Virtual CISO (vCISO) for Startups, Scaleups & SMEs

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Virtual CISO (vCISO) for Startups, Scaleups & SMEs | Boxfish Labs

Virtual CISO is recommended for

Startups and scaleups

Startups and scaleups that need security leadership before a full-time CISO hire makes sense

Businesses without a security leader

Businesses without an internal security leader or mature information-security function

Founders and executives

Founders and executives who need clearer visibility of cyber risk, priorities, ownership, and progress

Regulated and trust-dependent organisations

Organisations operating in regulated, data-sensitive, or customer-trust-dependent environments

These are the situations we see most often. They are not the only ones.

Enterprise procurement

You need to pass vendor reviews, complete security questionnaires, and unblock enterprise sales.

Audit and certification readiness

You are preparing for a customer audit, investor due diligence, or a certification such as ISO 27001.

Security that grows with the business

You need security that continues as the team and product grow, not a one-off compliance project.

What a Virtual CISO does

Continuous risk assessment

Maintain a clear and current view of the risks that matter to your company: technology, data, people, suppliers, operations, legal obligations, and changing customer expectations.

Security strategy and roadmap

Create a proportionate security strategy and prioritised roadmap that connects security investment to business objectives, growth plans, customer needs, and available capacity.

Security programme oversight

Provide accountable oversight for policies, controls, responsibilities, security operations, documentation, evidence, and the routines needed to keep the programme working.

Compliance coordination

Align work across relevant frameworks and expectations, including ISO 27001, GDPR, DORA, TISAX, the EU AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, and customer security requirements.

Incident readiness and coordination

Prepare your organisation to respond effectively when an incident occurs. This includes incident-response planning, role clarity, escalation paths, decision support, and lessons learned.

A practical Virtual CISO roadmap

We assess your current security
We map how the company handles data, access, suppliers, and customer security requirements. You see what is already covered and what is not.
We set security priorities
We agree which risks to accept, who owns them, and what to fix first. The plan matches your stage, your team, and the deals you need to close.
We put the missing security work in place
We write the policies, supplier checks, and incident steps you need, and prepare answers for customer security reviews. This is done with your team, not handed over as templates.

Relevant frameworks

ISO 27001

Build or improve an information security management system (ISMS) that connects risk management, policies, technical and organisational controls, evidence, and continuous improvement.

GDPR

Ensure security leadership works alongside data-protection governance, personal-data risk management, processor oversight, incident response, and privacy-by-design practices.

DORA

Support regulated financial entities and their ICT providers with operational resilience, incident management, supplier oversight, governance, and risk-management expectations.

TISAX

Help automotive and mobility-sector suppliers strengthen the documentation, governance, and security practices needed to prepare for TISAX assessments.

Business value of a Virtual CISO

Clear security ownership

Senior security guidance without the cost, delay, or commitment of a full-time executive hire, paired with clear internal responsibilities for risks and compliance.

Realistic security roadmap

A strategy designed around your actual business goals, team capacity, and runway rather than theoretical checklists.

Defensible policies and evidence

Consistent controls, governance documentation, and audit-ready proof that your team can maintain daily.

Faster procurement and diligence

Confident, faster answers to enterprise security questionnaires, customer reviews, investor checks, and audit requirements.

Executive risk visibility

Straightforward leadership updates on current cyber risks, completed milestones, open issues, and required business decisions.

Scalable security maturity

A security foundation that evolves alongside your company and product rather than requiring a complete rebuild at every growth stage.

Engagement model

Subscription-based cybersecurity leadership, with the flexibility to grow. A Virtual CISO engagement is delivered through an ongoing retainer. It gives your organisation recurring access to a senior cybersecurity leader while keeping the time commitment proportionate to your current needs.

Screening call
A free 20-minute call with no obligations. Let's see if we can solve your problem and if we are the right fit.
Assessment call
A paid 60-minute deep dive into your risks, compliance pressure, and goals (with an NDA signed if required). You get an actionable plan, and the fee is credited toward your first invoice if we work together.

Benefits of the Virtual CISO support by Boxfish Labs

Access experienced leadership earlier

Get senior support before a permanent executive role is necessary. Boxfish Labs brings international experience across information security, privacy, audits, governance, risk, compliance, and human-centred security.

Make security proportionate

Build the level of security your business needs now, while creating a clear path to greater maturity later. Avoid both underinvestment and enterprise-style overengineering.

Save compared with a full-time hire

A external model can reduce the cost of senior security leadership significantly compared with a full-time hire, while giving you reliable access to expertise when it matters.

