What is CISO as a Service?

CISO as a Service (CaaS), also known as a Virtual CISO (vCISO), provides organisations with on-demand access to experienced cybersecurity leadership. A vCISO acts as a strategic advisor, helping businesses develop and implement robust security programs, manage risk, and ensure compliance without the cost of a full-time executive.

What does a vCISO do for your organisation?

Achieving and maintaining compliance with industry specific data security standards and general compliance standards like GDPR, can place an additional burden on your business. However, remaining compliant with data protection laws and best practises is essential for any organisation. We offer a broad range of services which help you achieve security and data protection compliance. We can work with you wherever you are on the journey to achieving compliance.

Key Components of CommSec’s CISO as a Service

Including but not limited to:

  • Developing and implementing security strategies and policies
  • Conducting risk assessments
  • Managing security incidents
  • Overseeing incident response and disaster recovery planning
  • Providing guidance on compliance with relevant regulations and standards
  • Offering training and awareness programs for employees
  • Providing access to a team of security experts

Key Statistic: 45% of companies do not employ a CISO (Security Magazine 2021).

ciso as a service team meeting

Benefits of having a CISO include:


Managing Regulatory Compliance:

CISOs help organisations navigate and comply with increasingly complex and stringent regulations (like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act and SEC reporting requirements). This includes understanding the legal implications of cyber incidents and ensuring the business meets its obligations.


Bridging the Gap Between Tech and Business:

CISOs translate technical security issues into business risks and opportunities, enabling non-technical leaders to make informed decisions and integrate security into broader business strategies. They ensure security measures don’t hinder business operations.


Managing Business Risk:

CISOs align security initiatives with business goals, allocate resources efficiently, identify vulnerabilities, prioritise remediation, and proactively adapt to the evolving threat landscape (including AI-driven cybercrime). They help minimise losses from breaches, fines, and remediation costs.


Strategic Security Leadership:

CISOs provide senior-level security leadership, ensuring that security is not just an IT issue but a core business function. They build security programs from the ground up, ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment with business objectives. They also manage third-party risks within the supply chain.


Improved Cyber Governance:

CISOs establish and maintain strong cyber governance frameworks, ensuring that security policies and practices are effective and aligned with best practices. This is becoming increasingly important for investor relations and overall corporate stewardship.

Use Cases – CISO as a Service

Use Case #1: Maturing IT Security Strategy

You may already have achieved some compliance or quality standards and you need to build on that to meet new obligations or meet more sophisticated threats to your business.

Use Case #2: Little or No IT Security Strategy

On the other hand, you may have very little in-house knowledge around security and compliance. In that case we can provide you with a fully managed program of building the systems and processes in your business to become compliant with GDPR and other regulations that may affect you, such as PCI DSS and the Public Service Cybersecurity Baseline Standard (NCSC).

Use Case #3: The Need for a Part-time CISO

This is a great option for when there isn’t a full-time requirement for a CISO. Our CISO as a Service gives you access to a very experienced CISO on a long-term continuous basis, but at a level of engagement you can afford. The flexibility of the service means you can pay for what you need to meet your requirements at different times.

CISO as a Service – Gaining Compliance

To become compliant – we need to look at your entire business and how it manages data. IT security is only one part of this process. We look at all the information assets in your business. What security technology and data protection processes if any, you have in place, then perform a standards-based risk evaluation and gap analysis.

The outcome of this risk assessment is a clear picture of where your major risk areas and vulnerabilities lie.

This allows us to design a solution for your business processes and technology to achieve compliance with GDPR and alignment with (or certification to) security standards such as ISO27001:2022.

Why Choose CommSec for Your Virtual CISO Needs?

CommSec’s CISO as a Service provides comprehensive information and cybersecurity expertise for your organisation. Our highly experienced and qualified CISOs have extensive backgrounds in senior IT security roles, including CISO and DPO positions. Find out more about us or Contact us.

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FAQ's

A CISO is a senior executive responsible for the overall information security strategy of an organisation. The CISO is responsible for identifying, assessing, and managing information security risks, developing policies and procedures to protect the organisation’s information assets, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

The CISO is also responsible for leading the organisation’s response to cyber threats and incidents, and for educating employees on information security best practices. The CISO reports directly to the CEO or another high-ranking executive, and works closely with other senior leaders to align the organization’s security strategy with its business goals.

Having a vCISO can be a great idea for several reasons:

  1. Cost Savings: A full-time CISO can be expensive, especially for smaller organisations with limited resources. A part-time CISO can provide the necessary expertise and guidance at a lower cost.
  2. Flexibility: A vCISO can work on an as-needed basis, allowing organisations to ramp up or scale back their security needs as necessary. This can be particularly useful for organisations that do not require a full-time CISO but still need the expertise and guidance of a security professional.
  3. Specialised Expertise: A part-time CISO can bring specialised expertise to an organisation, such as experience in a particular industry or with a specific type of security threat. This can be valuable for organisations that may not have the expertise in-house.
  4. Access to Resources: A part-time CISO can provide access to resources that may not be otherwise available to the organisation, such as specialised security tools or a network of security professionals.

CISO as a Service is best suited to a rolling partnership over time.The CISO can understand the business, the goals, the security posture and implement their recommendations. Furthermore, the security landscape is dynamic and ever evolves. Having a CISO in place will help keep the business and IT team up to date as things change.

vCISO service pricing is typically structured around a daily/monthly rate, providing flexibility for organisations with varying needs. The exact cost depends on several factors, including:

  • Scope of Services: The range of services required include: security strategy development, risk assessments, compliance management, incident response planning, and security awareness training.
  • Level of Engagement: The frequency and depth of interaction required with the vCISO, including regular meetings, reporting, and project involvement.
  • Size and Complexity of Your Organisation: Larger, more complex organisations with greater security risks generally require more vCISO time and expertise.
  • Length of Engagement: While we offer daily and monthly rates for maximum flexibility, longer-term engagements (e.g., 6 months, 1 year, or more) often qualify for discounted rates.

The key difference between a CSO (Chief Security Officer) and a CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) lies in their scope. A CSO has a broader remit, overseeing all aspects of an organisation’s security, including physical security, personnel security, and information security. A CISO, on the other hand, specialises specifically in information security (cybersecurity), focusing on protecting digital assets from cyber threats. In essence, the CISO is concerned with digital security, while the CSO’s responsibilities encompass both physical and digital security domains.

The difference between a CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and a CIO (Chief Information Officer) is a matter of focus. The CIO is responsible for the overall management of an organisation’s IT infrastructure and systems, ensuring they support business operations and strategic goals. This includes hardware, software, networks, and data management. The CISO, however, is specifically responsible for protecting those IT systems and data from security threats. While the CIO focuses on enabling technology, the CISO focuses on securing it. They often work closely together, with the CISO advising the CIO on security matters and ensuring that security is integrated into IT strategy and operations. 

 

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