vCISO | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

The need for vCISO services is growing. SMBs and SMEs are dealing with more third-party risks, tightening regulatory demands and stringent cyber insurance requirements than ever before. However, they often lack the resources and expertise to hire an in-house security executive team. By outsourcing security and compliance leadership to a vCISO, these organizations can more easily obtain cybersecurity expertise specialized for their industry and strengthen their cybersecurity posture. MSPs and MSSPs looking to meet this growing vCISO demand are often faced with the same challenge. The demand for cybersecurity talent far exceeds the supply. This has led to a competitive market where the costs of hiring and retaining skilled professionals can be prohibitive for MSSPs/MSPs as well. The need to maintain expertise of both security and compliance further exacerbates this challenge. Cynomi, the first AI-driven vCISO platform , can help. Cynomi enables you - MSPs, MSSPs and consulting firms

2024 will be the year of the vCISO. An incredible 45% of MSPs and MSSPs are  planning to start offering  vCISO services in 2024. As an MSP/MSSP providing vCISO services, you own the organization's cybersecurity infrastructure and strategy. But you also need to position yourself as a reliable decision-maker, navigating professional responsibilities, business needs and leadership requirements. A  new webinar by Cynomi , vCISO platform leader, hosting CISO and vCISO veteran Jesse Miller from PowerPSA Consulting, provides MSPs and MSSPs with an effective 100-day plan to build themselves up for success. The webinar provides a tangible five-step 100-day action plan that any MSP/MSSP can follow when they engage with a new vCISO client. It also provides guidance on vCISO goals and pitfalls to avoid. By watching the webinar, you can position yourself as a strategic and long-term partner for your clients. They will see you as capable of driving security transformation and managing security con

It comes as no surprise that today's cyber threats are orders of magnitude more complex than those of the past. And the ever-evolving tactics that attackers use demand the adoption of better, more holistic and consolidated ways to meet this non-stop challenge. Security teams constantly look for ways to reduce risk while improving security posture, but many approaches offer piecemeal solutions – zeroing in on one particular element of the evolving threat landscape challenge – missing the forest for the trees.  In the last few years, Exposure Management has become known as a comprehensive way of reigning in the chaos, giving organizations a true fighting chance to reduce risk and improve posture. In this article I'll cover what Exposure Management is, how it stacks up against some alternative approaches and why building an Exposure Management program should be on  your 2024 to-do list. What is Exposure Management?  Exposure Management is the systematic identification, evaluation,

In an increasingly digital world, no organization is spared from cyber threats. Yet, not every organization has the luxury of hiring a full-time, in-house CISO. This gap in cybersecurity leadership is where you, as a vCISO, come in. You are the person who will establish, develop, and solidify the organization's cybersecurity infrastructure, blending strategic guidance with actionable cybersecurity services. As an organizational leader, you will be required to navigate professional duties, business needs, diverse organizational personas and leadership demands. Your success relies on your ability to build trust and establish yourself as a strategic decision-maker that can protect the organization.  As such,  your first 100 days in a new organization are key to your success . They will lay the groundwork for your long-term achievements. To aid you in this critical phase, we introduce a comprehensive guide: a five-step, 100-day action plan,  " Your First 100 Days as a vCISO - 5

Download the free guide , "It's a Generative AI World: How vCISOs, MSPs and MSSPs Can Keep their Customers Safe from Gen AI Risks." ChatGPT now boasts anywhere from 1.5 to 2 billion visits per month. Countless sales, marketing, HR, IT executive, technical support, operations, finance and other functions are feeding data prompts and queries into generative AI engines. They use these tools to write articles, create content, compose emails, answer customer questions and generate plans and strategies.  However, gen AI usage is happening far in advance of efforts to implement safeguards and cybersecurity constraints. Three primary areas of security concern associated with generative AI are: sensitive data included in gen AI scripts, outcomes produced by these tools that may put an organization at risk, and potential hazards related to utilizing third-party generative AI tools. Unchecked AI usage in organizations can lead to:  Major data breaches.  Compromised identities

