Virtual CISO — Coverage

A senior security leader, without the full-time hire.

Fractional executive security leadership for organizations that need CISO-level judgment, regulator-ready program design, and on-call escalation — but cannot justify or staff a permanent CISO. CISSP-certified leaders with twenty-plus-year resumes running security programs in regulated industries.

Senior security leadership at fractional cost.

A vCISO engagement is for the organization that needs the judgment of a seasoned CISO without the cost, equity, and recruiting risk of hiring one. The math works most cleanly for mid-market organizations with regulatory or contractual security obligations and an internal team that needs senior guidance rather than full-time leadership.

01 · Cost

A fraction of a full-time hire.

A full-time CISO at market in the US carries a total cost north of $400K including equity. A vCISO engagement delivers the same caliber of judgment for a small fraction of that, scoped to the hours your organization actually needs.

02 · Speed

Productive from week one.

A full-time hire takes six to nine months from job opening to productive contribution. A vCISO is operating inside your program by the second week — because the role does not require building context from zero.

03 · Depth

Pattern-matched across many programs.

A vCISO who has run security programs for fifteen organizations has seen patterns no single full-time CISO will see in a career. The decisions your team faces have already been made elsewhere; the vCISO carries those lessons in.

Scoped to what you need.

Most vCISO engagements take one of three shapes. The right one depends on where your security program is today and what you are trying to get to.

Mode 01

Program build

For organizations standing up a security program from scratch or formalizing one that grew up ad-hoc. The vCISO builds the program architecture, shapes the internal team, and hands off to a full-time CISO once the program is mature enough to attract one.

Program strategy and roadmap
Org design and hiring plan
Policy and process framework
Tooling and platform decisions
Board reporting cadence

Mode 02

Ongoing leadership

For organizations whose long-term plan is to run with fractional executive security leadership. The vCISO is a stable, named presence — indistinguishable from a full-time CISO except in calendar hours.
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Quarterly board reporting
Annual program strategy
Monthly program reviews
On-call escalation availability
Vendor and tool ownership

Mode 03

Bridge or transition

For organizations between full-time CISOs, going through M&A integration, or navigating a regulator examination cycle. The vCISO is a senior pair of hands for a defined period — typically three to nine months — with a clear exit at the end.

Interim program ownership
Regulator examination preparation
M&A security integration
Post incident review leadership
Knowledge transfer at handoff

Common questions before the first call.

How many hours per week is typical?

Most engagements run 4 to 20 hours per week depending on mode. Program-build is heavier (15–20); ongoing leadership settles at 6–12; bridge varies with the situation.

Will the vCISO be present at board meetings?

Yes — quarterly board attendance is included in ongoing leadership and program-build engagements, with materials prepared and circulated in advance.

Can the vCISO be on-call for incidents?

Yes — escalation availability is included in ongoing engagements. For active incidents, the vCISO leads the post incident review with the full Convergent forensics and expert witness team behind them.

How is pricing structured?

Per-engagement fixed monthly retainer based on mode and hours. The scoping call is free and produces the proposal; no per-hour billing surprises after that.