Operator-Led Cybersecurity for Fast-Moving Organizations
Built by Operators. For the Innovation Economy.
For 15+ years, we sat at the center of the global innovation ecosystem. vCSO.ai exists for one purpose: Give high-growth and regulated organizations access to board-level cybersecurity judgment without hiring a full-time CSO.
WHAT WE DO
We help CEOs, CSOs, and boards answer three hard questions:
Where are we exposed?
How do we prove we're in control?
How do we adopt AI without inviting regulatory trouble?
Our Story
vCSO.ai was founded on a simple observation: the organizations driving innovation forward high-growth startups, venture-backed companies, and financial institutions navigating digital transformation, face cyber and AI risks but rarely have access to the executive-level judgment needed to address them.
Most advisory firms offer either hourly consultants who lack strategic depth or expensive audit-driven engagements that prioritize compliance theater over real risk reduction. CEOs and boards are left with reports full of jargon but no clear path forward.
We built vCSO.ai differently. As operators who've lived through board scrutiny, regulatory examinations, and high-stakes incidents, we know what matters and what doesn't. We've sat across the table from venture capitalists evaluating security posture, from regulators demanding accountability, and from executive teams balancing innovation velocity with risk exposure.
OUR IMPACT, QUANTIFIED
Security Backed by Experience, Proven by Numbers
In Cybersecurity Leadership
As CSO & Chief Privacy Officer
In Institutional Assets Previously Secured
Boardroom Briefings Delivered to Executive Leadership
Advisor to Cybersecurity Product Companies
In Collective Enterprise Value Across Advised Startups
FOUNDER & PRINCIPAL ADVISOR
Nick Shevelyov
Former Chief Security Officer & CIO, Silicon Valley Bank
25+ Years in Cybersecurity, Risk & Technology Leadership
Linkedin ProfileNick brings 25+ years of cybersecurity, risk, and technology leadership to every engagement. As Chief Security Officer and CIO of Silicon Valley Bank, he built and led the global security and technology program for one of the most systemically important financial institutions in the innovation economy.
For 15+ years, Nick sat at the center of the global innovation ecosystem, supporting companies backed by top-tier VCs, working with security pioneers like Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, and Zscaler from their earliest stages, and briefing boards and regulators on the risks that matter.
Credentials & Recognition
Public Bio
Recognized for ongoing engagement with CSO/CISO priorities and thought leadership
Board & Advisory
Active on boards and as an advisor to cybersecurity innovators and industry leaders
Media Appearances
Frequent speaker and commentator on cybersecurity, risk, and innovation
Author
Cyber War…and Peace: Building Digital Trust Today with History as Our Guide
THE vCSO.ai TEAM
Operators. Specialists. Builders.
Every member of our team brings deep domain expertise, operational experience, and a commitment to delivering executive-level judgment.
WORK WITH vCSO.ai
Ready to Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Leadership?
If you're a CEO, founder, or board member who needs clarity on cyber and AI risk, not decks full of jargon, we should talk.