Who is a vCISO?

A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer is an experienced Cybersecurity expert that tailors a security program for an organization based on the needs of an organization that not only takes into account the current threat landscape, but also the business objectives that results in a measurable improvement to the security posture of an organization.

Cost-Effective Expertise

Cost-Effective Expertise

Strategic Guidance

Strategic Guidance

Risk Management

Risk Management

Scalable Support

Scalable
Support

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Virtual CISO Benefits

What is vCISO
What
does a vCISO do?

  • Building out a security program

  • Policy creation and implementation

  • Security product and services selection

  • Vendor management

  • Assisting with completing security questionnaires

  • Risk assessments

  • Audits

  • Professional mentoring

Benefits of CISO
Benefits
of a vCISO

  • Extensive Cybersecurity experience and skills at your fingertips

  • Lower cost option compared to hiring a fulltime CISO

  • Pay as you go and only for what you need

  • Fast ramp up of a security program

  • Trusted advisor to assist with security decisions as they pertain to business objectives and goals

Cost of CISO
How
much does a vCISO cost?

  • For a vCISO service most engagements start around $30K for a small to medium size business, but can run as high as $150K depending on what a client needs and what their security goals are.

  • The cost in most cases decreases over time after the initial up front work is completed to build out a security program, then most clients go into “maintenance mode”.



Mark Schliemann

About

Mark Schliemann is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with nearly 30 years of experience spanning diverse IT disciplines, including systems, network, and cloud engineering, with a strong emphasis on cybersecurity. His journey in security began in the late 1990s, culminating in earning his CISSP certification from ISC² in 2001. Over the years, his expertise has grown significantly, leading to the acquisition of numerous certifications across various IT and cybersecurity specialties.

Mark holds advanced degrees in Cybersecurity, Leadership and Management, and an MBA. He maintains active ISC² certifications, including the CISSP and CCSP (#26253), along with a broad range of credentials in security, cloud, and network engineering. His extensive knowledge and certifications position him as a trusted leader in the field.

🔗 Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

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Services

Services of CISO
vCISO

Part-time experienced advisor to assist organizations not yet ready to hire a full-time CISO to create, improve or manage their Cybersecurity program.

Risk Management
Risk Management

Risk assessments coupled with analysis and recommendations for the executive team to make educated data driven decisions to mitigate risks.

Vendor Management
Vendor Management

Advise on effective methods and products/services for performing risk analysis on critical vendors for an organization.


Security Awareness Training
Security Awareness Training

Advise on the latest most effective methods & services for training the employees to protect organizations from threats.


Security Framework Audit Assistance
Security Framework Audit Assistance

Assist organizations with preparing and successfully getting through SOC2 or ISO27001 audits.

Vendor Selection and Negotiating
Vendor Selection and Negotiating

Advise on the best security solutions in the market for an organization and manage the negotiating.

Mentoring
Mentoring

Provide mentorship and guidance for security professionals seeking to level up their game.



Incident Response
Incident Response

Manage incident response when an organization has a security breach of one kind or another.



What makes us different?

The Cybersecurity industry unfortunately has a lot of security professionals that want to lock everything down. This often times results in a negative impact to productivity across several business units in an organization or even crippling an organization’s ability to function properly.

We don’t believe in this philosophy of locking everything down. We take a risk based approach when designing security programs. There must always be a balance with security and business productivity. We believe a properly designed security program not only protects an organization but also has a near zero impact on productivity. Ideally, we can help improve productivity through streamlined processes and tooling that revolve around the security program. We strongly believe a properly designed security program is a business enabler, rather than a hinderance.

Differentiator
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Contact Us

Location

Location

Seattle, WA