What is CISO as a Service? Tips for Transforming Cybersecurity Management Into Tangible ROI
Cyber threats loom around us everyday and businesses are under constant pressure to safeguard their data and systems from these threats. Yet, finding and retaining a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is no small feat. Did you know that 65% of organizations report struggling to hire and retain cybersecurity talent due to the cyber security skills shortage, with the average tenure of a CISO being just 18 months? This high turnover, coupled with soaring salary demands, leaves many companies vulnerable and frustrated. This is where CISO as a Service (CaaS) steps in, offering a flexible, cost-effective solution. Let’s explore the common pitfalls of traditional CISOs and how CaaS can be a game-changer for your organization.
What a successful CISO needs
From the outside, your Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is a highly-regarded, C-level manager with power and authority to protect your company from security threats. For many companies, unfortunately, the reality is very different. Many CISOs are frustrated and handcuffed, with only a limited ability to affect organizational security. For some, you could say the Chief Information Security Officer position is more of a curse than a reward. An effective CISOaaS focuses on an information security strategy ensuring the implementation and maintenance of security basics, risk reduction, and continuous improvement of information security maturity.
CISOs cannot succeed in a vacuum
It’s important to note that a CISO must be a part of a larger security ecosystem in order to ensure that a businesses security program can thrive. A lone wolf CISO simply cannot succeed due to the complexity, breadth, and sheer volume of tasks required to run and maintain an effective security program at the level needed to protect an organization effectively. Coordinated cyber security efforts are essential to align with corporate risk appetite and address new or emerging threats effectively.
In order to be a successful CISO it takes a lot more than just a security team to support a security program. Here’s a list of things to consider to ensure your CISO is effective:
Proper chain of command
If your CISO is reporting to anyone other than the CEO or CFO, then you have a broken and ineffective chain of command. Those who report to the CIO/CTO frequently find themselves in a situation of conflicting interests.
A CISO’s main job is to prevent bad things from happening, which requires quick decision-making and resource deployment. The CIO/CTO’s main job is to ensure technology is functioning, sometimes at the expense of security. While the two roles certainly have overlapping goals, they can also have conflicting goals, which is why it’s better not to have either reporting through the other.
The right headcount for your security team
CISOs are the head of a complete security team including analysts, engineers, and even attorneys. The size of the team ultimately depends on the size of the organization, its specific needs, the complexity of its IT environment, its risk profile, and the availability of trained cyber information security professionals.
- Small to medium size enterprises: 5-20 members focusing on essential security functions.
- Large enterprises: with more complex needs might have teams with 50 or more specialized professionals.
Overall, there is no one-size fits all approach for team size, but what’s more important is to ensure that all critical areas are adequately addressed to protect against cyber threats effectively.
Adequate budget
Every organization looks to rein in costs, but security is generally not the place to cut corners. If your cybersecurity budget constitutes only a small portion of the total IT budget, your CISO could be destined for failure. Determining the optimal budget allocation for your security program is a crucial aspect of safeguarding business operations.
And, unless you have a technically adept team that uses open source and spins up its own solutions in-house, your CISO will have to go the vendor route. Without the proper budget, your CISO is more likely to be a scapegoat than a hero.
Sufficient face time with the board
Cybersecurity has certainly made it’s way as a topic of concern for any board these days, but how frequently and how much time does your CISO get in front of the board? If they only get five minutes at the annual board meeting, security may not be a top concern at your organization, leaving the CISO frustrated and limited.
A CISO who’s given ample recognition by the board is generally given the necessary tools to safeguard the organization and the top-down mandate that cybersecurity is important.
Autonomy to make decisions
To do their job properly, your CISO will occasionally have to make an unpopular decision, which is in the best interest of your organization security-wise. And it will only work if they have the authority and autonomy to make that decision.
A good litmus test of a CISO’s authority is if a call from them gets an immediate response from employees. That CISO probably has the power they need to get their job done. On the other hand, when they are forced to govern by committee, they’ll have a hard time pushing security initiatives through.
