What is a vCISO?
A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) is a senior cybersecurity executive who serves as your organization's top security advisor on a flexible, subscription-based engagement. You get the strategic leadership, regulatory expertise, and board-level authority of a full-time CISO — without the SAR 800,000+ annual salary that comes with it.
For Saudi organizations navigating the December 2024 NCA Regulations, SAMA Cyber Security Framework, and PDPL requirements, a vCISO is no longer optional — it's the most cost-effective path to compliant, resilient operations.
Who Needs a vCISO?
- Financial institutions subject to SAMA CSF mandatory assessments
- Government entities and CNI operators under NCA ECC-2:2024 obligations
- Fintechs and licensed payment companies preparing for SAMA audits
- Healthcare organizations handling personal data under PDPL
- Mid-market enterprises that cannot justify a full-time CISO salary
- Organizations post-incident that need to rapidly rebuild security governance
What Our vCISO Delivers
1. Security Strategy & Roadmap
We develop a multi-year cybersecurity strategy aligned to your business objectives, risk appetite, and regulatory obligations. This includes a prioritized roadmap with measurable milestones — not generic recommendations.
2. Regulatory Compliance Leadership
Your vCISO owns your compliance program. We manage your SAMA CSF self-assessments, NCA ECC gap analyses, PDPL readiness reviews, and audit preparation — ensuring you are inspection-ready at all times. With fines now reaching SAR 25 million under the 2024 NCA Regulations, compliance is a board-level risk.
3. Risk Management Framework
We establish a formal risk register, risk treatment plans, and an enterprise risk management process aligned to ISO 31000 and NIST CSF. Quarterly risk reviews keep your board informed and your controls current.
4. Security Governance & Policies
From information security policy suites to acceptable use policies, data classification frameworks, and third-party risk standards — we build the governance documentation your organization needs to demonstrate due diligence to regulators and auditors.
5. Board & Executive Advisory
We translate technical risk into business language for your board of directors and C-suite. Monthly dashboards, quarterly board briefings, and incident reporting ensure leadership stays informed and accountable.
6. Incident Response Oversight
We design, test, and manage your incident response capability — including tabletop exercises, playbooks for ransomware, data breach, and insider threat scenarios, and coordination with the Saudi CERT when required.
7. Security Awareness Program
Human error remains the leading cause of breaches. We design and manage a continuous security awareness program tailored to your workforce — including phishing simulations, role-based training, and compliance awareness aligned to NCA guidelines.
8. Vendor & Third-Party Risk
We manage your third-party risk program — reviewing vendor security posture, contractual security requirements, and ongoing monitoring to ensure your supply chain does not become your weakest link.
Engagement Models
Fractional vCISO — 8 hours/month
Ideal for organizations that need executive presence at board meetings and quarterly compliance reviews. Includes monthly reporting, policy oversight, and on-call advisory.
Dedicated vCISO — 20–40 hours/month
Full program ownership. Your vCISO attends leadership meetings, manages the compliance calendar, oversees the security team, and drives the roadmap forward. The closest equivalent to a full-time hire.
Project vCISO
A fixed-scope engagement for a specific objective: SAMA CSF assessment readiness, NCA ECC gap remediation, ISO 27001 certification, or post-incident recovery. Delivered within a defined timeline.
The CISO Consulting Difference
- Saudi-market expertise: Our team has delivered SAMA CSF, NCA ECC, and PDPL programs for financial institutions, government entities, and private sector organizations across the Kingdom.
- Regulatory intelligence: We track NCA, SAMA, and PDPL regulatory updates in real time — you are never caught off-guard by a new requirement.
- No conflict of interest: We do not sell technology products. Our advice is vendor-neutral and purely in your interest.
- Senior practitioners, not junior analysts: Every vCISO engagement is led by a practitioner with 15+ years of cybersecurity leadership experience.
Key Deliverables
- Cybersecurity strategy document and 3-year roadmap
- Risk register and risk treatment plan
- Full policy suite (20+ policies aligned to SAMA/NCA)
- SAMA CSF self-assessment and remediation plan
- NCA ECC-2:2024 gap analysis report
- PDPL readiness assessment and data protection framework
- Incident response plan and playbooks
- Quarterly board cybersecurity report
- Third-party risk management program
- Security awareness training calendar
Ready to Get Started?
Every vCISO engagement begins with a complimentary 60-minute consultation to assess your current security posture and define the right engagement model for your organization. There is no obligation — just an honest conversation about where you are and where you need to be.