vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer)
Senior cyber security expertise, when you need it
What is a virtual CISO?
A virtual Chief Information Security Officer, or vCISO, gives your organisation access to strategic security leadership on a flexible basis.
Our vCISO service provides experienced cyber security leadership on a consultancy basis, with support delivered through an agreed number of days.
Use those days where they will have the most value. Whether that’s addressing specific risks, reviewing your security policy, preparing for certification, or giving your leadership team experienced advice.
Why use a vCISO?
Not every organisation needs a full-time CISO. Security responsibilities often sit with an IT Manager, Finance Director, or other member of the leadership team. They may understand the organisation well, but don’t have the time or experience to deal with security issues.
A vCISO gives you access to that experience when you need it.
We can help you understand your current posture, identify the areas that need attention, and work out what should be prioritised. The aim is to give you practical advice and help your organisation take ownership of its security, rather than creating another dependency on an external provider.
Who is this service for?
This service is well suited to organisations that currently:
- Have no dedicated CISO or security lead,
- Need experienced input on security decisions,
- Growing organisations that need structured security oversight as they scale, and
- Teams that want recurring expert input without committing to a permanent hire.
Our team can help you with:
1. Strategy and Governance
Review your current approach to security, assess its maturity and develop a roadmap for improvement. We can also provide advice on incident response, security governance, and long-term planning.
2. Gap Analysis
Help identify the gaps between where you are and where you need to be (see our Gap Analysis service).
3. Policies & Compliance
Review or develop security policies, and provide practical guidance on meeting relevant security and compliance requirements.
4. Incident Response
Review your incident response arrangements, and help develop or improve your response plan.
5. Culture & Awareness
We work with your teams to build security awareness across your organisation, often in combination with our Cyber Advance programme.