What Is A vCISO & Why Does Your Business Need One?

Remote and hybrid work place is here to stay, meaning that companies need to invest in a strong cyber security system to adapt to the new work environment. An important part of your strategy is having a capable and professional team who understands your business and its cybersecurity needs at the ready. That’s where a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) comes in.

What is a vCISO?

A vCISO is an outsourced security expert who provides strategic guidance on how to protect your business from threats. A vCISO is a proactive resource that makes a commitment to regularly meet with an organization. Through this commitment, a vCISO develops insights and strategies to enhance cyber security throughout an organization and guides the organization on their security journey.

As your trusted partner and advisor, a vCISO service may:

·       Review, advise, and maintain security policies and procedures, including security and compliance awareness

·       Ensure compliance with industry regulations and cyber insurance requirements

·      Assist with creating and updating your incident response plans (IRP), and provide guidance on InfoSec Policy and Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) plans

·       Coordinate penetration testing, offensive security assessments, and compliance assessments

·       Identify and monitor key security APIs

·       Create a proactive security roadmap and develop progressive reporting and KPI tracking for your security initiatives and goals, with ongoing management and maintenance

·      Give you access to an extensive bench of industry-leading experts, including access to senior resources for consulting expertise (i.e., systems SME, network SME)

·      Provide Tugboat Logic Platform administration and support

Who should hire a vCISO?

Any organization can benefit from using a vCISO service, whether its workforce is fully remote, hybrid, or in-office. Here are a few reasons why your business should consider hiring a vCISO.

1.    Protect sensitive information

Every organization handles sensitive information, regardless of size, industry, etc. Hiring a cyber security expert helps keep the data of your customers, clients, employees, and company safe and confidential. Data leaks can result in not only immense financial loss but can impact the reputation of your company in the long run.

2.    Cost-effective

A vCISO service makes security more accessible for small to mid-size businesses with limited budgets.  The cost of a vCISO is estimated to be between 30-40% of a full-time CISO. Plus, there’s no need to provide benefits, since the vCISO service is most likely provided by an independent contractor or through an IT consulting service.

3.    Learning opportunity

Using a vCISO service can be a valuable learning opportunity for your in-house IT team. While the vCISO does the heavy security lifting, the rest of the team can observe and learn, which in turn will strengthen your entire IT infrastructure.

4.    Reliable and efficient support

You’re busy running your business and your IT team has their hands full managing your day-to-day IT Needs - you don’t have time to become a cyber security expert. If you’ve been delaying major IT projects because you lack the right resources or people, a vCISO service can provide you with the support that you need to progress. Through a vCISO service, you are hiring a trusted advisor who is already experienced, vetted, and trained.

5.    Security expertise

It can be difficult to find trustworthy and knowledgeable IT experts looking to make a full-time commitment to an in-house team. With virtual services, you’re guaranteed a partnership with an experienced and knowledgeable team that can work together to solve your toughest IT challenges and prepare you for evolving cyber threats.

Entara: Your Trusted Cyber Security Advisor

Entara’s vCISO service can give you the peace of mind that your business, people, and data are safe and secure from evolving cyber threats. We offer complete, integrated IT and cybersecurity solutions tailored to your company’s unique needs and challenges that help you meet industry regulatory requirements. We employ a range of security integrations and technology services to better protect your system, network, and data. Connect with us to learn more about how we can support your organization.