If you aren’t sure about the best CISO model for your business, CISO as a service might be what you need. CISOaaS offers flexible, scalable cybersecurity management that can adjust to fit your organization’s size, budget and security needs. We explain in this blog.
A chief information security officer (CISO) as a service is a modern, innovative response to the growing demand for the highest level of cybersecurity leadership. Traditional CISO models don’t always fit organizations’ goals and resources, especially if they’re smaller and have a less mature security program.
Alternative CISO models, such as fractional CISOs or CISOs as a service blend the IT and business sides of the organization’s security strategy. Let’s walk through a few different CISO models to help determine what is right for you.
Understanding Different CISO Models
Several popular options exist for hiring this executive, from the most traditional in-house leadership role to a fractional or project-based CISO. Over the years, the CISO role has evolved from a purely technical position to a business-oriented leader with an extensive background.
As organizations scale and grow their own security posture, your CISO needs might evolve and change over time.
Traditional In-House CISO
An in-house CISO is the traditional role you probably think about when you consider hiring a strategic executive. They focus on a singular organization and are solely responsible for monitoring and managing security risks. They also sit on the leadership board to work with other stakeholders on business goals.
Having an in-house employee often leads to faster responses during data breaches and security incidents. Plus, consistency and relationship building with other departments is crucial for a leader, so this is most likely the best option for larger enterprises that need this type of always-on support.
CISO as a Service
CISO as a service has many of the same core responsibilities, but they might take the form of an external business that serves other clients. Similar to the flexible, scalable model of software as a service (SaaS), CISO as a service is a customizable engagement that is often a temporary or interim solution.
Small- to medium-sized businesses can focus on core business objectives by outsourcing this role to allow external experts with more resources to safeguard their organization’s cybersecurity.
Virtual CISO
A virtual CISO role is similar to other part-time or fractional CISO roles but works in a remote environment. They are an outsourced and offsite security professional and often are not full-time W-2 employees. A virtual CISO might have more projects and workload than a fractional CISO that only provides hourly or as-needed help.
Project-Based CISO
Exactly as it sounds, a project-based CISO is a temporary expert engaged for a specific initiative. Whether that’s an upcoming compliance audit, major software implementation, or even a specific training session, a project-based CISO is extremely targeted in its work, these experts can ramp up quickly with shorter-term engagements and offboard once the specific project is complete.
Executive Advisor to a CISO
For large companies that already maintain a full-time in-house CISO role, the burden of the position can be difficult to bear for just one individual alone. Increasingly, larger enterprises are opting to split the role into two or more positions, enabling deeper coverage of complex business and information security concerns. An executive advisor to a CISO service provides an experienced CISO consultant to serve as a subject matter expert and second pair of hands and eyes for the high-stakes role of the traditional CISO.
Fractional CISO
Compared to a project-based CISO, a fractional CISO works on a part-time retainer or hourly basis for an ongoing period. Instead of engaging in a specific implementation or project, a fractional CISO might advise and guide a business for over a year on strategic initiatives like prioritized improvements, incident response preparedness, or procedure improvements across IT.
The good news is there are tons of flexible options these days for expert-level security support. Now, let’s discuss the factors that influence the decision to choose one model or another.
Factors Influencing the Decision to Choose CISO as a Service
CISO as a service is a targeted hiring model that solves a specific problem for a specific amount of time. It’s an attractive alternative to a months-long search for a traditional in-house CISO if your organization is going through an extremely rapid growth period or transition or if you’re tackling a specific cybersecurity challenge. Here are a few factors to keep in mind.
Organizational Changes
Rapid growth means heightened attention to your security posture as employees, products, sales, and data storage all increase simultaneously. For example, an upcoming merger or acquisition brings on new, inherent security risks by combining disparate technology. Or, maybe you’re facing a leadership transition with a previous CISO departure. These major changes increase security risks, and CISO as a service helps reduce the likelihood of security lapses during these transitional periods.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Cybersecurity Needs
CISO as a service is a popular option for project-based, short-term cybersecurity needs. For incident response planning or an upcoming audit, CISO as a service can complete short-term projects while still supporting long-term strategic plans. Service providers are often highly adaptable and flexible regarding workload, so they can jump in to augment your internal team when needed.
