VIRTUAL CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER SERVICES (vCISO)
Driving results today means being active online. In our tech-centric world, however, cybercriminals are increasingly taking over the stage in the form of both external threat actors and trusted internal employees. Staying safe demands expertise and attention yet employing a full-time IT security professional is unfeasible for some organizations due to size, resources or budget. Gaining a high level of expertise through a vCISO (virtual Chief Information Security Officer) is the ideal solution.
A virtual CISO is instrumental in developing corporate security goals and ensuring these align with organization objectives – without incurring the cost of a full-time CIO. Providing strategic leadership in IT budgeting, cybersecurity, vendor management, risk assessment and more, virtual CISO-managed services can optimize a company’s IT investments.
Exceptional vCISO support helps reduce data, privacy and regulatory risk and protect against reputational and financial liability.
Meet the Team
External Expertise, Internal Insight
Today, there’s no substitute for an experienced information security and data privacy professional. When a PKF O’Connor Davies vCISO collaborates with you and your internal teams, the advantages are invaluable.
Our vCISOs offer expertise in implementing and monitoring effective IT governance and developing strategic corporate security goals. They can help ensure your company is protected against threats, adhering to sound security policies and procedures and responding to breaches swiftly and effectively.
Technical expertise in overseeing the implementation and design of technical controls, system installations and configurations is just one part of the PKF O’Connor Davies vCISO program. Our vCISOs also bring the business acumen required to communicate with management, board members and other stakeholders to facilitate risk-informed decision making.
Advantages Unique in the Industry
An experienced outsourced CISO firm, PKF O’Connor Davies offers a unique and unmatched combination of benefits. Our vCISO services provide businesses with access to dedicated cybersecurity and information privacy specialists, along with experienced IT operational and compliance professionals – all of who are focused on business continuity, incident response and disaster recovery.
As a result, our clients secure operational plans that reflect business-critical technology demands and information security strategies that align productively with IT administration – along with the confidence that they are monitoring for hacks, breaches and financial and reputational threats.
On your behalf, our vCISO assists with:
- Security and Privacy Policy: Help plan and manage corporate-wide information security and data governance processes and policies including data classification standards, information security, privacy, mobile devices, remote workforce and vendor management.
- Compliance and Audit: Lead development and implementation of policies and practices to secure protected and sensitive data; ensure information security and compliance with relevant legislation, legal interpretation and stated privacy practices. We direct efforts to internally assess, evaluate and make recommendations regarding the adequacy of security controls for the corporate information and technology systems.
- Vendor Management: Provide guidelines, vendor standards and due diligence on contracts and agreements; participate in approval and review of all new contracts adhering to established corporate standard; ensure vendors meet corporate vendor security policy.
- Communication and Training: Support the creation of education and awareness programs encompassing cybersecurity, information and privacy risks. Ensure internal dissemination and compliance enforcement of cybersecurity policies, procedures and best practices. Advise on all levels of security issues, best practices and vulnerabilities; mentor and implement professional development plans for IT staff.
- Incident and Crisis Response: Provide leadership, direction and guidance in the event of an information security or business continuity crisis.
- Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing: Perform additional internal and external vulnerability scans along with external penetration tests to ensure the effectiveness of the program, provide an additional perspective and validate results.
As the cyber landscape evolves, your needs will change. Fundamental to the benefits we offer is that we are nimble in our response, focused in our attention and adaptable in scaling the services we deliver. Highly experienced and deeply knowledgeable, our vCISO serves as an incomparable resource, providing the support today’s managers require to protect against ongoing cyber threats that can devastate operations, profitability and organizational reputations.