A virtual CISO (vCISO) service is not a one size fits all. It is a highly robust and versatile service that
can be molded, customized, and tweaked to meet the end goals of an organization. This is not
simply a service to assist an immature or early-stage security program, but a service that can help
any organization at any point on the security maturity spectrum. At the end of this article, you will
be armed with enough data to help make the best choice for your end goals and requirements.

The case studies selected for examination range across industries, sizes, and goals to provide a wide range of data points to compare. Within each case study, an overview of the engagement, scope, and additional notes will be provided to assist with understanding what may impact the cost of the engagement.

Summary

These case studies were purposely selected from across small and large organizations. No matter the size of an organization, there is a use case for a vCISO service to mature and improve the overall security posture of the business. No matter if the security program is just being stood up or is extremely mature, there is a use case for a vCISO to improve an organization’s security capabilities.
It has been commonplace for CEO and other C-level executives to have mentors or advisors with years of industry experience to assist with strategic decision-making. While this has not been as prevalent in security, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the desire of organizations to provide their senior security leaders with the support and advice needed to increase the overall security posture of the organization.
This not only provides another set of eyes on the operational security controls and strategic investment, but it also provides the most senior security leader a sounding board to discuss, debate, and theorize on approaches and solutions to assist the organization.
For smaller companies, the vCISO service provides a way to bring in the senior security leadership that otherwise would be missing from the organization. This is a huge benefit in being able to leverage the experience and expertise of an executive-level security leader that can work with other senior leaders in the business to understand the current and future security requirements for the organization. This allows the organization to address those needs earlier and avoid large amounts of technical debt or re-engineering when the time comes to hire a full-time CISO.