Virtual CISO services for growing businesses.
The security leadership of a Chief Information Security Officer, without the full-time hire.
What a virtual CISO does
The title varies from company to company, but the work is consistent. A vCISO owns the security program so it stops being everyone's side project. Typical responsibilities:
- Setting a security and compliance roadmap, ranked by the risks that matter most to your business
- Keeping a clear picture of your biggest risks and what is being done about each one
- Writing and maintaining core policies, including incident response, access control, vendor management, and acceptable use of AI tools
- Answering customer security questionnaires and due diligence requests
- Reviewing vendors and third parties before you hand them your data
- Planning how you would respond to an incident before you need to
- Reporting to owners, executives, or the board in plain language
Virtual CISO, full-time CISO, or managed provider?
These three are easy to confuse, and they do different jobs.
Full-time CISO
A dedicated executive who is part of your team every day. It makes sense when your security workload and risk are large enough to keep one person fully occupied, which is rarely the case for a small or mid-sized business.
Managed IT or security provider
A managed service provider (MSP or MSSP) runs tools and day-to-day operations such as monitoring, patching, and help desk. That work is valuable, but it is operations rather than leadership. You do not have to replace your provider: a vCISO works alongside them, directing and checking the work.
Virtual CISO
Senior security judgment, scoped to your size. You get strategy, accountability, and someone to answer the hard questions, at a commitment that fits a growing business.
Signs it is time
- Customers or partners send security questionnaires you struggle to answer
- A contract or insurer asks for specific controls, written policies, or a SOC 2 report
- Nobody clearly owns security; it is whoever has time
- Your team is using AI tools and there is no policy
- Leadership has never received a plain-language report on security risk
- You handle regulated data such as health, financial, or payment card information
And a sign it is not: if you only need a one-time check on where you stand, a focused assessment is often enough. Ongoing support is a choice you can make after you see the results.
How an engagement works
We start by listening to how your business actually runs, then build a program around it that is right-sized, in plain English, with clear priorities. We usually begin with a fixed-fee assessment and a written plan, and ongoing virtual CISO support follows if it makes sense. Every engagement is scoped and quoted before work begins. The pricing page shows how it is structured.
Related guides
Virtual CISO questions, answered.
How is a virtual CISO different from a security consultant?
A consultant usually delivers a defined project and moves on. A virtual CISO takes ongoing ownership of your security program and is accountable to your leadership for it, which makes the role closer to a member of your executive team than an outside contractor.
How many hours a month does a virtual CISO work?
It depends on your size, your risk, and what you are trying to achieve, so we scope it up front instead of quoting a standard number. The goal is the smallest commitment that actually moves your program forward.
Can a virtual CISO help us get SOC 2 or HIPAA compliant?
Yes, with preparation: gap assessments, policies, and control work. The SOC 2 report itself must come from an independent licensed CPA firm, and there is no official HIPAA certification, so the job is getting you ready and keeping the program running.
Do we still need our IT provider?
Usually, yes. A virtual CISO sets direction and checks the work, while your IT provider typically keeps running the day-to-day systems. They do different jobs and work well together.
Do you only work with businesses in Chicago?
No. We are based in Chicago and serve small and medium-sized businesses across the United States.
What does a virtual CISO cost?
Every engagement is scoped and quoted before any work begins, and no long-term contract is required for a one-time assessment. The pricing page explains how the options are structured.
Want security leadership without the full-time hire?
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