New Service: Virtual CISO for SMBs

We're excited to announce our Virtual CISO (vCISO) service—executive-level security leadership designed specifically for small and medium businesses.

The Problem: The CISO Gap

What Enterprises Have

Large organizations employ Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) who:

• Set security strategy
• Manage security programs
• Report to the board
• Guide compliance efforts
• Lead incident response
• Oversee vendor security

Average CISO salary: $250,000-$400,000+

What SMBs Have

Most small and medium businesses have:

• An IT person who "also does security"
• A well-meaning but overwhelmed team
• Reactive, crisis-driven security
• No executive security leadership

The Result

Without security leadership, SMBs struggle with:

• Unclear security priorities
• Wasted spending on wrong solutions
• Compliance confusion
• Incident response chaos
• Board and customer concerns going unanswered

The Solution: Virtual CISO

A Virtual CISO provides the strategic security leadership you need at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

What Is a vCISO?

A vCISO is a part-time or fractional security executive who serves as your organization's security leader. They bring:

• Executive Experience: Strategic thinking, not just technical skills
• Industry Knowledge: Understanding of threats, trends, and best practices
• Communication Skills: Ability to translate security for business audiences
• Program Building: Expertise in creating sustainable security programs

How It Works

Ongoing Engagement:

• Regular meetings (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly)
• Strategic planning and oversight
• Available for questions and guidance
• Quarterly reviews and reporting

Key Activities:

• Security program development
• Policy and procedure creation
• Vendor and tool evaluation
• Compliance guidance
• Board and stakeholder communication
• Incident response leadership
• Security awareness oversight

What's Included

Tier 1: Advisory

Best for: Businesses starting their security journey

Monthly Investment: $2,500-$4,000

Includes:

• Monthly strategy session (2 hours)
• Email/phone support (reasonable use)
• Quarterly security review
• Annual security roadmap
• Policy templates

Outcome: Strategic direction and expert guidance

Tier 2: Leadership

Best for: Businesses building security programs

Monthly Investment: $5,000-$8,000

Includes:

• Bi-weekly working sessions
• Ongoing support and availability
• Security program development
• Vendor evaluation assistance
• Compliance guidance
• Incident response coordination
• Board/stakeholder presentations

Outcome: Active security program management

Tier 3: Executive

Best for: Businesses with mature needs

Monthly Investment: $10,000-$15,000

Includes:

• Weekly engagement
• Full security program oversight
• Hands-on leadership
• Team development
• Multiple compliance frameworks
• Strategic vendor relationships
• Board participation

Outcome: Complete executive security leadership

Who Needs a vCISO?

You Should Consider a vCISO If:

Compliance Driven:

• Customers asking about security
• Facing HIPAA, SOC 2, or PCI requirements
• Insurance applications requiring security leadership
• Board asking questions you can't answer

Growth Driven:

• Preparing for larger customers
• Expanding into regulated industries
• Seeking investment (investors ask about security)
• Building a security foundation

Incident Driven:

• Had a security incident
• Concerned about threats
• Need to rebuild trust
• Want to prevent future issues

Industries We Serve

• Healthcare and medical practices
• Legal and professional services
• Financial services
• Technology companies
• Manufacturing
• Non-profits with sensitive data

The vCISO vs. Alternatives

Option	Cost	Expertise	Availability	Fit for SMB
Full-time CISO	$250K+	High	Full-time	Often overkill
IT Person "doing security"	Included	Variable	Limited	Gap in strategy
MSSP alone	$3-10K/mo	Technical only	Reactive	Missing leadership
vCISO	$2.5-15K/mo	Executive	Appropriate	✓ Right-sized

What We Won't Do

We're Not:

• A replacement for technical implementation
• 24/7 SOC monitoring
• Hands-on IT support
• Compliance certification body

We Are:

• Strategic security leadership
• Program development experts
• Compliance navigators
• Security decision partners

Working Together

Getting Started

Phase 1: Assessment (Weeks 1-2)

• Understand your business
• Review current security state
• Identify immediate priorities
• Establish baseline

Phase 2: Planning (Weeks 3-4)

• Develop security roadmap
• Create initial policies
• Set up governance structure
• Define metrics

Phase 3: Execution (Ongoing)

• Regular engagement rhythm
• Progress tracking
• Continuous improvement
• Adaptation to changes

What to Expect

First 90 Days:

• Clear understanding of your security posture
• Prioritized action plan
• Initial policies in place
• Quick wins implemented

First Year:

• Functional security program
• Improved security posture
• Compliance framework progress
• Team security awareness

Ongoing:

• Continuous improvement
• Adapting to new threats
• Scaling with growth
• Sustained security culture

Client Story

Note: Details changed for confidentiality

The Situation

A 50-person healthcare technology company was pursuing enterprise customers. Every sales process stalled at security questionnaires they couldn't complete.

The Engagement

We started as their vCISO with bi-weekly sessions:

• Month 1-2: Assessment and roadmap
• Month 3-4: Policy development, quick wins
• Month 5-6: SOC 2 preparation
• Month 7-12: Program maturation

The Results

• Completed security questionnaires confidently
• Closed 3 enterprise deals previously stalled
• Achieved SOC 2 Type 1 certification
• Reduced cyber insurance premiums by 20%
• CEO can answer board security questions

The Investment

$6,000/month for vCISO services

The Return

$500K+ in new ARR from previously blocked deals

FAQ

Q: How much time do you spend with us? A: Depends on the tier. Ranges from a few hours monthly to essentially part-time executive presence.

Q: Can you work with our existing IT provider? A: Absolutely. We partner with IT teams and MSPs—we provide strategy, they provide implementation.

Q: What if we have an incident? A: We coordinate response and bring in specialized resources as needed. Incident response is included.

Q: Can we transition to a full-time CISO later? A: Yes. We can help hire and transition to an internal CISO when you're ready.

Q: How long is the commitment? A: We typically start with 6-month engagements. Month-to-month available after initial period.

Ready to Discuss?

If your business needs security leadership but isn't ready for a full-time hire, let's talk about how a vCISO engagement could help.

---

Schedule a conversation: m1k3@msquarellc.net