Wherever you’re located, whatever your size, and whichever industry you’re in, your business should prioritize cybersecurity. Hackers only get smarter and malware becomes more dynamic every day. Subsequently, the epidemic of data breaches shows no signs of going away: As of August 14, there were already 790 data breaches identified in the U.S., exposing more than 27 million records, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.
In order to minimize your IT security risk level, it’s crucial to take proactive action to prevent cyber attacks. Having a chief security officer (CSO) or chief information security officer (CISO) on staff can make a big difference. A high-level security expert can help your organization stay up-to-date on the ever-evolving cybersecurity threat landscape as well as craft, implement, and maintain a comprehensive IT security strategy.
However, smaller companies with limited funds might not be able to hire a full-time, in-house CSO or CISO. Luckily, there’s an alternative available for organizations that don’t have a security executive on staff: receiving virtual CSO or CISO services from a managed service provider. Basically, you can rent a CSO or CISO to step in when needed.
A CSO and CISO have very similar roles. Both of them spearhead efforts to minimize the risk of security breaches. However, they’re still distinct roles.
A CSO tackles the overarching security needs of the entire organization.
A CISO ensures that intellectual property and information assets specifically stay safe from cybersecurity threats. Their responsibilities include vendor risk management, knowing where critical data is housed, and more.
Why Your Business Should Have a vCSO/vCISO
There are a range of reasons why businesses opt for a vCSO or a vCISO to ensure their data stays safe from cybercriminals. These are just a few advantages to consider:
1. Cost containment: Compared to full-time CSOs and CISOs, virtual security executives cost much less, since you don’t have to worry about providing training, a salary, benefits, and so on.
2. Help with compliance: If your business must comply with industry regulations such as HIPAA, assistance from a high-level security expert can make the process much easier.
3. Lower cybersecurity risk level: The most important benefit of all is minimizing your risk of IT security incidents due to access to a vCSO’s or vCISO’s security expertise and services.
Our CISO, Jesse Miller, provides both vCSO and vCISO services for our clients’ cybersecurity needs. To learn more about vCSO and vCISO services from Stratosphere Networks, contact us today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
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