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The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and organizations must continuously adapt their security programs to stay ahead of the threats. One of the biggest challenges of managing a cybersecurity program is keeping up with the latest changes in technology and threat landscape. 

Security teams must be proactive in their research and keep up-to-date with the latest security news in order to identify issues early and minimize disruption. With the ever-changing landscape, it can be difficult to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest threats and how to defend against them. And let’s not forget that with so many other competing priorities, it can be difficult to secure enough funding to maintain a robust security program.

Thankfully, there’s a solution to these cybersecurity challenges — a vCISO.

What is a vCISO, and How Can a vCISO Help Address Cybersecurity Pain Points?

A vCISO, or virtual CISO, is a security executive who provides strategic guidance and oversight for an organization's security program. The vCISO works with the organization's leadership to assess risks and develop plans for mitigating those risks. 

The vCISO is a versatile and cost-effective option for businesses that do not have the internal resources to devote to hiring a full-time Chief Information Security Officer. Additionally, the vCISO can be hired on an as-needed basis, which allows businesses to scale their security efforts up or down as needed. The potential cost benefits of a vCISO make it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes. Perhaps best of all, a vCISO will have seen and dealt with nearly every cybersecurity pain point a business will face.

Here are seven common cybersecurity pain points facing businesses today and how a vCISO can help address them:

Filling Out Customer Security Surveys

Organizations often receive several security surveys throughout the year from clients or partners looking to verify proper cybersecurity and data protection practices are in place. These surveys or questionnaires can often be lengthy and complex and may require specialized knowledge in order to complete them accurately.

Solution: When it comes to filling out customer security surveys, a vCISO can be an invaluable asset. Often, these surveys are lengthy and complex, containing a multitude of technical questions that can be difficult to navigate without expert assistance. A vCISO can help to ensure that the survey is filled out correctly and completely, providing peace of mind for both the customer and the company. 

Interpreting MSP Security Sales

Managed service providers (MSPs) offer a variety of services, and it can be difficult to understand what they are selling. MSPs typically use a subscription model, which can make it hard to determine the value of the services. In addition, MSPs often bundle their services together, making it difficult to compare prices. Finally, MSPs often change their pricing models, making it all the more challenging to compare apples to apples. 

Solution: A vCISO is a great resource for companies looking to better understand the service offerings MSPs are providing, which can be incredibly complicated and unique for each organization. A vCISO can help companies clearly identify the current state of their security posture, identify gaps in their coverage, and develop strategies to close those gaps with the appropriate solution from an MSP.

Additionally, by tracking issue resolution times, managing the MSP’s contractual obligations with the business, and ensuring MSP costs remain within the predefined budget, a vCISO can help the organization identify when an MSP is no longer the right partner for the business.

Answering Cyber Insurance Related Questions

Navigating the world of cyber insurance can be a challenge. There are an incredible number of different policy options available, and each one has its own unique set of coverages and exclusions. It takes a great deal of technical expertise to understand all of the different policy options and to choose the right one for your business.

Solution: With their experience and expertise, a vCISO can help you to understand the risks posed by your business and choose the right coverage to protect your assets.

The biggest challenge, regardless of industry, that a vCISO can help you solve, is clearly articulating your risk level to a potential cyber insurer and providing them with the peace of mind that your company is, in fact, insurable.

Navigating Compliance

Maintaining cybersecurity compliance can be a challenge for any organization. In addition, compliance standards are constantly changing, which means that organizations need to be prepared to make changes on short notice.

Solution: Every industry is different, and whether it’s the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), SOC 2, or any other compliance-related measure, organizations must take steps to ensure that they are protecting customer data and complying with data privacy laws.

A vCISO can help assess an organization's security posture and identify gaps in compliance. They can develop and implement security policies and procedures that meet regulatory requirements, while also providing guidance on incident response planning and data breach notification.

Understanding or Interpreting Tech Speak and Lingo

Anyone working in the cybersecurity field knows that it is its own world, with its own language. For those who are new to the field, or for those who are trying to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, this can pose a real challenge. Not only is there a lot of technical jargon to sift through, but there is also a constant stream of new terminology being introduced. 

And as if that wasn't enough, the meaning of some terms can change over time, depending on the context in which they are used. This can make it very difficult to understand what people are talking about, and even more difficult to accurately translate cybersecurity lingo into plain English.

Solution: The vCISO plays an important role in communicating with non-technical staff members. They can help to interpret technical lingo and translate it into terms that everyone can understand. By acting as a bridge of communication between the technical and non-technical worlds, the vCISO can help companies to better protect themselves against both known and unknown threats.

Determining What Is a Must-Have vs. Nice to Have In Your Security Program

The biggest challenge with determining what is a must-have vs. nice to have in your cybersecurity program is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. What may be essential for one organization may not be as critical for another. Ultimately, it is up to each organization to assess its risks and determine what controls are necessary to mitigate those risks.

Solution: When it comes to determining which security measures are "must-haves" vs. "nice-to-haves," a vCISO can help to prioritize based on risk. By working with a vCISO, organizations can gain insights into their unique risks and develop a tailored security program that meets their specific needs.

Visibility Into if or When Something Is Wrong 

One of the biggest challenges facing organizations is keeping up with the shifting threat landscape. With new vulnerabilities and exploits being discovered every day, it can be difficult to not only stay ahead of the curve, but also to know what to pay attention to. In addition, as attackers become more sophisticated, they are constantly evolving their techniques, making it difficult to anticipate their next move.

Solution: A vCISO can provide valuable visibility into an organization's cybersecurity posture by performing regular risk assessments and threat simulations. By understanding the potential threats faced by an organization, a vCISO can help to identify weaknesses in defenses and develop plans to mitigate those risks. 

Additionally, a vCISO can monitor emerging trends in cyber threats and adjust security protocols accordingly. By staying up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity threats, a vCISO can help to ensure that an organization is prepared to defend against them.

How Do I Get Started?

Regardless of your company’s size, age, or industry, security cannot afford to be an afterthought. Enlisting the help of a vCISO can help demonstrate your commitment to ensuring the safety and privacy of your customers. Get started with Defensible today!

For more information or to schedule your free 30-minute consultation, please reach out to info@defensible.tech