Work internationally

Boxfish Labs supports international teams in English, German, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, and other languages where possible, helping distributed businesses work across customers, teams, and markets.

Find the right support tier

Choose the subscription that fits your current stage and level of need. To learn what is included, discuss on-demand services, or request a tailored offer, book a free discovery call.

These tiers are a guide: every engagement is scoped and priced to your organisation after a discovery conversation.

Startup

From 1.250 € +VAT per month

Commitment: min 3 months

Affordable support for early-stage teams to build security and privacy foundations from day one.

Talk to our expert

Managed

From 2.500 € +VAT per month

Commitment: min 6 months

Ongoing support for teams that need steady security and compliance progress.

Talk to our expert

Strategic

From 4.500 € +VAT per month

Commitment: min 6 or 12 months

Deeper partnership for complex risk, markets, and leadership decisions.

Talk to our expert

FAQs

What is a Virtual CISO (vCISO)?

A Virtual CISO (vCISO) is an experienced cybersecurity leader who works with your organisation on a part-time, ongoing basis. The role provides strategy, governance, risk oversight, programme leadership, and executive guidance without requiring a full-time CISO hire.

How is this different from a one-off security consultant?

A consultant may deliver a defined assessment or implementation project. A Virtual CISO provides ongoing leadership: setting direction, maintaining the programme, guiding decisions, overseeing progress, coordinating priorities, and reporting to leadership over time.

How much time do we need from a Virtual CISO?

The right allocation depends on your company’s stage, technology, data, customer requirements, regulatory context, and current maturity. After the assessment call, we recommend a starting allocation that can increase or decrease as your needs change.

Are we too small for a Virtual CISO?

Not necessarily. The service is designed for teams that have outgrown informal security ownership but do not yet need or want a full-time executive hire. It is often most valuable when larger customers, new funding, regulated markets, or growth plans begin creating formal security expectations.

Can a Virtual CISO help us become ISO 27001 certified?

Yes. We can guide ISMS design, risk assessment, policy and control development, document governance, audit preparation, evidence building, internal audit readiness, and the continuous-improvement practices needed to support certification.

Will the Virtual CISO manage our technical security team or external providers?

The engagement can include security leadership, coordination, and oversight for internal technical teams, managed service providers, cloud vendors, auditors, and other specialist partners. The exact responsibilities are agreed in the engagement plan.

How Boxfish Labs can help

Information Security Advisory

Practical security advice and programme support

Explore: Information Security Advisory

External DPO

Hands-on data protection support for growing teams

Explore: External DPO

Data Residency & Sovereignty

Choose EU providers and control data flows

Explore: Data Residency & Sovereignty

Human-centred cybersecurity awareness

Practical learning that builds confidence, not fear

Explore: Human-centred cybersecurity awareness

Security Check for Vibe-Coded Apps

Expert developers review your code and settings for vulnerabilities

Explore: Security Check for Vibe-Coded Apps

Virtual CISO (vCISO) - cybersecurity, risk management, regulatory and compliance expertise - as and when you need it

Make security easier to manage: book a 20-min Discovery Call

What is a Virtual CISO (vCISO)?

Virtual CISO is recommended for

Startups and scaleups

Businesses without a security leader

Founders and executives

Regulated and trust-dependent organisations

Common reasons to subscribe for vCISO service

Enterprise procurement

Audit and certification readiness

Security that grows with the business

What a Virtual CISO does

Continuous risk assessment

Security strategy and roadmap

Security programme oversight

Compliance coordination

Incident readiness and coordination

A practical Virtual CISO roadmap

We assess your current security

We set security priorities

We put the missing security work in place

Relevant frameworks

ISO 27001

GDPR

DORA

TISAX

EU AI Act

Business value of a Virtual CISO

Clear security ownership

Realistic security roadmap

Defensible policies and evidence

Faster procurement and diligence

Executive risk visibility

Scalable security maturity

Engagement model

Screening call

Assessment call

Benefits of the Virtual CISO support by Boxfish Labs

Access experienced leadership earlier

Make security proportionate

Save compared with a full-time hire

Work internationally

Find the right support tier

Startup

Managed

Strategic

Executive and board reporting

We run security on a fixed schedule

We change the security plan as the company changes

Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)

Ongoing retainer

Custom

FAQs

How Boxfish Labs can help

Information Security Advisory

External DPO

Data Residency & Sovereignty

Human-centred cybersecurity awareness

Security Check for Vibe-Coded Apps