A full-time CISO costs $250K–$400K+ in salary, benefits, and equity — and most mid-market organizations still can't find one willing to sit in-person. Forged provides fractional vCISO services delivered by practitioners who have built and run security programs, not consultants who have only audited them. Monthly on-site strategy sessions, board-ready reporting, policy development, vendor risk management, security roadmap execution, and incident command. The efficiency gain is direct: you invest in senior leadership at a fraction of a full-time hire while getting the in-person presence, relationship continuity, and institutional knowledge that remote-only advisory firms cannot deliver.
Strategic direction for your security program — risk appetite definition, investment prioritization, and security roadmap development aligned with business objectives. The CISO seat at your leadership table.
Quarterly board presentations that translate security posture into business language — risk exposure, investment ROI, compliance status, and incident trends. Metrics that leadership can act on.
Information security policies, acceptable use policies, data classification, access control standards, and incident response procedures. Written for your organization, not copied from templates.
Third-party risk assessments, vendor security questionnaires, contract security requirements, and ongoing vendor monitoring. Managing the risk that enters your organization through your supply chain.
Building a security program from the ground up — or maturing an existing one. Framework alignment (NIST CSF, CIS Controls), control implementation, and measurable maturity improvement.
When an incident occurs, the vCISO takes command — coordinating technical response, business decisions, communications, and legal engagement. Authority to make real-time decisions that limit damage.
We assess your current security posture holistically — people, processes, and technology. Not just a vulnerability scan, but a strategic evaluation of your security program maturity and gaps.
A 12–36 month security roadmap prioritized by risk reduction, compliance requirements, and budget reality. Not a wish list — an executable plan with phased milestones and measurable outcomes.
Regular engagement cadence — weekly or biweekly meetings with your IT team, monthly leadership updates, and quarterly board presentations. The vCISO is embedded in your operations, not parachuting in once a quarter.
Security isn't a project with an end date — it's an ongoing discipline. The vCISO continuously evaluates emerging threats, industry changes, and organizational growth to evolve your security program.
Current-state evaluation scored against an industry framework. Your starting point for measuring improvement — specific, quantified, and benchmarked against your industry peers.
12–36 month plan with prioritized initiatives, estimated budgets, resource requirements, and expected outcomes. Updated quarterly as conditions change and milestones are achieved.
Quarterly slide deck and supporting materials for board-level security reporting. Risk dashboards, compliance status, incident summaries, and investment recommendations in business language.
Comprehensive policy set — information security policy, acceptable use, data classification, access control, incident response, vendor management, and remote work security. Tailored to your organization.
Every third-party vendor assessed and risk-rated — critical, high, medium, low. Security questionnaire results, contract requirements, and monitoring schedules documented and maintained.
Year-end summary of program progress — maturity improvement, risk reduction, incidents handled, compliance achievements, and next-year priorities. The definitive record of your security program.
Organizations with 50–500 employees that need security leadership but can't justify the $300K+ cost of a full-time CISO. Get the same strategic value at 20–30% of the cost.
Your board wants regular security briefings and evidence that risk is being managed. A vCISO provides the executive presence and reporting structure boards expect.
SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and CMMC require someone accountable for the security program. The vCISO fills that role with the authority and expertise auditors expect.
Growing fast and security hasn't kept pace. A vCISO builds the security program infrastructure now so you're not retrofitting it later when the cost and complexity are 10x higher.
You had an incident and realized you need security leadership. The vCISO manages the recovery, builds the program that should have existed, and ensures it doesn't happen again.
Your largest customers are requiring security questionnaires, SOC 2 reports, and evidence of a security program. A vCISO builds the program and provides the documentation they need.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your project scope.