CISO as a Service
Professional information security management from an external source — without the cost of hiring a full-time CISO.
A seasoned CISO embedded in your leadership team: drives policy, regulation and incident response — at roughly one tenth the cost of a full-time hire.
What's included
Who is this for
Organisations, municipalities and institutions required to comply with ISO 27001, NIST and government regulations — without a full-time CISO.
The challenge → the solution with SYSTRU
Without SYSTRU
- High cost — a full‑time CISO runs ILS 40,000–60,000 per month
- Hard to hire — senior security experts simply aren't available
- Continuous exposure — no one watching the threat landscape
- 24/7 pressure — security and phishing incidents at any hour
With SYSTRU
- Up to 70% saving vs. an internal CISO
- A seasoned vCISO — productive in days, not months
- Built‑in security programme, ready for your customer audits
- 24/7 emergency response + we front customers and regulators for you
Where SYSTRU comes in
Hiring a senior CISO full‑time is expensive, slow and tough to fill — and most organisations don't actually need someone at the desk 100% of the week. SYSTRU plugs in exactly where it hurts: an experienced security leader embedded in your management team, owning the policy, driving compliance, fronting customers and regulators, and on call 24/7 for incidents — at a fraction of the cost of a full‑time hire. You get the experience, accountability and presence of an in‑house CISO — without having to recruit one.
Our areas of responsibility
Information security management
- Build an enterprise security programme (ISMS)
- Policies, procedures and work instructions
- Identity and access management (IAM)
- Third-party and vendor risk management
Compliance with standards & regulation
- ISO 27001 / 27017 / 27018 certification readiness
- Alignment with NIST CSF and CIS Controls
- SOC 2 Type II and DORA compliance
- Preparation for regulatory and customer audits
Monitoring, response & training
- SIEM/SOC monitoring and incident response
- Tabletop exercises and incident response plans
- Security awareness training and phishing simulations
- Regular reports to executives and the board
How it works — a structured engagement
- 01
Assess
Security Gap Analysis against ISO 27001 and NIST, asset inventory and risk identification.
- 02
Strategy
Annual security roadmap prioritised by risk and ROI, executive approval and budget allocation.
- 03
Implement
Policy authoring, deployment of technical controls (EDR/SIEM/IAM), team training.
- 04
Monitor & respond
24/7 monitoring, incident response, monthly reports and risk status updates.
- 05
Continuous improvement
Annual risk reassessments, policy updates against new threats, preparation for certification renewals.
Pricing model
Flexible monthly retainer by hour package (16h / 32h / 64h). One-off projects such as risk assessments and certifications are quoted separately.
Get a tailored quoteMeasured outcomes
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an internal CISO and a vCISO?+
A vCISO delivers the same expertise — at a fraction of the cost, with team backing, breadth of experience across many organisations and the ability to start immediately (days, not months).
We're not regulated — do we still need a CISO?+
Yes. Even without a regulatory requirement, organisations must show security controls to customers, cloud providers and insurers. A basic risk assessment and minimum controls will save you significantly if an incident occurs.
What happens if there's a cyber incident at night?+
Our vCISO is available 24/7 for major incidents (Ransomware, Data Breach, large-scale phishing). Initial response within an hour, full incident management and reporting to relevant authorities.
How long does it take to reach ISO 27001?+
Typically 6–9 months from kick-off to the first certification audit. Depends on organisation size, baseline maturity and executive commitment.
Will your CISO represent us to customers and vendors?+
Yes. We answer Due Diligence questionnaires, represent you in vendor audits and conversations with cyber-insurance carriers — as part of the engagement.
Interested in learning more?
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