Why You Need a vCISO: Close Deals, Pass Audits, and Stay Secure

If your business is growing fast, your security needs may be outpacing your team. You're onboarding vendors faster, closing enterprise deals, and your client base doubled last quarter. But your security posture? Constantly playing catchup.

For many startups and scaleups, a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is rarely needed. That’s why the virtual Chief Information Security Office (vCISO) role has gained so much traction. 

A vCISO fills the same role as a traditional CISO, but with more flexibility. And because they provide senior-level security leadership on demand, many organizations, from smaller startups to larger organizations looking to get extra help during key audit stages, can benefit from having a vCISO. 

This guide breaks down when to hire a vCISO and how they can help you tighten up your information security processes to scale securely. 

Why Should Your Organization Consider a vCISO? 

A virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) is a senior security leader hired on a part-time or contractual basis. They deliver security leadership for teams that don’t have an in-house Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) 

vCISOs can help teams with a range of security challenges, from vendor security questionnaires and third-party risk management to leading security strategies. 

Many fast-growing organizations hire a vCISO because of the flexibility they offer compared to a full-time CISO. A vCISO or vCISO service like we offer here at Workstreet, can scale with your needs without the need for internal executive overhead or oversight. A vCISO is perfect for companies that either aren’t ready for a full time executive or want to ramp up in a specific area (for example, handing security questionnaires or prepping for an audit).

Instead of being a full-time, in-house employee on your payroll, a vCISO tends to work on a retainer or project-based agreement. But, they can still deliver the same level of experience and leadership you’d expect from a CISO. 

The types of companies we see benefitting the most from working with a vCISO include: 

• Young, fast-growing companies: A vCISO is cost-effective and offers scalable security support to fit your evolving needs. 
• Companies with existing security teams: a vCISO can add surge capacity during audits, offer additional expertise, and provide a fresh perspective on your cybersecurity strategy—without the extra headcount. 
• Companies between startup and scaleup stages: hiring a vCISO helps you determine what security leadership you actually need before making a permanent or full-time hire.

The main differences between a vCISO and a traditional CISO come down to cost efficiency and flexibility. If your company is focusing on growth, a vCISO’s balance of deep expertise and agility can help you build and maintain a strong security program. 

Many companies with a full-time CISO also keep vCISOs on retainer. When your CISO is slammed with an audit or needs additional support, a vCISO provides immediate backup without the hiring lag or cost. Many Workstreet partners use our vCISO service to support their internal CISO as needed.

What Does a CISO Do? 

A Chief Information Security Officer is responsible for safeguarding your business while enabling growth. They do this by overseeing the overall security posture to ensure your data and digital infrastructure is protected from cyber threats. 

Because a CISO is a senior-level executive, they also manage the work of security and IT teams, and develop and implement security policies and procedures for the rest of the organization.  

Key responsibilities of a CISO include:

• Security strategy: Building a  security strategy that grows with your business, not against it. 
• Risk management: Spotting risks and roadblocks before they become problems. CISOs track internal vulnerabilities, vet your vendors, and help internal systems to scale as your business grows. 
• Compliance: Getting audit-ready. Whether it's SOC 2, ISO 27001, or CMMC, your CISO makes sure you check every box.
• Incident response: When something goes wrong, your CISO should move fast responding to security alerts, breaches, and vulnerabilities to minimize damage and get you back online.
• Security awareness: Day-to-day security operations. Your CISO builds habits and awareness that make every employee aware of security and best practices. 

vCISO vs CISO: The Advantages of a vCISO

Every organization needs security leadership, but not every organization can or should hire a full-time CISO. Here are some specific advantages of hiring a vCISO: 

• Flexibility: scale support up or down based on current business needs, from periodic oversight to high-intensity compliance periods.
• Cost effectiveness: experienced leadership without the annual six-figure (plus benefits) cost of hiring a full-time CISO.
• Specialized expertise: expertise across various industries and regulatory frameworks, for better problem-solving and faster resolution of security challenges.
• Speed to value: risk management programs and compliance audits moving in weeks, not months.

3 Signs Your Organization Needs a vCISO 

1. You’re Purchasing Security Tools 

If you’re purchasing security products like Vanta or Drata, you should be onboarding a vCISO. Implementing these products into your business without expert guidance means burning a lot of time across your leadership team when a vCISO could handle it faster and more effectively.

2. Complex Regulatory Landscape

A vCISO with specialized skills and leadership can help your business navigate and mitigate industry-specific challenges. In particular, for SaaS, healthcare, and financial companies, frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. If you try to navigate these without the right expertise, this can lead to failed audits, delays closing sales, and lost revenue. 

3. Limited Budget (or Need) For Full-Time Security Leadership

Even high-growth startups probably don’t need to hire a full-time CISO until they reach 80-100 employees. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need security leadership to help them scale.  Hiring a vCISO gives you access to executive-level expertise for a fraction of the cost, especially with monthly retainers and one-off project engagements. Plus, you can also skip the long, drawn out hiring process. 

vCISO: The Key Benefits That Drive ROI 

1. On-Demand and Specialized Expertise 

Maybe you have an audit coming up or want to implement AI tools to help you scale security questionnaire responses, a vCISO will bring the needed expertise and leadership to help your team achieve its goals with very little onboarding time. They’ll 

2. Cost-Effective Scalability During Growth Phases

As I noted earlier, most teams don’t need a full-time CISO until they hit 80-100 employees. As your business is scaling, you more likely need flexible security leadership that a vCISO offers. 

3. Faster Audit Readiness And Compliance 

Hiring a vCISO can help you achieve audit readiness in a few weeks compared to 1-2 months without experienced leadership. This translates directly into revenue, allowing sales teams to close deals faster. 

Grow Your Security Team Without the Full-Time Cost with Workstreet

Workstreet’s vCISO service offers a dedicated security team that scales with your needs without the need for internal executive overhead or oversight. This is most effective for companies that either aren’t ready for a full time executive or want to augment specific elements of their security program.

Why SaaS and AI leaders choose Workstreet:

• Expert security that transforms your security posture
• Flexible engagement
• Zero onboarding required

Ready to elevate your security program with Workstreet? Get in touch.  

FAQs: Why Do You Need a vCISO? 

How do I evaluate the qualifications of a potential vCISO provider?

Check they have the recognized certifications like CISM, CISSP, CGEIT, and PMP, direct experience with compliant frameworks, and ask for client references that demonstrate measurable outcomes. 

What is the typical engagement model when working with a vCISO?

Most vCISOs work on a monthly retainer or one-off project basis. This can range from a few hours per month to ongoing full-time oversight during busy growth cycles. 

What is the difference between a fractional CISO and a virtual CISO?

A vCISO is often a remote security leadership role offering flexible support to your team with the ability to ramp up and down as needed. A Fractional CISO offers a similar level of experience and expertise to your team but can be on-site and more hands on with your team. 

What industries benefit most from vCISO services?

Most industries can benefit from vCISO leadership. However, a vCISO is especially helpful for high-growth startups and scaleups as well as business in high-compliance sectors like fintech and healthcare. 

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