Virtual CISO Service

Virtual CISO Services

Get access to a skilled, experienced information security risk management and compliance professional on-demand

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What is a Virtual CISO?

A virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) is an independent resource that acts as a trusted advisor to the business providing the knowledge and skills needed to ensure that it meets its information security governance, risk and compliance management objectives. In short, you get the talent and experience you need without the overhead. Given the skills shortage in the market today, the service delivers an exceptional return on investment.

Risk Crew provides an extremely flexible vCISO offering created to fit any business model to ensure you get the expertise you need – when you need it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Our unique, cost-effective service lets you customise deliverables by identifying the specific strategic and tactical assistance you need. To include: setting objectives, procuring solutions, drafting, developing or implementing security policies, guidelines and standards or deploying awareness training – to conducting vendor risk assessments, code reviews, vulnerability scanning, security penetration testing or remediation activities. Our vCISO could also design, implement and manage a framework to ensure your business compliance with standards like ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2 or DPA.

Anything you need. You get full information security department functionality – on demand.



Virtual CISO Responsibilities & Deliverables

Risk Crew provides a skilled and experienced Chief Information Security Officer to your business, a CISO on-demand, to meet your specific information security governance, risk and compliance management requirements.

We initially meet with you to understand and confirm your specific business information and cyber risk management goals and objectives in addition to your budget requirements. We then draft a recommended roadmap of vCISO activities and deliverables for your review and approval, documenting specific key performance indicators to ensure these goals and objectives are accomplished.

The result is a comprehensive and bespoke vCISO service to meet your business’ information risk management appetite and budget.

virtual CISO

vCISO roadmap activities and deliverables are customised to meet your specific business requirements but typically include strategic deliverables such as:

  • Board presentations on the threat landscape
  • Confirm the risk appetite, tolerance, capacity and strategy
  • Design a business information security management system
  • Identify, locate, classify and document information assets
  • Conduct and document risk and threat assessments
  • Conduct and document security compliance gap assessments
  • Produce business remedial recommendations
  • Draft and update policies, standards and guidelines
  • Provide threat landscape information to business stakeholders
  • Manage compliance to information security legislation, regulation or standards (such as ISO 27001, PCI and SOC 2)

Additionally, your Risk Crew vCISO can deliver bespoke tactical deliverables — or alternatively, you can use our CISO on-Demand Security Support Team Service.

 

Download the Menu of All Strategic & Tactical Services Available

Virtual CISO UK Service Benefits

Why do you need a vCISO when you could simply hire a real one? The answer may differ slightly dependent on the size of your business – but all businesses find three things in common when they look to fill a permanent CISO role. There is a skills shortage, CISOs seldom stay in the role more than two years and recruiting can take between 9-12 months.

This straight-forward pragmatic service has numerous benefits to your business.

Why Choose Risk Crew

Risk Crew vCISOs on average possess over 30 years of hands-on skills and experience in designing, implementing and managing cost-effective information security management programmes. More importantly, they can explain them and demonstrate their value.

Our vCISOs communicate effectively. They think deeply, question assumptions, determine cause and effect and always define and deliver measurable results. We believe that this is what makes a vCISO service effective. So much so we guarantee it. If you are not happy with our services, you are not charged.

What Our Customer Say

“Risk Crew’s service was the right decision for our company. Our dedicated vCISO provided us with immediate response, escalated tasks when required and anticipated security issues. We chose the service option of having the CISO on-site initially and then transitioned to remote only. They are a trusted and valued partner.”

Compliance Manager | Pharmaceutical Industry

“Not only was our consultant thorough, but he also took the time to teach us additional information security best practices. Being a small business, the virtual CISO option provided us with a low-cost solution rather than hiring a full-time employee.”

HR Director | Finance Industry

“From the beginning of our engagement with Risk Crew, we were provided with a clear roadmap of what our business needed to align with our risk appetite and business requirements. From the initial call for scoping to the onboarding of our consultant – they made it a simple process and clearly defined the service.”

Security Officer | Retail Industry

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a vCISO?

vCISO stands for virtual, Chief Information Security Officer and is an outsourced information security governance, risk and compliance management professional providing agreed to services on an as-needed basis in lieu of a permanent hire position.

What does a vCISO typically do?

Some of a vCISO’s responsibilities include overseeing strategic, operational, and budgetary aspects of a business’ information security governance, risk and compliance requirements. vCISO’s work closely with business stakeholders to define, develop and implement information security policies and procedures for the organisation just as would a permanent hire.

What makes a good vCISO?

Good communication skills and the ability to quickly understand business information security risk appetite, tolerance and capacity in order to implement an applicable cost-effective strategy to meet these requirements.

How much does virtual CISO consulting services cost?

Industry surveys indicate that most vCISOs services cost between 30% and 40% of a full-time CISO – direct hire role. That’s a 60% to 70% savings. Learn more on virtual CISO pricing in our blog post: Maximising Security and Efficiency with CISO-as-a-Service.

Request a Quote to Get Started Today

Our information security experts will contact you to discuss your specific requirements