vCISO Services: Virtual CISO Consulting

A vCISO gives your company a senior security executive without the full-time cost. BD Emerson's vCISO service covers security program ownership, board reporting, audit and framework leadership, incident oversight, and vendor security reviews, on a fractional engagement sized to your risk.
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Definition

Defining the vCISO

A virtual CISO (vCISO) is an outsourced executive who owns your security program the way an in-house Chief Information Security Officer would, on a fractional schedule and budget. The vCISO sets strategy, manages risk and vulnerabilities, leads audits and framework work, and reports to your board, without the cost of a full-time executive hire.
Why companies choose a vCISO: most organizations under about 1,000 employees need senior security leadership a few days a month, not a full-time executive whose loaded cost runs $250,000 to $400,000. A vCISO delivers that leadership as a monthly engagement that scales with audits, customer security reviews, and incidents. The label matters less than the model: vCISO and fractional CISO describe the same part-time engagement, and ours comes with a named executive whose calendar you can see.
Services

Our vCISO services for strategic cybersecurity leadership

BD Emerson's vCISO engagements pair a named security executive with a bench of specialists in cloud, compliance, and incident response. The engagement covers security program ownership, board reporting, audit and framework leadership across SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA, and the vendor and customer security reviews that fill most security calendars.
Strategic cybersecurity guidance
Technical security control implementation
Incident response and forensic support
Strategic recovery and security reinforcement
Building a proactive security culture

Strategic cybersecurity guidance

Your vCISO owns the security program: the roadmap, the risk register, the policy set, and the budget case. Board and leadership reporting runs on a fixed cadence, so security decisions get made with the rest of the business in the room.

Technical security control implementation

Your vCISO selects and oversees the technical controls that matter: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and cloud security tooling. Vendor security reviews sit in the same lane, so every new tool is vetted before it touches your data.

Incident response and forensic support

When an incident hits, your vCISO takes command: containment, forensic investigation to root cause, and the client and regulator communications that follow. Our 24/7 incident response team backs every engagement, so escalation does not wait for the next scheduled day.
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Strategic recovery and security reinforcement

After containment, recovery runs to a plan: restoration priorities, a coordinated communication strategy for clients and regulators, and a post-incident report that changes the program rather than sitting in a drawer.

Building a proactive security culture

Tabletop exercises and incident readiness training prepare your team before something breaks. Your vCISO runs the simulations, tracks the findings, and folds them back into the security program.
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Choose BD Emerson as your virtual CISO

Tell us what is driving the need, an audit, a customer security review, or a gap after a departure, and we will scope a vCISO engagement to it.
Our Advantage

Why BD Emerson

Expertise on demand

BD Emerson's vCISOs have carried security programs through audits, board reviews, and live incidents. The engagement prepares you for incident response and builds the framework that prevents repeats.

Your trusted cybersecurity ally

As your partner, we shape the engagement to your organization: the days per month, the deliverables, and the reporting cadence your leadership actually needs.

Technology consulting

We provide expert guidance and support to enhance digital security. Our information security consulting services encompass strategy development, security audits, control implementation, and regulatory compliance to provide your organization with a comprehensive and integrated solution.

Trusted partnerships

We work alongside industry-leading security providers, so our clients get current security technology and managed security services without running the vendor evaluations themselves.
Reviews

What our customers say

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

Certificates

Our accreditations

At BD Emerson, we believe that our team's extensive certifications not only set us apart but also ensure that we provide the highest level of service to our clients.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO)?

How does a vCISO benefit my business?

What kind of expertise does BD Emerson's vCISO bring?

What services are included in BD Emerson’s vCISO package?

How does BD Emerson ensure 24/7 cybersecurity protection?

Is the vCISO service customizable according to my business needs?

Can BD Emerson’s vCISO service help with compliance and regulatory requirements?

What is the cost of BD Emerson's vCISO service? How much does a virtual CISO cost?

How does BD Emerson's vCISO service integrate with my existing information security programs and security team?

How do I get started with BD Emerson's vCISO service?

Can BD Emerson's vCISO security service help in case of a cyber security incident?

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