can be a natural extension of a vCISO program, ensuring that vendors meet security and compliance requirements while minimizing risk exposure. Implementing these changes may require a substantial migration effort, demanding careful planning around resources, budget, and timelines to ensure a smooth transition.
Here's how to align your teams for a seamless and effective vCISO transition.
Whether you're leveraging a fractional CISO or vCISO, or simply bringing on consulting services for an upcoming audit, create clear goals and expectations. Whether it's reducing third-party software costs, improving network infrastructure, or implementing a specific tactic like network segmentation, align teams on shared goals and expectations.
Undoubtedly, you'll have to obtain budget approval for vCISO services, but it's also essential to proactively educate executives on the role of the vCISO. Sharing clear goals and expected results is one way to secure buy-in at the highest levels. Vistrada has several tools, including a vCISO calculator, that can help with driving the business justification for a vCISO.
Establish communication cadence and channels beforehand, depending on how deeply you want to integrate vCISO services. Ensure your vCISO has all the required access to get started and can work with your team across email, messaging, video chat, and more.
Across multiple industries, Vistrada supports companies with vCISO integration, offering security framework decisions, gap assessments, real-time dashboards, security awareness training, social engineering exercises, physical security assessments, tabletop exercises, and more.
What sets Vistrada apart is our team-based vCISO model, providing clients with a collective force of senior cybersecurity specialists rather than a single fractional CISO or a junior resource operating off a generic platform. Our experts bring deep, real-world experience and specialized knowledge across multiple security domains, ensuring comprehensive, customized, and proactive cybersecurity strategies. We seamlessly integrate within your existing team to provide strategic consulting and rapid implementation, delivering security leadership that scales with your organization's needs.
From healthcare to life science organizations to venture capital firms to some of the largest financial institutions in the world, Vistrada aims to identify and fill gaps within your existing cybersecurity program, offering support and facilitating continuous improvement.
Schedule a free consultation with Vistrada to assess your cybersecurity needs to determine if vCISO is the right fit for you.