CISO as a Service: Virtual CISO for Your Microsoft Environment

A virtual CISO is an experienced security leader who provides strategic cybersecurity leadership on a fractional or outsourced basis. Instead of hiring a full-time Chief Information Security Officer at $225K-300K per year, you get the same expertise – security strategy, risk management, compliance oversight, board reporting, incident planning – at a fraction of the cost. A vCISO typically works 4-24 hours per month depending on your needs, providing dedicated security leadership without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

A security consultant delivers a project and leaves. A virtual CISO is an ongoing member of your leadership team. They understand your business context, build relationships with your board, manage your security programme over time, and adapt strategy as your business evolves. Consultants provide point-in-time assessments. A vCISO provides continuous security leadership and accountability.

If your organisation runs on Microsoft 365 and Azure, your vCISO needs Microsoft-native expertise. Generic vCISO providers apply platform-agnostic frameworks that miss Microsoft-specific security capabilities and risks. Our vCISO understands Conditional Access policy design, Defender deployment, Sentinel optimisation, Entra ID protection, and how to maximise your existing Microsoft licence investment – then coordinates with our Microsoft-certified engineering team to implement recommendations directly.

Organisations with 50-500 employees benefit most from virtual CISO services. Below 50, security needs are typically handled by IT. Above 500, most organisations can justify a full-time CISO. The 50-500 range is the sweet spot: complex enough to need dedicated security leadership, practical enough to benefit from a fractional model. That said, we work with organisations outside this range when the fit is right.

Every engagement includes a named virtual CISO, security programme assessment, strategic roadmap, compliance guidance, and regular reporting. Higher tiers add risk register management, incident response planning, tabletop exercises, M365 security assessments, board reporting, and certification programme management. All tiers include a dedicated communication channel for ongoing collaboration.<

Our vCISO operates within an integrated security team. Your vCISO sets strategy and priorities. Our M365 Assessment service identifies technical gaps. Our engineering team implements fixes. Our 24/7 MDR service monitors your environment using Microsoft Sentinel. One team, one strategy, one security programme – no handoffs between vendors.

Yes. Compliance programme management is a core vCISO deliverable. Your vCISO develops the compliance roadmap, maps Microsoft 365 controls to regulatory requirements, maintains audit evidence, prepares for assessments, and liaises with auditors. For NIS2 specifically, we map all Article 21(2)(a)-(j) measures to your Microsoft security controls. We help you meet compliance requirements – you still own policies, data processing records, and governance decisions.

Onboarding typically takes 1-2 weeks from signed agreement to first strategy session. Your vCISO begins with a discovery phase assessing your current security posture, business context, and priorities. Security programme foundation is established within 4-6 weeks. First measurable improvements typically visible within 60 days.

vCISO services focus on security leadership, strategy, and programme management. We don’t replace IT operations (patching, backups, helpdesk), legal counsel (contract review, DPA negotiation), or HR functions (disciplinary processes). Implementation of security controls is included when paired with our assessment and hardening services, or available separately. 24/7 monitoring requires our MDR service.