What is CISOaaS?

We provides information security leadership, security guidance to senior management and drives the organization’s information security programme

Chief Information Security Officer-as-a-Service (CISOaaS) provides information security leadership from an appropriate pool of expertise and technical resources from within IT Governance. CISOaaS provides security guidance to senior management and drives the organization’s information security programme.

The service can:

Provide your organization with a cost-effective way of maintaining information security systems and managing risk; 

Offer an extension to your organization’s information security capabilities; and 

Deliver an ongoing security presence and ensure risks and incidents are reduced before they can cause unacceptable business losses. 

CISOaaS can help an organization identify its current information security maturity, the threat landscape, what needs to be protected and the level of protection required, as well as the regulatory requirements it needs to meet. The CISO will put together an information security strategy ensuring that the basics are implemented and maintained, risks are reduced and the maturity of information security will be raised.

The benefits of our CISOaaS

A CISOaaS model can help you acquire this expertise without the drawbacks. It allows your organization to cost-effectively access strategic security experience and technical skills, gaining all the benefits without the capital expenditure (salary, hiring costs, sick pay, holiday pay, training costs and potential redundancy payments).

This enables your organization to build and maintain an ISMS (information security management system) and take a risk-driven approach to protect sensitive assets, supported by your in-house IT team. 

Access a pool of experienced, specialized, senior cyber security professionals

Access resources quickly and eliminate the need to attract and retain talent. 

Lower your costs by only paying for the support required. 

Reduce your risk by enhancing your cyber and information strategy with a clearly defined roadmap. 

Gain experience to educate and present to all types of senior executives, board members and non-technical senior staff. 

Our independent perspective and credibility can help secure cross-business support and achieve your information security goals.

Our engagement process

A typical CISOaaS engagement will involve:

Scoping:

Every CISOaaS assignment differs in scope and objectives. Your requirements will depend on your current protection level, risk appetite and infrastructure. 

Assessment:

CISOaaS will perform an assessment to identify the regulatory, legislative and contractual requirements that the organization must meet. The organization will also be audited using a standard framework.  

Gap analysis:

CISOaaS will conduct a threat assessment and identify what needs to be protected and the level of protection. On completion of the security profile, a strategy and roadmap will be developed for the board to approve to reduce the risk to the organization and improve the maturity of its information security capability. 

Implementation:

CISOaaS will implement the roadmap by initiating identity management, access control, inventory management and any other projects listed in the roadmap. 

Evaluation:

A reassessment will be conducted to determine the success of the implementation phase and to identify whether the risk profile has changed and the impact this has on the strategy and roadmap. 

Continual maintenance

CISOaaS will establish business-as-usual activities that could be undertaken on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis. 

Is the service right for me? 

You should consider this service if your organization:

Operates a lean IT function and you need to protect your digital assets with limited resources, without opening new positions; 

Needs an effective way to lay the foundation for a permanent CISO function; 

Is under pressure to upgrade its cyber security strategy; 

Needs an interim measure when trying to recruit a permanent staff member; and/or 

Is designing the right architecture to mitigate the risks posed by cyber crime.