HSM IT ServicesVirtual CISO
Senior security leadership for your organization, without the cost of a full-time executive. Our Virtual CISO gives your organization an experienced security leader on a part-time basis. We set strategy, manage risk, guide compliance with PIPA, HIA and recognized frameworks, report to leadership and boards, and make sure security spending goes where it reduces the most risk.
Security decisions are business decisions. They affect contracts, insurance, regulatory exposure and the trust of clients and patients. Large enterprises hire a Chief Information Security Officer to own those decisions, but most small and mid-sized organizations cannot justify the salary of a full-time executive. A Virtual CISO provides the same leadership on a fractional basis, giving you a senior advisor who understands both technology and the realities of running an Alberta organization.
Your our Virtual CISO starts by understanding your business, the information you hold and the threats you face. From there, we build a risk register and a security roadmap aligned with NIST CSF 2.0, including its Govern function, which emphasizes leadership accountability and risk strategy. We prioritize initiatives by risk reduction and cost, write or refine policies, review vendor and third-party risk, and track progress so leadership can see what has improved and what remains.
The Virtual CISO also represents security in conversations that matter. We help answer client security questionnaires, prepare for cyber insurance renewals, brief boards in plain language and guide readiness for ISO/IEC 27001:2022 or SOC 2 when customers require it. Because people are the layer attackers target most, we pay close attention to culture, training and process, not only technology. The result is a security program that is deliberate, documented and proportionate to your actual risk.
What is included
- Security risk assessment and risk register
- Multi-year security strategy and roadmap
- Policy and standard development and review
- Board and leadership reporting
- Cyber insurance and client questionnaire support
- Third-party and vendor risk management
- Compliance guidance for PIPA, HIA and public-sector privacy law
- Framework alignment with NIST CSF 2.0, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and SOC 2
How it works
Understand
We learn your business, data, obligations and current security posture through interviews and review.
Prioritize
We build a risk register and a roadmap that ranks initiatives by impact and effort.
Lead
We guide implementation, coordinate with IT and vendors, and own security decisions with leadership.
Report
We report progress and risk regularly to executives and boards and adjust the plan as things change.
Who it is for
Virtual CISO services suit organizations that have outgrown ad hoc security but are not ready for a full-time security executive. Typical clients include growing technology and professional services firms facing customer audits, health organizations with significant HIA obligations, non-profits and public bodies with board oversight, and companies whose IT provider handles operations well but lacks a strategic security voice.
Questions we hear
What does a Virtual CISO actually do?
A Virtual CISO owns your security strategy. That means assessing risk, setting priorities, writing policies, overseeing security projects, managing vendor risk, preparing for audits and insurance, and reporting to leadership. The role works with your IT team or provider, who handle day-to-day operations, so strategy and execution stay connected without one person carrying both.
How much time does a Virtual CISO spend with our organization?
Engagements are scaled to your needs. Some organizations want a monthly check-in and quarterly board report, while others need more active involvement during an audit, a major project or after an incident. We agree on a scope at the start and adjust it as your program matures or your requirements change.
Can a Virtual CISO help us pass a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audit?
A Virtual CISO can lead readiness work, including scoping, gap assessment, policy development, control implementation and evidence preparation. The audit itself must be performed by an independent auditor or certification body. Having an experienced leader guide preparation reduces surprises and helps you approach the audit with a clear, defensible program.