The pain of a chief information security officer
The challenges businesses face today are that even when a CISO is set up for success, they are often frustrated, overworked, overstressed, and lack the tools and resources they need to succeed. There are costly, cumbersome, and nearly impossible challenges than an in-house security team must face when it comes to today’s advanced and persistent cyber security risks. Which is why vendors play an important role when it comes to the success of an organization’s security program.
The benefits of CISO as a service for your security program
As you can see, the path to a successful CISO and security program is paved with many challenges. As you navigate these challenges, it would be prudent to explore an alternative approach for bolstering your security operations by enlisting the services of a CISO as a Service (CaaS) provider. The benefits of CaaS often outweigh the drawbacks (and there are some) for many companies:
- Expertise and experience: Gain access to top-tier cybersecurity talent with a wealth of experience across various industries without having to hire internally. Recruiting and retaining talent in the current climate of a cyber security skills shortage is not just costly and time-consuming but also exceptionally challenging when it comes to securing individuals with precise skills needed.
- Cost-effective: Hiring a CaaS can be a cost-effective way to maintain comprehensive security programs. And, it comes with the specialized expertise needed for the various areas of your program.
- Focus on core business: Allow your internal team to focus on core business activities while benefiting from expert cybersecurity strategy management that can translate cybersecurity investments into tangible ROI.
- Scalability and flexibility: scale up and down services based on your unique businesses changing needs and risk profiles. Customized solutions that are tailored to your business. An ongoing security presence ensures continuous improvement and risk reduction.
- C-Suite and board experience: Most CaaS vendors will have a team of diverse experience that includes a strong understanding of risk management, regulatory compliance, business continuity planning, and the ability to translate technical jargon into strategic business implications. This comes in handy when it’s time to discuss cybersecurity initiatives and budgeting.
Mitigating the risks of CISO as a Service
While CISO as a Service offers numerous benefits, it’s important to be aware of and address a few high-level challenges that could come up:
- Integration: Ensure the external CISO integrates well with your company’s culture and internal processes through effective communication and collaboration.
- Consistency: Choose a reputable provider with a stable team to maintain consistency in your cybersecurity strategy.
- Clear expectations: Establish clear communication channels and expectations from the outset, including the ownership and implementation of a security and compliance strategy, to prevent any misunderstandings.
By proactively addressing these challenges to align cyber security efforts, you can maximize the effectiveness of CISO as a Service and enhance your company’s cybersecurity posture. Check out this CISO as a Service vendor checklist for hiring the right vendor.
Is CISO as a Service right for your business security operations?
determining whether hiring a CISO as a Service is a fit for your business really depends on your specific needs and circumstances. If your business if struggling with the complexities of cybersecurity, lacks the resources to hire a full-time CISO or security team members, CISO as a Service could just be the ticket to the expertise and support needed to strengthen your security posture.
CISO as a Service offers a viable solution for businesses seeking to augment their security teams or in need for expert cybersecurity leadership without the financial burden of hiring full-time staff. It helps in extending the organisation’s information security capabilities by providing a cost-effective way to enhance security maturity, understand the threat landscape, and ensure regulatory compliance. By understanding both the benefits and potential drawbacks, you can make an informed decision that best suits your company’s unique requirements and risk profile.
Looking for a CaaS partner in your quest for security?
If you’re just starting your security journey, hiring a CISO might not be the best move. You’ve got to start weaving security into your team’s fabric, covering all security program angles: risk, threats, vulnerabilities, and day-to-day ops. With Cyber Defense Group’s CISO as a Service, you can beef up your security squad alongside your current team for less than the cost of a full-time CISO. This service helps in building and maintaining an information security management system (ISMS), enabling a systematic approach for protecting sensitive assets with support from in-house IT teams and access to experienced cybersecurity professionals. It’s a smart way to up level your program without the usual headaches.
If you are interested in learning more, reach out for a free consultation. Remember cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, let’s do this together.