Virtual Chief Information Security Officer
URM’s virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) service provides organisations with senior-level information security leadership supported by a consulting team whose collective expertise spans hundreds of years of practical, hands-on experience. With over 35 specialists across information security, cyber security, data protection, risk management and business continuity, URM’s consultants bring a depth and breadth of capability that few organisations can match.
Every vCISO engagement includes a nominated lead consultant who acts as your primary point of contact and strategic advisor, supported by a nominated backup to ensure continuity at all times. Both are able to draw upon URM’s wider multidisciplinary team whenever specialist input is needed, giving you the reassurance of consistent leadership backed by extensive expertise.
Our team holds globally recognised qualifications including CISM, CISSP, CISA, PCI QSA, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, Certificate in Data Protection, CRTO, OSCP and CREST Registered Tester (CRT). This combination of strategic leadership, technical proficiency and extensive implementation experience ensures your organisation receives pragmatic, business-aligned guidance that delivers real and lasting improvements to your security posture.
Why Choose URM’s vCISO Service?
URM has been deeply embedded in the information security landscape since the launch of ISO 27001 in 2005. Having supported over 450 organisations to achieve certification (with no failures!) our consultants understand what effective security looks like in practice, not just on paper.
What sets URM apart is the calibre and diversity of its team. Our vCISO service is delivered by consultants who are:
- Highly qualified, spanning governance, auditing, penetration testing and technical security disciplines
- Exceptionally experienced, with hundreds of years of combined practical experience across multiple sectors
- Implementation specialists, having worked extensively with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2, NIST, CMMC, Gambling Commission RTS and other standards
- Experts in integrated management systems, adept at combining ISO 27001 with ISO 22301, ISO 9001, ISO 20000-1, ISO 13485 and others
- Supported by URM’s wider capability, including penetration testers, GDPR specialists, Cyber Essentials assessors and our Abriska risk management software
With a nominated lead and backup consultant assigned to every engagement, you benefit from continuity, resilience and the assurance that your vCISO is backed by a multidisciplinary team capable of addressing every aspect of your security programme.
What Our vCISO Service Includes
URM’s vCISO engagements are tailored to your organisation’s needs. Typical areas of support include:
- Security Strategy and Governance
- Developing or refining your information security strategy
- Establishing governance structures such as security steering groups
- Defining roles, responsibilities and reporting lines
- Risk Management and Compliance
- Overseeing risk assessment and treatment activities using Abriska
- Ensuring alignment with ISO 27001, NIST CSF, PCI DSS, SOC 2 and other frameworks
- Supporting GDPR and sector-specific regulatory compliance
- Policy and Process Development
- Reviewing and enhancing your security policies and procedures
- Ensuring documentation reflects your culture and operational reality
- Providing guidance on effective implementation and communication
- Security Operations Oversight
- Advising on incident management processes and readiness
- Reviewing monitoring, logging and vulnerability management activities
- Supporting supplier assurance and third-party risk management
- Board and Stakeholder Reporting
- Providing clear, concise reporting to senior leadership
- Translating technical risks into business-focused insights
- Supporting investment cases and budget planning
Flexible Engagement Options
URM offers a range of vCISO models to suit your organisation:
- Ongoing retained vCISO for continuous leadership and oversight
- Part-time or fractional vCISO for organisations needing regular but not full-time input
- Project-based vCISO for initiatives such as ISO 27001 implementation, regulatory change or security transformation
- Interim vCISO to cover absence or support recruitment of a permanent role
Whichever model you choose, your vCISO service includes a nominated lead consultant who acts as your primary point of contact and strategic advisor, supported by a nominated backup to ensure continuity at all times. Both will be able to draw upon URM’s wider multidisciplinary team of specialists from penetration testers and GDPR specialists to ISO 27001 auditors and business continuity professionals.
Get in touch
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Why URM?
URM has been deeply embedded in the information security landscape since the launch of ISO 27001 in 2005. Having supported over 450 organisations to achieve certification (with no failures!) our consultants understand what effective security looks like in practice, not just on paper.
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