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With budgets tightening across the board and competition for a limited pool of IT and security talent growing fiercer, cyber as a service providers have become an optimal solution for many companies. Knowing they can count on their partners to focus on specific vectors, internal security teams can concentrate on their core missions. This could be high priority or critical items within security or something totally outside of security. The flexibility of Cyber Security as a Service (CSaaS) allows the services utilized to change over time and be periodically realigned to ensure the customer’s business needs are being met.
The future is here and now, with digital transformation driving organizations rapidly. Today the role of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) within organizations has become transformational where the CISO leads cross-functional teams to match the speed and boldness of digital transformations with agile, forward-thinking security and privacy strategies, investments, and plans. The operational leader and master tacticians are tech-savvy and business-savvy CISOs. They can deliver consistent system performance, with security and privacy throughout the organization and its ecosystem amid constant and changing threats.
Skills gap and the burnout of security teams
The cyber security talent shortage impacts a growing number of organizations, including an increasing workload for the existing cyber security team, unfilled open job requisitions, and high burnout among staff. Only pandemic-related issues outrank talent shortages as the most significant worry companies face. With the never-ending surge of cyber-attacks and potential threats in this digital era, enterprises have started identifying the significance of a robust cybersecurity plan to protect themselves.
While many companies enjoy the privilege of a specially dedicated in-house cybersecurity lead, namely a CISO, the position in most cases is a bit expensive considering the SMEs. On the other hand, the ongoing pandemic has induced a total shift in the working patterns and data sharing mediums.
The change has forced enterprises to understand the importance of complete cybersecurity protection to tackle incoming threats. While a full-time CISO position might not be feasible considering the affordability factor for Subject Matter Experts (SME), virtual CISO (vCISO) services offer a more flexible and affordable model.
CISO and security strategy an essential must have
It’s a critical juncture for cybersecurity and CISOs. A business-driven cyber strategy is the essential first step for business and security leaders amid sweeping, rapid business digitization. This reset defines the expanding role of the CISO. It affects how the organization sets cyber budgets, invests in security solutions, plans for resilience, and enhances its security. It determines whether CISOs may grow to become stewards of digital trust and securely lead their organizations into the new era with strategies to protect and create business value.
Time for a flexible delivery model
CISOaaS is a flexible CISO service that gives you the ability to flex your resourcing with your security needs without employing more staff. Form a strategy, embed best practices, and validate IT project architectural designs.
Contrary to a traditional CISO role, CISOaaS is based on a multidisciplinary team of experienced cybersecurity professionals. Required experience includes regulatory compliance and consulting on identity & access management, security testing, network & physical security, risk management, data protection, disaster recovery/business continuity, delivering customized services based on your needs, and achieving significant cost reduction. The caliber of security professionals required to mitigate the myriad of potential cyber threats and ever-growing legislative compliance requirements can often be beyond the reach of many businesses.
CISO as a Service brings affordability and flexibility to this critically strategic role.
Where to get started in 2022 with a vCISOaaS
Start by analyzing and building inventories of systems your organization and understanding your business objectives.
Develop a comprehensive and practical security program that fits the need of the business and enhances the immune system of the company’s information security posture with not focusing on just getting more tools but a more integrated risk view.
vCISO team can function as an extension of your team and deliver expert security strategy, leadership, and support.
Putting an effective cybersecurity strategy in place can seem overwhelming because of tight budgets and how efforts are prioritized when investing in a cyber risk management solution?
Milestones to achieve
Establish Your Security Program
Learning the environment and understanding business goals to achieve the security program alignment to the business.
2. Prioritize and categorize the security needs
The unique design of the security program will provide strategic direction to help you achieve your business goals. Determine and prioritize security initiatives to reduce risk quickly, economically, and efficiently.
3. Security Improvements for Risk Mitigation
Learn and understand the risk posture for the business and then create a complete risk treatment plan to achieve the accepted level of risk posture.
A lasting trend
The ongoing pandemic has brought many twists and turns to our working style, model, and pattern. Change is inevitable, and at the same time, needs to ensure compliance and protection to organization’s security standards and policies.
The vCISO service can provide an expert solution with an affordable and reliable model for enterprises, ensuring security. Large enterprises benefit from expert advisory, strategic guidance, and much-needed continuity. On the other hand, small-scale companies could use vCISO as a service that helps to manage security standards, compliances, management of staff, and the deployment of a security roadmap. The flexibility and cost-effectiveness of the vCISOaaS is a stand-out feature that makes it the right choice for many.
