HomeConsulting › Virtual CISO
Virtual CISO (vCISO) Services

A virtual CISO who leads your security like it's their own

Get executive-level security leadership on a fractional basis — strategy, risk, compliance, and incident readiness — without the cost or the year-long search for a full-time CISO.

Book a consultation All services
Overview

What is a virtual CISO?

A virtual CISO (vCISO) is an experienced security executive who leads your program on a part-time, ongoing basis. You get CISO-level judgment — strategy, risk decisions, compliance direction, and board-ready reporting — sized and priced for an organization that isn't ready for a full-time hire.

Our vCISO engagements are led by a veteran security leader with 20+ years across higher education, healthcare, and enterprise IT, so you get seasoned leadership from day one instead of a checklist.

How we help

Where we come in

Security strategy & roadmap

We set the direction — a prioritized, quarter-by-quarter security roadmap tied to your real risks and business goals.

Risk & compliance leadership

We own the risk register and guide you through frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST, and HIPAA — mapping controls to what your customers and regulators require.

Program build-out

We stand up the policies, processes, and monitoring your program is missing, and coordinate the vendors and internal teams to run them.

Board & customer reporting

We translate security into language leadership and customers understand — status, risk, and progress they can act on.

What you get

Typical engagement includes

FAQ

Common questions

What does a vCISO actually do?

A vCISO sets your security strategy, manages risk, guides compliance, oversees your security program and vendors, prepares you for audits and customer questionnaires, and reports to leadership — the same responsibilities as a full-time CISO, on a fractional basis.

How much does a vCISO cost versus a full-time CISO?

A full-time CISO is a senior executive salary plus benefits. A vCISO gives you the same caliber of leadership for a fraction of that, scaled to the hours you actually need.

How many hours per month is a vCISO engagement?

It varies with your size and goals — some clients need a few hours a week to steer the program, others need more during an audit push or after an incident. We right-size it and adjust as you grow.

When does a company need a vCISO?

Common triggers are a big customer requiring security proof, a new compliance obligation (ISO 27001, HIPAA, SOC 2), rapid growth, or an incident that made clear no one owns security.

Related services

Explore more

Need a security leader without the full-time hire?

Bring a seasoned virtual CISO to your organization — strategy, risk, and compliance leadership that meets you where you are.

Get in touch