According to IBM, the average data breach now costs $4.88 million. That’s made strategic cybersecurity leadership more important than ever. Without it, you leave your business vulnerable to costly risks.
The solution for some companies is hiring a chief information security officer (CISO). However, adding a full-time expert to your team can hit your bank account hard. That’s why Trava offers virtual CISO (vCISO) services.
Below, you’ll find nine common signs a company needs a CISO and learn how vCISO services can address the same needs at a lower price.
What Is a vCISO?
A chief information security officer is the leader in charge of cybersecurity in an organization. Virtual CISOs provide the same services on a part-time or project-by-project basis. Both CISOs and vCISOs can help you with tasks like:
- Developing your security strategy
- Assessing cybersecurity risk
- Managing compliance
- Teaching employees better security practices
- Directing responses to cybersecurity incidents in real-time
The question for your company is whether a CISO or vCISO is a better fit. You’ll be able to answer that by the end of the next section.
9 Signs You Need a CISO or vCISO
A recent article by CSO Online highlighted nine signs a company is ready for a chief information security officer. Here’s what you need to know before making a hiring decision.
1. Your Business Lacks a Unified Cybersecurity Strategy
Cybercrime is constantly evolving. You need a top-down, unified strategy to keep up. Otherwise, you’ll always be playing catch-up to the latest cyber risks. Trava’s vCISO services can help your company create a tailored plan to address this concern.
2. You Don’t Know What Assets You’re Trying To Protect
Understanding your data assets is an essential part of protecting your business. A vCISO can lead your company through an asset discovery and prioritization process to get you there. This can show you how to allocate a limited budget for maximum risk reduction.
3. There’s No Formal Security Budget
Having no formal security budget is another sign that it’s time to hire a CISO. These experts can help you justify security expenditures to investors and plan an appropriate budget based on your unique needs.
4. You Have Blinds Spots in Infrastructure
Maybe you already recognize that some parts of your business aren’t being protected like they should be. Trava’s vCISO services can help here, too. We’ll help you close the gaps you know about and conduct risk assessments to find and fix any that remain hidden.
5. You’ve Had a Cybersecurity Incident
If you’ve had a cybersecurity incident recently, that’s a clear sign to consider CISO services. These experts can help you optimize your incident response strategies so that the next attempted breach won’t have the same impact on your bottom line.
6. You’re in a Heavily Regulated Industry
Cybersecurity leadership is even more important if you operate in a highly regulated industry. CISOs have deep expertise in compliance and offer regulatory guidance to help clients avoid costly fines. Trava offers this kind of support through its vCISO services.
7. You’re Expanding or Undergoing a Digital Transformation
A vCISO can also be helpful during times of digital transformation. Whether you’re migrating to a new cloud provider or updating your CRM, the process will bring cyber risk to your business. Trava can help you minimize those risks with custom security strategies for tech transitions.
8. You’re Being Asked About Security by Customers or Partners
Customers and partners care about cybersecurity, too — especially when they entrust your business with their sensitive information. Adding a vCISO to your team can be a cost-effective way to show your company should be trusted.
9. Your Team Lacks Cybersecurity Expertise
Finally, if you don’t have any cybersecurity expertise on staff, your cyber plan probably isn’t sufficient. You can fix that by hiring a full-time CISO or through vCISO services, which provide security expertise without requiring long-term payroll commitments.
Why Choose Trava’s vCISO Services?
Ultimately, vCISOs are probably a better fit for your business. They provide the same security expertise you’d get from a full-time hire without the commitment. That means you’ll only have to pay for a security expert when you truly need one.
Trava’s vCISO services can help you address any of the risks covered above. We have deep expertise across many industries and combine a personalized approach with results-driven strategies to do more for our clients.
Upgrade Your Security This Year With vCISO From Trava
The new year is a perfect opportunity to review your company’s approach to cybersecurity. If you can relate to any of the signs highlighted in this article, there’s a good chance you’d benefit from working with a CISO.
But don’t pay for a full-time expert unless your company is large enough to need one. Instead, take a look at Trava’s vCISO services to learn how we can meet your security needs at a better price.
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