Frequently Asked Questions

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A vCISO, or Virtual Chief Information Security Officer, is an executive level security professional with extensive experience in the field that can perform the same functions as a traditional, full-time CISO but without the cost and commitment of hiring a full-time, dedicated CISO (The IANS "2023 CISO Compensation Benchmark Summary Report" states "for CISOs working in the U.S., the average total compensation—defined as base salary plus annual target bonus and the annual equity value—is $550,000 with a median of $388,000"). At a high level, the CISO function is accountable for governance and management of a business's information security, privacy, resilience, and risk management programs. The responsibilities of a CISO are extensive, but can vary depending on the business's size, industry, and structure. An SMB vCISO from SMBvCISO can provide valuable expertise and guidance to businesses looking to enhance their posture through outsourced, off-site advisory and consulting services on a scheduled or ad hoc basis at an affordable cost.

All businesses have facilities, systems, applications, processes, and data that need to be secured and protected from threats and vulnerabilities. "The global average cost of a data breach in 2023 was USD 4.45 million, a 15% increase over 3 years" according to IBM's "Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023". We have flexible advisory and consulting services that work within the business constraints of startup and established companies alike which makes having a vCISO an affordable investment.

Our vCISOs have a extensive, real-world information security experience in multiple industries, have been the CISO function of a company, and maintain both CISM and CISSP certifications.

We offer advisory services that focus on strategic governance and management through development and implementation of security, privacy, resilience, and risk management programs based on polices, specifications, and practices. And, we offer consulting services that focus on tactical projects related to security, privacy, resilience, risk management, people, processes, and technologies.

We are located in the Dallas - Ft Worth metroplex and offer virtual advisory and consulting services that help businesses be more secure and protected regardless of where they are located.

We sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), follow security best practices, and store, process, and transmit confidential information by secure methods.

We have extensive experience meeting regulatory compliance requirements, answering questionnaires, and responding to third-party audits.

Our knowledge, skills, and abilities allow us to develop and implement comprehensive programs that are effective, efficient, and productive and our experience enables us to complete projects that meet client expectations. We are vendor neutral and receive no financial benefit from third-parties for recommending their products or services.