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) has become ubiquitous across various industries. This wave of innovation promises improved efficiency and performance, but lurking beneath the surface are complex vulnerabilities and unforeseen risks that demand immediate attention from cybersecurity professionals. As the average small and medium-sized business leader or end-user is often unaware of these growing threats, it falls upon cybersecurity service providers – MSPs, MSSPs, consultants and especially vCISOs - to take a proactive stance in protecting their clients. At Cynomi, we experience the risks associated with generative AI daily, as we use these technologies internally and work with MSP and MSSP partners to enhance the services they provide to small and medium businesses. Being committed to staying ahead of the curve and empowering virtual vCISOs to swiftly implement cutting-edge secur

By the end of 2024, the number of MSPs and MSSPs offering vCISO services is expected to grow by almost 5 fold, as can be seen in figure 1. This incredible surge reflects the growing business demand for specialized cybersecurity expertise and the lucrative opportunities for MSPs and MSSPs in vCISO services. Figure 1: Timeline for offering vCISO services The State of the Virtual CISO Survey Report  by Global Surveyz, an independent survey company, which was commissioned by Cynomi, provides a deep understanding of the challenges facing MSPs and MSSPs today. The report shares insights from 200 security and IT leaders in MSPs and MSSPs of all sizes, all of which are security-focused. It shines a light on the growing trend of the vCISO offering, including the reasons behind this trend, potential blockers for MSPs/MSSPs and how to overcome them. 480% Expected Increase in vCISO Service Offerings Currently, only 19% of MSPs and MSSPs are offering vCISO services. This relatively low percent

Demand for Virtual CISO services is soaring. According to Gartner, the use of vCISO services among small and mid-size businesses and non-regulated enterprises was expected to grow by a whopping 1900% in just one year, from only 1% in 2021 to 20% in 2022! Offering vCISO services can be especially attractive for MSPs and MSSPs. By addressing their customers' needs for proactive cyber resilience, they can generate a growing amount of recurring revenue from existing and new customers. And all while differentiating themselves from the competition. vCISO services also enable upselling of additional products and services the MSP or MSSP specializes in. However, not all MSPs and MSSPs fully understand how to provide vCISO services . Some may be unsure about which services are expected from them. Others may not realize they are already providing vCISO services and have the potential to effortlessly broaden their offerings into a complete vCISO suite or package it differently to make it more

Almost half of MSP clients fell victim to a cyberattack within the last 12 months. In the SMB world, the danger is especially acute as only 50% of SMBs have a dedicated internal IT person to take care of cybersecurity. No wonder cybercriminals are targeting SMBs so heavily. No wonder SMBs are increasingly willing to pay a subscription or retainer to gain access to expert C-level cyber-assistance in devising and implementing strategies to prevent breaches, reduce risk, and mitigate the consequences of attacks. Hence the popularity of Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services. They are especially attractive to MSPs and MSSPs as:  They enable service providers to address a growing need from their SMB clients for proactive cyber resilience  They offer the potential to grow recurring revenues - expand into a new customer base or sell a new service to existing customers They help service providers differentiate themselves They are an excellent vehicle from which to u

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing digital landscape, businesses of all sizes face a myriad of cybersecurity threats. Putting in place the right people, technological tools and services, MSSPs are in a great position to ensure their customers' cyber resilience.  The growing need of SMEs and SMBs for structured cybersecurity services can be leveraged by MSPs and MSSPs to provide strategic cybersecurity services such as virtual CISO (vCISO) services, leading to recurring revenues and high margins while differentiating service provider from their competitors.  There is a consensus among MSPs and MSSPs that starting a vCISO practice poses a great business opportunity, but how can you successfully pull it off?  Cynomi has leveraged its network of top-notch vCISO service providers and invited three of them to a panel discussion, where they shared tips on how to start and scale a vCISO practice, and most importantly –  how to keep it profitable.  This panel discussion is aim

Most companies with small security teams face the same issues. They have inadequate budgets, inadequate staff, and inadequate skills to face today's onslaught of sophisticated cyberthreats. Many of these companies turn to virtual CISOs (vCISOs) to provide security expertise and guidance. vCISOs are typically former CISOs with years of experience building and managing information security programs across large and small organizations. Autonomous XDR company Cynet, a provider of an automated breach protection platform and MDR service for even the smallest security teams, is conducting a webinar with well-known vCISO Brian Haugli to understand the common challenges faced by CISOs with small security teams [ register here ]. In the first part of the webinar, Haugli will share the four foundational risks that are common across most companies he helps. He will then discuss the most common pieces of advice he provides across the companies he serves. Haugli will also share a situation