Budget, Resourcing and Staffing Constraints
The cybersecurity field faces an intense talent gap and staffing shortage. Research shows a shortage of almost 4.4 million security professionals currently. That gap is expected to grow to a shortage of 85 million workers by 2030.
On top of that, with a more competitive job market for these in-demand professionals, the Great Resignation trend is encouraging people to seek higher pay and better work-life balance. However, you might have budget or resource constraints.
If you can’t find skilled, specialized security professionals like many businesses, CISO as a service is a temporary but effective solution.
Specific Cybersecurity Challenges or Projects
In addition to a talent gap in the tens of millions of workers, many security roles are extremely specialized or niche. Your business might struggle to find full-time employees to meet your company’s unique needs. If you have a specific cybersecurity challenge or project coming up, it’s faster and easier to hire an experienced CISO as a service.
If you’re facing a big organizational shift, dealing with talent or staffing issues, or tackling a specific project, CISO as a service might provide some unique benefits.
Benefits of CISO as a Service for Cybersecurity Strategy
Let’s take a look at a few different benefits of CISO as a Service.
Flexibility and Scalability
CISO as a service is uniquely tailored to your organization with a completely custom option. Easily adjust the workload or level of support during busy times or phases of rapid growth. Your business keeps the same point of contact for consistency.
Access to Diverse Expertise
Whether it’s cyber strategy and road mapping, resilience and attack recovery, security due diligence, or risk management, CISO as a service provides unparalleled access to diverse expertise. Plus, specialists have viewed the inner workings of multiple businesses within your industry, so they can provide uniquely tailored advice for security challenges and compliance requirements.
Cost-Effectiveness
Not only are you avoiding potential lost productivity and downtime when trying to find an in-house, full-time CISO, but you also avoid the cost of an expensive annual salary. A CISO as a Service is often pay-as-you-go with flexible monthly options where you’re only charged for resources you use.
Blending IT and Business Perspectives
A traditional CISO is both a technical and business-oriented leader, and organizations don’t lose that strategic alignment with CISO as a service. Providers help create balanced decision-making that supports business growth while keeping the organization secure.
If you’re excited about the benefits of CISO as a service and see it as the right model for your business, it’s time to start evaluating virtual CISO companies.
Evaluating Virtual CISO Companies
Closely evaluate virtual CISO companies based on the criteria below. This is an important step in aligning your needs with the ideal outsourced vendor, ensuring you’re on the same page about goals, budgets and long-term strategy.
- Essential skills and experience: The most critical component is aligning your projects and needs with a company’s essential skills and previous experience. For example, ground-up implementation, specific compliance audits, infrastructure changes, and modernizing network architecture are only a few projects you might be looking for.
- Industry-specific knowledge: The best virtual CISO companies have industry-specific knowledge in retail, finance, manufacturing, supply chain, and more. This reduces ramp-up time and provides even more expert advice.
- Organizational culture compatibility: Cultural factors like communication, speed of responses, and openness to change are important when selecting an external CISO company. You want someone who matches your pace and collaborates well with your team.
Evaluating multiple companies for skills and culture match is important, but pricing plays a huge role in what your organization can afford.
CISO as a Service Pricing
Pricing varies greatly across these different models, and a traditional in-house CISO is the most expensive option. When comparing outsourced and external options, important factors to consider are duration, scope of work, provider expertise, customization, and complexity of needs.
Choosing CISO as a Service
CISO as a service is a well-aligned balance of strategic business leadership and IT technical knowledge. For organizations facing big changes, short-term projects, or staffing constraints, it’s ideal for its benefits around flexibility, access to diverse expertise, cost-effectiveness, and more.
Our on-demand webinar showcases the importance of a comprehensive penetration test – beyond simply meeting compliance requirements – through a live network attack simulation.
Data breaches and ransomware attacks threaten financial stability and customer trust that could impact your organization for years to come. Our Cybersecurity experts can help you address your most pressing cybersecurity issues and keep compliance a continuous commitment at your organization. Let’s Talk
