CyberSolace / Virtual CISO
Senior security leadership.
Built around your business.
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer brings direction, oversight and independent judgement to your security programme.
Flexible support on a day-rate basis, without appointing a full-time CISO.
What a vCISO brings
A trusted adviser to your leadership team.
Your IT team keeps technology running. Your leadership team needs to know where cyber risk sits, what deserves investment and whether improvements are working.
We bring an independent perspective to decisions about cyber risk, business resilience and security investment. Through constructive challenge and informed counsel, we help senior leaders test assumptions, weigh trade-offs and set a clear direction.
The engagement can centre on strategic advice and assurance, or extend to programme oversight where that is needed.
What we deliver
Direction, oversight and follow-through.
01
Strategic counsel for senior leadership.
Act as a trusted sounding board for your executive team. Help assess strategic options, challenge the evidence behind recommendations and consider the security implications of business change.
The output: clearer strategic choices and constructive independent challenge.
02
Security strategy
and roadmap.
Agree the risks that matter most and a realistic sequence of improvements. Set milestones, owners and measures that connect security work to business needs.
The output: a prioritised roadmap with clear responsibilities.
03
Board and executive reporting.
Turn technical findings and programme progress into concise reporting. Help your board understand the choices, challenge the evidence and direct investment.
The output: a board view of risk, progress and decisions needed.
04
Compliance programme oversight.
Bring structure to ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials and customer security requirements. Coordinate the programme, clarify responsibilities and track the evidence needed.
The output: an organised programme with visible gaps and actions.
05
Supplier and vendor risk.
Identify the suppliers your business depends on and assess the risks they introduce. Establish proportionate checks and work with your team on follow-up actions.
The output: clearer supplier priorities and an agreed review approach.
06
Incident response oversight.
Provide senior coordination of response priorities, stakeholder communications and recovery decisions. Work alongside your technical responders and advisers.
The output: clearer leadership and coordination during response.
For the leadership team
A board update you can act on.
A useful report goes beyond a list of vulnerabilities. It explains what matters to the organisation, what needs a decision and how delivery is progressing.
We help you ask better questions and keep the answers connected to evidence.
What needs your attention?
PRIORITY & INVESTMENT
Which risk needs action first, and what resources does that require?
OWNERSHIP & DELIVERY
Who is responsible, and are the agreed improvements on track?
PROGRESS & ASSURANCE
What has changed, and what evidence supports our confidence?
An example of the questions a briefing can address, rather than a client report.
When it is useful
Leadership for the stage you are at.
- You are growing. Customers, insurers or procurement teams want stronger security assurance, but you do not have a dedicated security leader.
- A programme needs direction. You are pursuing certification or improving governance and need someone to coordinate the work.
- Your board wants clarity. There is a willingness to invest, but uncertainty about priorities, risk ownership or what progress looks like.
- You are rebuilding confidence. An incident has exposed gaps, and you want a stronger strategy and governance approach.
Getting started
Understand the business.
Agree the priorities. Keep moving.
01 / Understand
Start with your context.
Discuss your business, current security position and the pressures driving the engagement.
02 / Set direction
Agree the work.
Define the priorities, responsibilities, deliverables and time commitment that make sense for your organisation.
03 / Review
Keep delivery in view.
Work with your teams, review progress and adjust the programme as your business and its risks change.
A flexible engagement
The right level of involvement.
Engagements are priced on a transparent day-rate basis. We agree the scope and cadence around the support you need.
Ongoing strategic advice.
A trusted advisory relationship with senior leadership, centred on direction, independent challenge and assurance.
Focused programme support.
More intensive involvement during a certification journey or a defined improvement programme.
Targeted advisory input.
Agreed support for a board discussion, a particular decision or incident oversight.
Working arrangements, availability and any incident support responsibilities are agreed as part of the engagement.
A practical starting point / Self-assessment
How clear is your view
of cyber governance?
Before deciding what support you need, take stock of how your organisation directs and oversees cyber risk.
Our Cyber Governance Board Readiness Assessment helps you reflect on the evidence behind your leadership decisions, identify gaps in oversight and frame the next conversation.
An indicative assessment based on your answers, rather than an independent audit. For more perspectives, Join the CyberSolace newsletter.
Five perspectives. One leadership view.
Look beyond technical controls.
- Risk management
- Strategy
- People
- Incident planning, response and recovery
- Assurance and oversight
A few useful distinctions
How the role fits your organisation.
Can the engagement focus entirely on strategic advice?
Yes. We can focus on strategic counsel and independent challenge for senior leadership, with operational delivery remaining with your existing teams and providers. The advisory remit and working arrangements are agreed at the outset.
Does a vCISO replace our IT team?
No. The role provides security leadership and programme oversight alongside your existing IT team and suppliers. Technical delivery responsibilities are agreed as part of the scope.
Does “virtual” mean remote-only?
The term describes the engagement model rather than a requirement to work exclusively remotely. We agree the working arrangements around your organisation and the work involved.
Can you guarantee certification?
No. We can oversee preparation and help organise the programme and evidence. Certification decisions are made separately by the relevant certification body.
Who retains responsibility for business decisions?
Your leadership team retains decision-making responsibility. We provide advice, reporting and programme oversight, with roles and delegated responsibilities agreed at the outset.
Can we begin with a specific concern?
Yes. We can start with a board reporting need, a programme that needs direction or another agreed priority, then discuss whether ongoing support would be useful.
Give your security programme direction.
Start with a no-obligation conversation about the leadership support you need.