A security chief on your team — without the salary.
Most growing businesses can't justify a full-time Chief Information Security Officer, so security leadership just… doesn't happen. A Caldera vCISO gives you that seasoned leadership on a fractional basis — strategy, compliance, and a plan — sized to your risk and your budget.
Someone should own your security. Right now, no one does.
IT keeps the lights on. A tool here, a policy there. But nobody is stepping back to ask the questions a security leader asks: Where are we exposed? What matters most? What's the plan if something goes wrong?
That's not an IT job — it's a leadership job. And it's the exact gap a vCISO fills: the strategy, the accountability, and the board-ready view of risk, without the six-figure hire.
Three ways to handle security leadership.
Everything a security chief brings.
Built on top of our Business Security Essentials — so the day-to-day protection is handled while your vCISO works on the bigger picture.
Schedule a call →NIST security assessment
A structured, framework-based look at where your security actually stands today.
Security roadmap & strategy
A prioritized plan that fits your risk profile, your goals, and your budget.
Compliance guidance
Practical help navigating the frameworks that apply to you — including HIPAA and GDPR.
Incident response planning
A plan for when something goes wrong, so a bad day doesn't become a catastrophe.
Risk management & mitigation
Ongoing identification of what threatens the business, and the work to reduce it.
Quarterly board-level reporting
The state of your security, translated into the language leadership and boards need.
How a vCISO engagement unfolds.
Assess
We run a NIST-based assessment to understand exactly where you stand — the gaps, the risks, the quick wins.
Strategize
We build a security roadmap tailored to your organization's size, risk profile, and goals.
Execute
We work the plan — mitigating risk, tightening controls, and standing up incident response.
Lead & report
Continuous security leadership, with quarterly board-level reporting so you always know where things stand.
Grounded in the standards that matter.
vCISO Services, explained.
A virtual Chief Information Security Officer — an experienced security leader who works with you on a fractional basis. You get the strategy, oversight, and accountability of a CISO without the cost and commitment of a full-time executive hire.
If you hold customer data, handle payments, or would be in real trouble after a breach, you need security leadership — and most attacks target smaller businesses precisely because they assume they're too small to matter. A vCISO is how you get that leadership at a size that fits.
IT keeps systems running; a vCISO owns security strategy and risk. They're complementary. Your IT team or MSP handles the day-to-day, while your vCISO sets direction, assesses risk, plans for incidents, and reports to leadership.
The vCISO Program is custom-priced to your organization's size, risk profile, and goals — a fraction of a full-time CISO's salary. The best next step is a short call so we can understand your situation and give you a clear picture.
Put a security leader in your corner.
Tell us about your business and where security keeps you up at night. We'll walk you through what a vCISO engagement would look like — and what it would take to get started.
Virtual CISO (vCISO) Program
Caldera Cybersecurity offers Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services designed to fit your business’s unique cybersecurity maturity, risk profile, and compliance requirements. Whether you’re just getting started or need high-level strategic oversight, we provide the cybersecurity leadership your business needs—without the cost of a full-time executive.
Why Choose a vCISO?
Hiring a vCISO gives your business access to seasoned cybersecurity leadership and expert guidance to:
- Develop and mature your security program
- Stay compliant with industry frameworks like NIST, HIPAA, and CMMC
- Improve resilience against evolving threats
- Gain strategic insights without full-time overhead
Our vCISO Service Tiers
Select a package that aligns with your goals, size, and compliance journey:
🟦 Starter Shield
Best for: Small teams and nonprofits building their first cybersecurity foundation or preparing for compliance audits.
- Initial Assessment: Hardware/software inventory, staff role review, cyber risk identification
- Security Maturity Assessment: Benchmark against CMMC Level 1, identify gaps
- Security Program Roadmap: Custom plan with prioritized actions
- Weekly Guidance Calls: 1 hour/week for 8 weeks with leadership or IT staff
- Policy Development: Includes InfoSec and Incident Response Policies
- Quarterly Executive Security Review: Ongoing strategic alignment
🟨 Growth Guard
Best for: Growing businesses that need recurring cybersecurity guidance, technical insight, and program advancement.
Includes everything in Starter Shield, plus:
- Routine IT security checkpoints
- Security infrastructure optimization
- Annual risk assessments with remediation planning
🟥 Executive Strategy
Best for: Organizations with regulatory requirements and complex vendor landscapes needing strategic cybersecurity leadership.
Includes all Growth Guard features, plus:
- Executive Governance: Cybersecurity steering committee, monthly C-level briefings
- Vendor Risk Oversight: Third-party assessments and contract risk reviews
- MSSP/SOC Coordination: Enhanced detection and response management
- Strategic Program Expansion: Support for CMMC Level 2, NIST 800-171, HIPAA, PCI DSS
- Executive Coaching: Mentorship for your internal IT or security leads
Let’s Build a Stronger Security Program
No matter where you are on your cybersecurity journey, Caldera’s vCISO services provide the structure, expertise, and strategy to secure your business and meet compliance head-on.
Contact us today to discuss which package best aligns with your goals.