Fractional CSO Advisory
Your Executives and Board are Asking About Cyber Risk.
Can You Answer With Confidence?
Signs You Need a Security Leader
If you need expertise but a full-time CSO isn’t realistic.
Your board wants answers.
"What’s our cyber risk posture? Are we ready for an audit? What happens if we get breached?"
Your customers demand proof.
Enterprise deals and partnerships increasingly require SOC 2, ISO, or similar attestations — and a named security leader.
Your team is stretched thin.
Your IT or engineering team is capable, but security strategy isn’t their full-time job — and it shouldn’t be.
A breach could kill your business.
You handle sensitive data, regulated workflows, or critical systems where downtime or exposure is existential.
Get Executive-Level Security Leadership
Get the best of both worlds — technical guidance your team can act on, and executive reporting your leadership can rely on.
Technical Direction
Give your security/IT teams the experienced input they need to take the right actions.
Execution Clarity
Turn complex requirements into simple, actionable steps.
Executive Reporting
Deliver board-ready insights on risk, posture, and business impact.
Ongoing Guidance
Stay aligned and supported as your security program matures.
No guesswork. No overwhelm.
Just clear direction from someone who’s done this before.
Book a Strategy CallHow It Works
01.
Assessment
We evaluate your security posture against industry frameworks (NIST, ISO, SOC 2) and deliver a technical report plus an executive summary your board can understand.
02.
Strategic Oversight
We meet weekly or bi-monthly to guide remediation, evaluate vendors, develop policies, and track improvement over time.
03.
Transition
When you scale to the point where a full-time CSO makes sense, we help you hire the right person and ensure a smooth handoff.
Who This Is For
Built for companies ready to level up their security.
Growing Teams
- You’re a 200–2,000 person company that needs enterprise-level security without hiring a full-time CSO.
Regulated Industries
- You operate in banking, healthcare, fintech, or similar sectors where compliance isn’t optional.
High-Risk Operations
- You handle sensitive data or critical systems where a breach would directly impact revenue or trust.
Digital-First Teams
- Your product or infrastructure relies heavily on technology and needs experienced security oversight.
Work With Someone Who’s Been in the Hot Seat
Leadership You Can Trust
Expertise You Can Measure
vCSO.ai was founded by Nick Shevelyov, cybersecurity executive, speaker, and author of Cyber War and Peace.
With over three decades of experience advising Fortune 500 companies, boards, and government agencies, Nick bridges technology, governance, and business strategy.
Achievements
- 25+ years in cybersecurity, risk management, and leadership.
- 15 years as CSO for Silicon Valley Bank (2007–2021), the bank of the innovation economy.
- Deep network across cybersecurity, venture capital, and startup ecosystems.
- Recognized speaker, advisor, and thought leader in cybersecurity governance.
- Author: "Cyber War…and Peace"
You Get a Team, Not Just One Person
Every engagement is led by Nick, supported by experienced team members.
Andrej
CISSP, ethical hacker (assessments and pen testing)
Berk
GRC specialist (compliance frameworks)
Jay
Logistics
Sonija
Operations and Accounting
You’re not handed off to a junior consultant.
You work with people who’ve done this for decades.
What You Get
Comprehensive Assessment
- A technical report + executive summary
- Risk scoring across security domains
- Visual roadmap your board can understand
- Clear prioritization of what to fix first
Ongoing Strategic Guidance
- Weekly or bi-monthly meetings
- Vendor and tool evaluation
- Policy development (incident response, business continuity, data handling)
- Remediation oversight and progress tracking
Board-Ready Communication
- Translate technical risk into business impact
- Quarterly reports for executives and directors
- Support during audits and due diligence
Access to Specialized Talent
- Pen testers, compliance experts, SOC analysts
- Introductions to security leaders in your industry
- Recruitment support when you're ready to hire full-time
FAQ
Common Questions
How is this different from hiring a consultant?
Consultants deliver a report and leave. We stay engaged, guiding you through implementation and adjusting strategy as you grow.
What's the time commitment?
Typically 5–20 hours per month depending on engagement scope. We scale with your needs — more intensive during assessment, steady cadence during ongoing oversight.
Do you work with our existing team or replace them?
We work with your existing team, providing executive-level guidance and strategic direction. We don’t replace your IT or engineering staff.
What if we need help outside your expertise?
Our network spans pen testers, compliance auditors, forensics specialists, and more. If we can’t do it in-house, we bring in a trusted partner.
Can we transition to a full-time CSO later?
Absolutely. We help many clients scale into full-time security leadership — including recruiting and onboarding the right hire.
