When Do You Need a CISO?
You probably don't need a full-time CISO under 100 employees. But you definitely need one — even part-time — if clients ask "who's your CISO?", you're preparing ISO 27001/SOC 2, you're subject to NIS 2/DORA, or your CTO spends 20%+ of their time on security.
Full-Time vs Part-Time CISO
| Aspect | Full-time | vCISO |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | €150-250k | €24-60k |
| Availability | 5 days/week | 1-3 days/week |
| Ideal for | 200+ employees | 10-200 employees |
vCISO Responsibilities
Security strategy, risk management, certification projects (ISO/SOC 2), regulatory compliance, questionnaire validation, incident response, vendor management, board reporting.
Automate Your Security Questionnaires
Compli.st answers your ISO 27001, SOC 2 and GDPR questionnaires in minutes using AI.
Try for FreeHow to Find a Good vCISO
Look at specialized cybersecurity firms, freelance platforms, professional networks. Key criteria: experience with your size/sector, framework knowledge, ability to communicate with non-technical stakeholders.
How to Maximize Your vCISO with Tools
Compli.st automates repetitive tasks so your vCISO focuses on strategy: AI questionnaire automation, Smart Library, Trust Center, Risk AI. Result: a 2-3 day/week vCISO with full-time impact.