The first step toward protecting your business's valuable and sensitive information involves a...
The right cybersecurity expert can harden your network defenses and discourage hackers from attempting a breach. If you’re not confident in your operation’s current security posture, or someone recently left the post, it’s in your best interest to prioritize securing the protection of a chief security officer.
What is a CSO?
A Chief Security Officer — commonly called a CSO — is typically an executive-level professional tasked with preventing losses from physical and digital threat actors. A qualified professional usually holds a degree in a related technology discipline and possesses problem-solving skills, as well as forward-thinking innovation.
Doubling as an organization's chief information security officer, a CSO emphasizes things such as the need for ongoing updates to a company’s cybersecurity program, conducting periodic risk assessments, building an organization-wide security culture, and deterring hackers. Essentially, a CSO is the point person for a business’s efforts to prevent thieves from stealing your valuable and sensitive digital assets.
What are the Responsibilities of a Chief Security Officer?
Having a CSO in place has become significantly more important as garden variety hackers and skilled threat actors continue to target honest businesses. The rise of the Internet of Things and its ubiquitous connectivity between devices can create gaping cybersecurity holes. For example, IoT has broadly increased the threat surface to include smart homes, fitness apps, and wide-reaching software packages.
Onboarding an in-house, or virtual chief security officer, puts someone in charge of repelling threats without the workforce suffering unnecessary downtime. These rank among the primary roles and responsibilities of a chief security officer.
- Handles the Day-to-Day Operations: The Federal Communications Commission issued a one-page directive for small businesses, noting that everyone needs a cybersecurity program. While more companies still need to come to the table, too many outfits never circle back and make updates. Maintaining a forward-facing cybersecurity plan is a primary CSO responsibility.
- Fills CSO Succession Gap: Industry leaders who insist on hiring only in-house IT staff, and a CSO to lead them, experience knowledge gaps. When a CSO retires or takes a more lucrative position elsewhere, their leadership can be sorely missed. A virtual chief security officer can fill the IT succession gap until a suitable replacement can be hired. However, it’s not uncommon for decision-makers to stay the course with a third-party CSO to prevent security gaps in the future.
- Maintaining Regulatory Compliance: According to a Deloitte Survey, upwards of 99 percent of outfits outsource all or part of their cybersecurity needs dating back to 2019. That trend was partly fueled by the complex regulatory compliance mandates issued by lawmakers and federal agencies. A chief information security officer is tasked with protecting digital assets and ensuring your organization doesn’t suffer financial penalties or suspensions due to compliance failures.
A proactive CSO also addresses an operation’s IT infrastructure and promotes a thriving cybersecurity culture. This may involve providing educational tools to frontline workers largely because human error accounts for an overwhelming percentage of data breaches.
What are the Benefits of a Virtual Chief Security Officer?
Onboarding a virtual chief security officer is consistent with hiring an in-house professional. As the organization’s chief security officer, the person reports directly to the leadership team and oversees IT staff members. One of the critical differences is that business professionals who outsource to a virtual chief security officer typically save money on salaries and benefits. These are other reasons why working with an expert cybersecurity firm in this capacity could prove beneficial.
Access to Expertise
Access to current knowledge is a driving factor in outsourcing managed IT and cybersecurity. When hiring IT staff, you must also pay for seminars and classes to keep them informed about the latest developments. When you hire a virtual CSO, companies usually gain the added benefit that a complete team of cybersecurity experts brings to the equation.
Consistency Cybersecurity
When in-house IT staff members need to take time off for vacations, illnesses, newborns, or training, they are not available to handle day-to-day operations. That means your network is a little more vulnerable due to their absence. A virtual chief security officer, with a fully staffed firm, can provide network protection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What a Chief Security Officer Can Do for Your Organization
At CyberTeam, our managed IT and cybersecurity consulting experts have the experience and technology to protect your company from a data breach. We provide risk assessments, educational resources, and cost-effectively perform virtual chief security officer duties. Contact us today and let’s get the process started.
