vCISO and Fractional CISO Services in Reno

A vCISO (virtual chief information security officer) gives your business experienced security leadership without hiring a full-time executive. Our vCISO guidance covers risk reviews, security policies, a prioritized roadmap and compliance direction for HIPAA, the FTC Safeguards Rule and CMMC. It is included in both plans for Reno, Sparks and Carson City businesses.

Get a free assessment Included in Security, from $100/user/month
What a vCISO does

Someone accountable for security decisions.

Most small businesses have someone responsible for IT. Very few have someone responsible for security risk. That gap shows up when an insurer, auditor or large customer asks who owns security, and nobody has a good answer.

Risk management

Regular risk reviews that rank threats by likelihood and business impact, building on your risk assessment.

Security policies

Written policies that match how your business actually works, which regulators and insurers ask to see.

Security roadmap

A prioritized plan for the next year so security spending goes to the biggest risks first.

Compliance direction

Mapping your obligations under HIPAA, the FTC Safeguards Rule, CMMC and Nevada law, and tracking gaps to closure.

Vendor risk

Guidance on reviewing the security of the vendors and software providers that hold your data.

Leadership reporting

Plain-English updates for owners and partners on where security stands and what decisions are needed.

vCISO vs full-time CISO

Leadership sized for your business.

A full-time CISO compared with our vCISO guidance
FeatureFull-time CISOOur vCISO guidance
CostExecutive salary and benefitsIncluded in your per-user plan
HiringLong search in a tight marketPart of your plan
Connected to daily operationsNeeds a team under themWorks with our SOC team that runs your security
Right fit forLarge or highly regulated enterprisesSmall and mid-sized businesses
Example

What a first 90 days can look like.

An illustrative sequence. Your roadmap is built around your risk assessment.

  1. Days 1 to 30: understand

    Review the risk assessment, map regulatory obligations and identify the three to five risks that matter most.

  2. Days 31 to 60: foundation

    Put core policies in place, confirm incident response contacts and close the highest-risk gaps with our operations team.

  3. Days 61 to 90: plan ahead

    Agree the security roadmap for the year and set up the regular reviews that keep it current.

Who benefits

Especially useful under these rules.

  • FTC Safeguards Rule: requires a designated Qualified Individual to oversee your security program. A service provider can fill that role if you keep oversight.1
  • HIPAA: requires a designated security official and documented policies.
  • CMMC: requires a System Security Plan and a plan of action for open gaps.

That makes vCISO guidance valuable for financial services firms, accounting firms and healthcare practices. It comes with every managed security services plan.

Sources:
  1. FTC, Safeguards Rule: What Your Business Needs to Know
Common questions

vCISO FAQ

A virtual CISO (vCISO), also called a fractional CISO, is an experienced security leader who works for your business part time or as part of a service, instead of as a full-time employee. The vCISO owns security strategy, risk management, policies and compliance direction, and helps leadership make informed decisions about security spending.
For most small and mid-sized businesses, a full-time CISO is expensive and hard to recruit, and there is not enough strategic work to fill the role. vCISO guidance gives you that expertise without the salary, and with us it comes from the team that actually operates your security every day.
A vCISO maps your obligations under rules such as HIPAA, the FTC Safeguards Rule and CMMC, helps you put in place the written policies and risk assessments those rules require, tracks gaps to closure and helps you answer auditors, insurers and customers. Under the FTC Safeguards Rule, a service provider can serve as the required Qualified Individual if you keep oversight.
Businesses that hold regulated or sensitive data but do not have a security executive: medical and dental practices, law firms, accounting firms, financial services firms, defense suppliers and growing companies facing customer security questionnaires or cyber insurance renewals.

Find out where your business is exposed.

Book a free, comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessment. See where your business is exposed and what to fix first. No cost, no contract.

Get a Free Assessment Call (775) 238-9281