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Virtual CISO

Experienced security leadership without the full-time overhead.

Not every organisation needs a full-time Chief Information Security Officer, but every organisation benefits from experienced security leadership. A Virtual CISO arrangement gives you access to senior expertise at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire.

What a Virtual CISO provides

As your VCISO, we act as an extension of your leadership team, providing:

  • Strategic direction for your security programme
  • Board and executive communication on security matters
  • Security programme management and roadmap development
  • Risk assessment and prioritisation
  • Incident response leadership when issues arise
  • Vendor and third-party oversight
  • Compliance programme coordination

We’re not here to replace your team—we’re here to guide them, support decision-making, and ensure security gets appropriate attention at the leadership level.

Who benefits from a VCISO

This model works well for:

  • Growing companies that have outgrown ad-hoc security but aren’t ready for a full-time CISO
  • Organisations between security leaders who need interim coverage
  • Companies facing specific challenges like certification, due diligence, or incident response
  • Businesses that need senior expertise to guide an internal security team

How it works

VCISO engagements are typically structured as retained arrangements with a defined time commitment—commonly one to four days per month, depending on your needs.

Regular activities might include:

  • Attendance at leadership and board meetings
  • Security programme review and planning
  • Policy and governance oversight
  • Risk register management
  • Security metrics and reporting
  • Team mentoring and development

Available as needed:

  • Incident response leadership
  • Third-party risk assessment
  • Security architecture review
  • Vendor selection guidance
  • Due diligence support

What to expect

We’ll start with an assessment of your current security posture and immediate priorities. From there, we’ll propose a structure that matches your needs—this might be a fixed monthly retainer or a more flexible arrangement.

The goal is to give you consistent, senior security input without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

Common questions

How much does a Virtual CISO cost?
VCISO engagements are structured as monthly retainers scaled to your time commitment—typically one to four days per month. That's a fraction of the all-in cost of a full-time CISO hire (salary, benefits, recruitment, onboarding), while still giving you senior-level security leadership. We'll propose a structure after understanding your needs.
How is a VCISO different from a consultant?
A consultant typically delivers a defined project and leaves. A VCISO is an ongoing relationship—we become familiar with your business, your team, and your risk profile over time. That context makes the advice more relevant, the response to incidents faster, and the relationship more valuable year on year.
When should we hire a Virtual CISO versus a full-time one?
A VCISO works well when you need senior security input a few days a month—typically organisations up to around 250 staff, or companies in specific transition periods (certification, acquisition, incident recovery). Once security becomes a full-time concern requiring daily leadership attention, a permanent CISO makes more sense. We can help with that transition.
Will you be available when we need you?
Within the agreed time commitment, yes. For retained clients, we also provide emergency availability for genuine security incidents—because those don't wait for scheduled meetings. Response times and scope are set out clearly in the engagement.
What if we eventually hire a full-time CISO?
That's a success outcome. We can help with the recruitment process—drafting the role, reviewing candidates, supporting onboarding—and transition ongoing programme knowledge to ensure continuity for your security function.
Can you work alongside our existing IT team?
Absolutely. Most VCISO engagements involve guiding and developing internal staff rather than doing everything directly. Your team gains experience and accountability while you get senior oversight at the leadership layer.

Ready to discuss your requirements?

Let's have a conversation about how we can help your organisation.

Let's talk