CISO as a Service
CISO as a Service
Leave your cybersecurity to an experienced security expert. With A1 Digital’s CISO as a Service, your company has the support of an experienced Chief Information Security Officer without having to fill a full-time role.
Structured compliance with CISO as a Service from A1 Digital
Qualified security experts at CISO level are in high demand on the labour market. With CISOaaS (Chief Information Security Officer as a Service), we immediately provide you with an experienced consultant from A1 Digital to act as your Virtual CISO (vCISO). You receive professional advice on all matters relating to cybersecurity and data protection without having to take on a permanent expert. We advise your senior management at a strategic level and provide operational support to your IT department.
Your benefits with a CISO-on-demand from A1 Digital
Ready to use straight away
You gain immediate access to experienced experts, without spending months on recruitment. We get straight to work with a structured analysis of your security posture, whether as a CISO-on-demand or a permanent vCISO.
Clearly predictable
With a Virtual CISO or an Advisory CISO, you receive the same advice and strategic security leadership as you would from a permanent consultant, but at a predictable cost.
Holistically positioned
Our CISO as a Service is integrated into A1 Digital’s security portfolio. You benefit from consultants who are experts in the cloud, networks, IoT, and information security, all from a single source. For a strategy that fits your entire IT landscape.
Implemented in a structured manner
Our work is based on a structured process model that analyses your business processes, your information security, your security architecture, and the technical implementation. This enables your vCISO to plan measures, tasks and processes in a structured manner.
How collaboration with A1 Digital’s vCISO as a Service works
1
Joint kick-off
We start with a joint analysis of your information security, your specific requirements, and risks. In doing so, we examine your organisation from the strategic level of senior management right through to the operational implementation of measures by your IT department. This enables us to establish a clear, shared foundation right from the start.
2
Identify your action areas
Based on the analysis, we identify your specific areas for action in the field of cybersecurity and data protection. We work with you to prioritise the tasks at hand and organise them into detailed work packages. This ensures you always know where the greatest need for action lies.
3
Structured CISO support
Our experts guide you in implementing the agreed work packages, giving you access to the right specialist knowledge at all times—from developing security policies and delivering security training to conducting internal audits and reporting to management. In this way, we take responsibility for the day-to-day operation of your information security.
What A1 Digital’s CISO as a Service offers
Security policies and processes
Your Virtual CISO service develops the policies, processes, and procedures that provide a binding framework for information security within your organisation.
Supporting your IT department in its day-to-day operations
When you set up and review your technical security architecture, your Chief Information Security Officer as a Service delivers expert support to your team.
Key figures and reporting to senior management
Your vCISO defines relevant key performance indicators for your information security and reports regularly to your management.
Risk assessment of new technologies
Before you deploy technologies such as artificial intelligence, your vCISO assesses the security-related risks and identifies appropriate measures for you.
Frequently asked questions about CISO as a Service from A1 Digital
As a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), you are a senior executive responsible for security within your company and act as a sparring partner for the board and management. You develop the security strategy, oversee its implementation, assess risks, and ensure that management, IT, business units, compliance, and data protection all work together towards a common goal.
CISO as a Service (CISOaaS) is the external and flexible variant of the CISO role. Instead of permanently employing a Chief Information Security Officer, you procure this expertise on an on-demand basis from an experienced provider. Depending on the specific arrangement, the model is also known as Virtual CISO, vCISO, Advisory CISO or CISO-on-demand. Your vCISO advises senior management at a strategic level and provides operational support to your IT department with its processes.
The typical annual salary for a full-time consultant is generally in the lower six-figure range. On top of that, there are additional costs of 20 to 25 percent for continuing education and social security contributions. With CISOaaS, you pay predictable monthly fees that scale with your organisation’s size and the scope of services you choose. This model is generally more cost-effective than hiring a full-time expert, and it lets you plan resources with confidence while eliminating the time and effort of recruitment.
While there is no legally mandated CISO role, the NIS2 Directive requires your senior management to approve cybersecurity measures and oversee their implementation. You, as a managing director, are personally liable in the event of a breach of duty. CISO as a Service can help you meet these requirements in a structured manner.