Virtual CISO (vCISO)
A named security executive who runs your program: board reporting, compliance ownership, and incident response, starting within two weeks.
Virtual CISO (vCISO) and fractional security services
SideChannel gives you an experienced security leader who owns your program, plus the specialists and infrastructure behind it. Strategy, compliance, risk, and engineering from one team, sized to where your program is today.
What SideChannel’s security services cover
SideChannel is a cybersecurity company that provides virtual CISO (vCISO) and fractional security services: CISO-level security leadership and the execution behind it, without hiring a full internal security team.
A named security leader who owns your program on a fractional basis, reports to your board, and leads incident response.
Compliance across SOC 2, NIST CSF, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and CMMC, owned end to end.
Specialists in risk assessment, cyber engineering, cloud security, insider threat, and third-party risk.
Enclave, our zero-trust platform, for the infrastructure when a security gap calls for it.
Security leadership, on a fractional basis
Most mid-market organizations need CISO-level leadership but cannot justify a full-time hire or wait out a six-month search. A SideChannel vCISO steps in within two weeks, owns the program year-round, and delivers the same quality of security leadership that runs enterprise programs, at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive. Engagements are sized to your program and grow as you do.
Our security services
Every engagement starts with a named security leader.
These are the services that run under that leadership.
Fractional Security Services
The full fractional practice: program leadership, compliance and governance, and hands-on technical coverage from a team that integrates with yours.
Cybersecurity Compliance
Gap analysis through certification across SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, CMMC, and NIST CSF, with your vCISO owning the program end to end.
Risk Assessments
Measure your controls and translate cyber risk into business terms your leaders can act on.
Cyber Engineering
Engineers who build, remediate, and run the controls your security program depends on.
Cloud Security Services
Find the misconfigurations and access gaps in your cloud, then get a prioritized plan to close them.
Insider Threat Defense
Assess and reduce human-driven risk across staff, contractors, suppliers, and partners.
Third-Party Risk Management
Screen your vendors and answer the security questionnaires you receive, so vendor risk stays contained.
Cybersecurity Strategy Assessment
A structured review of your security program against NIST CSF and CIS Controls, with a prioritized, costed roadmap delivered in weeks.
Why SideChannel
SideChannel’s security leaders have run programs across more than 200 organizations in 12 industries. Our founder co-authored the practitioner reference on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (Wiley, 2020). And because our vCISO practice and Enclave, our zero-trust platform, come from the same team, the strategy is built around infrastructure you can actually operate, and the infrastructure is deployed against the gaps your security leader has already identified.
Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual CISO (vCISO) service?
A virtual CISO (vCISO) service gives an organization a fractional security executive who owns its security program: sitting in leadership meetings, reporting to the board, managing vendors, driving compliance, and leading incident response, without the cost of a full-time hire. SideChannel’s vCISO service starts within two weeks and is the lead offering within its fractional security practice.
What security services does SideChannel offer?
SideChannel offers virtual CISO (vCISO) leadership, fractional security services, cybersecurity compliance, risk assessments, cyber engineering, cloud security services, insider threat defense, and third-party risk management. Every engagement runs under a named security leader, and Enclave, SideChannel’s zero-trust platform, provides the infrastructure when a security gap calls for it.
What is the difference between a vCISO and fractional security services?
The vCISO is the named security leader who owns your program. Fractional security services is the broader practice around that leader, adding compliance, risk, engineering, and cloud security capabilities that run under the same program. Most engagements start with a vCISO and draw on the other services as the program needs them.
How much do SideChannel’s vCISO services cost?
SideChannel vCISO engagements typically run $3,000 to $12,000 per month, depending on the scope your program needs. That is a fraction of the $250,000 to $600,000-plus annual cost of a full-time CISO, with no recruiting cycle.
How quickly can SideChannel start?
Most SideChannel engagements start within two weeks. A named security leader steps in with full program context, and most clients have a complete risk assessment and prioritized roadmap within 30 days.
Tell us where your program is today
Whether you need a security leader, a specific service, or the infrastructure behind it, we will help you find the right starting point.