CISO as a Service

Companies now turn to “CISO as a Service” to help protect infrastructure and safeguard data assets.

As a third-party security expert, a CISO as a Service or vCISO professional will work with in-house staff to build and maintain efficient cybersecurity program that will keep sensitive data under lock and key.

CISO as a Service is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Companies choose CISO as a Service options according to their structure, what they’re marketing, and what they offer to customers.

The common thread is that these businesses are proactive and want to make sure they are well positioned to navigate business in a world of cyberwarfare.

Just sitting back and waiting is not a good option. That’s why so many companies contract to get up to date cybersecurity practices and principles on board.

Does your company need a vCISO? Think about these ways that this type of professional support can help empower today’s enterprise.

How CISO as a Service Helps Protect the Company

Often the role of a CISO as a Service professional involves coming in and helping existing teams to manage cybersecurity in a tough environment where so many threats abound.

For example, some firms have a point person to whom too much is delegated: the CTO or CIO may be completely overloaded with other types of responsibilities, and not up to the challenge of individually maintaining cybersecurity programs.

In other cases, a mid-level manager may be hastily promoted to deal with cybersecurity. Many of these individuals feel they’re not entirely up to the challenge, or that they could use some key assistance in making sure that everything in the business is fully secure against cybercrime.

Keep in mind this isn’t to suggest that the people in-house are not skilled or professional enough to manage a crisis. It’s a case of structure and organization – in so many cases, a little help from CISO as a Service goes a long way, and with this partnership in place, the in-house staff are well able to direct the security of the company.

A CISO professional is a senior level member of a security team, a person who is responsible for maintaining a company’s security vision and strategy.

The CISO as a Service member works with information assets and technologies to make sure they are protected from harm or theft.

Any company that does not have a dedicated CISO should consider CISO as a Service as a way to outfit and enhance an org structure.

In a CISO as a Service setup, the CISO will:

Understand the organization’s strategy and business status
Help to handle threat analysis and strategy updates in real-time
Anticipate future security challenges
Work with teams to manage compliance
Assist in discovery and other types of data handling

CISO as a Service for an Interim Position

In some cases, CISO as a Service is a short term solution.

Suppose an outgoing career professional does not have an immediate replacement, and no one is ready, and no outside hire has been authorized.

A professional serving as a vCISO can step in and still in the gap until the situation is handled.

Benefits of CISO as a Service

Here are some of the value propositions around adding CISO as a Service.

These individuals are critically important in addressing industry-specific regulatory requirements. Standards like SOC 2 and ISO 27001 put specific burdens on companies to maintain high cybersecurity practices. The European General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is another such regulation that’s directing company policy.

In general, companies are terrified of data breaches and reach out to a CISO as a Service vendor to help create a good “bulwark” for the system.

A CISO as a Service from Fractional CISO

With CISO as a Service, every engagement is a little different. A CISO as a Service professional from Fractional CISO will work to understand your business and what it needs to stay strong in terms of cybersecurity.

Here are some more things that a CISO as a Service pro will help with:

A cybersecurity risk assessment
cybersecurity strategy for the long term
A cybersecurity plan and program
A Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) program
core security operations reporting
managing personnel, contractors and vendors
a training strategy for review

Fractional CISO’s CISO as a Service also involves:

Understanding the business environment and matching the need to the customer
Working well with key personnel to put together an excellent cybersecurity program
Providing a good customer experience and safeguarding customer data
Reporting on systems and monitoring cybersecurity health

A CISO as a Service is often on-site for two to three weeks of the first eight weeks of the process. This can depend on the company and its structure and customer service model. For more details on the Fractional CISO offerings, check out our services and offerings.

More Benefits of CISO as a Service

Here’s one key benefit of using CISO as a Service: the client company can take advantage of the same expertise and capability that they would have with an in-house CISO without the same level of overhead, benefits, and training. That helps a firm to achieve its security and build for a better tomorrow.

CISO as a Service Requirements

The CISO, to be effective, must have a sufficient background in security and a sense of how best to protect systems. It’s important to make sure that a prospective CISO is a security expert and can work with teams to excel in the field.

Cybersecurity credentials can help. A CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) or CISM certificate helps to establish proof of capability for a CISO. The vCISO will be able to talk intelligently about systems and compliance and bring the right skills and knowledge base to the table.

Next Steps with CISO as a Service

If your company can benefit from a vCISO, please give us a call for a complimentary consultation. We can be reached at (617) 658-3276 and our email is [email protected]. Let us help you to achieve your goals for cybersecurity!