In our recent webinar, “The Role of the Virtual CISO,” Susan Woyton and Michael Caruso explained how organizations can benefit from strategic security leadership without hiring a full-time executive. Their discussion touched on the growing demand for vCISO services, the range of responsibilities a vCISO covers, and how Access Point tailors each engagement to client needs.
To build on that conversation, here are five reasons more organizations are turning to Virtual CISOs.
- Security on-demand - As Mike pointed out in the webinar, finding and hiring a permanent CISO can take months. A vCISO can begin supporting the business almost immediately, offering executive-level perspectives while the organization keeps moving forward.
- Cost control without sacrificing expertise - Susan noted that many of our clients don’t need a full-time executive but still require guidance at the board and leadership level. A vCISO brings the right expertise at a fraction of the cost of a permanent hire, which makes the model practical for small and mid-sized organizations.
- Flexibility to scale services - One of the advantages discussed in the webinar is flexibility. A vCISO engagement can expand or contract depending on what the business needs — from leading a full assessment and remediation plan to providing targeted support for compliance or risk management. That adaptability means investments are applied where they matter most.
- Breadth of experience across industries - Because they work with multiple organizations, vCISOs carry a wide perspective. Mike emphasized how that exposure helps identify control gaps and remediation strategies that are proven in practice. Virtual CISOs bring lived experience from across industries and regulatory environments.
- Independent perspective - A vCISO brings objectivity. As Susan explained, that independence is valuable in risk assessment and planning, where it helps surface priorities without being tied to internal politics. It also reassures boards and auditors that risks are being evaluated by an impartial voice.
How Access Point Delivers vCISO Services
During the webinar, Susan walked through Access Point’s structured approach:
- Assess: Interviews, control reviews, and documentation of risks in a living register.
- Remediate: Tailored plans to close gaps, reduce exposure, and improve resilience.
- Implement: Leveraging both our internal resources and external partners such as Domain Guard, Fortinet, and SecurityScorecard.
- Report: From weekly updates to quarterly business reviews, keeping leaders reliably informed.
The goal of every engagement is the same: provide the right level of strategic leadership, improve resilience, and help clients make confident decisions about where to invest.
Watch the Full Webinar
This article highlights a few of the takeaways, but the full conversation goes deeper — from compliance frameworks to incident response planning and cyber insurance requirements. We encourage you to watch the recording of “The Role of the Virtual CISO” above to hear directly from Susan and Mike.
