Guide: How Service Providers can Deliver vCISO Services at Scale

From ransomware to breaches, from noncompliance penalties to
reputational damage – cyberthreats pose an existential risk to any
business. But for SMEs and SMBs, the danger is compounded. These
companies realize they need an in-house Chief Information
Security Officer (CISO) – someone who can assess risks and
vulnerabilities, create and execute a comprehensive cybersecurity
plan, ensure compliance and safeguard business continuity. Yet
unlike large enterprises, most don’t have the budget to bring a
full-time experienced CISO on board.

To bridge this gap, managed service providers (MSPs), managed
security service providers (MSSPs), and consulting firms offer
virtual CISO (vCISO), or ‘CISO-as-a-service’ services.

The model is simple: instead of hiring a full-time CISO, SMEs
and SMBs pay a subscription or a retainer to gain access to expert
cyber assistance in the form of a virtual CISO. Staffed by seasoned
veteran executives, vCISOs offer C-level assistance in devising and
implementing strategies to prevent breaches, reduce risk, and
mitigate the consequences of attacks.

The challenge is scaling vCISO services cost-effectively. vCISO
duties not only require a high-level of security and executive
expertise, but they are also time-consuming. A vCISO needs to take
the time to thoroughly assess the existing environment, evaluate
all potential threats and areas of vulnerability, and come to an
understanding of the risk profile of the organization. This
labor-intensive process makes it difficult, if not impossible, for
many MSPs, MSSPs and consultants to raise the volume of vCISO
services they can effectively deliver.

In a new guide titled “How MSPs, MSSPs, and Consultants Can
Scale vCISO Services to Boost Revenue and Upselling Without Adding
to Existing Resources^[1],” vCISO platform
solution Cynomi offers an explanation of why vCISO services are so
difficult to scale and how service providers can overcome these
barriers to achieve high margins at scale.

The white paper covers:

1. Why exactly CISO services are in high demand
2. What the CISO’s role in the organization?
3. Why hiring a CISO is do difficult and expensive
4. How vCISO services can compensate for the CISO labor
   shortage
5. Barriers to achieving long-term vCISO services success
6. How to scale vCISO services
7. Emerging AI-powered platforms that automate vCISO services

Unlike more academic papers, this white paper provides hands-on
guidance to MSPs, MSSPs and consultants about how they can
successfully scale up vCISO services – without adding personnel or
expensive infrastructure. This facilitates boosting vCISO revenues
and overall profitability, while making it feasible to upsell vCISO
services to a wider range of their clientele.

Download the guide here^[2]