Today, small businesses are more at risk from cyber threats than ever before. According to Verizon, 43 percent—nearly half of all cyber-attacks—were directed at small businesses. A Hiscox study indicates that these incidents cost small businesses over $200,000 on average. Over 60 percent of small businesses go out of business in the aftermath of such an incident, according to the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

Cybersecurity isn’t optional for small businesses. However, unlike large corporations, most businesses cannot afford to operate a dedicated cybersecurity team.

One option is to appoint a leader as a CISO to author and oversee cybersecurity policy and governance. However, a CISO without an actual team isn’t very useful: who’s going to implement policy decisions?

The Solution: Fractional and Virtual CISO Services

This is where fractional and virtual CISO services come into the picture. Alpine Security’s fractional CISO service offering combines the thought leadership of an experienced CISO with the operational capabilities of a full-fledged cybersecurity team. By consolidating our service offering across multiple clients, Alpine’s able to offer CISO services at a price point that’s viable for small businesses. There are a number of reasons why fractional CISO services are a good fit for your small business. Let’s explore them

1. Access to trusted, C-level cybersecurity advisory

Alpine’s fractional CISO service brings strategic maturity to your cybersecurity approach. Through a breach prevention audit, capability maturity model assessment, incident response planning, and quarterly and annual reports and assessments, Alpine’s fractional CISO service ensures that your cybersecurity adheres to the highest industry standards. The continuous assessment helps to identify weak spots that can be rectified at the policy and operational levels.

2. A complete cybersecurity team

When hiring a full-time CISO, you’re onboarding a single C-level executive. A CISO won’t be of much help if you don’t have a dedicated cybersecurity team already in place. Alpine’s fractional CISO service combines the C-level experience of a virtual CISO with the implementation capabilities of a full-fledged cybersecurity team. This ensures that your cybersecurity policy is implemented on the ground.

3. A service that grows to match your needs

As your business grows, cybersecurity will become increasingly important: every extra endpoint, every cloud integration, and every digital transaction increases your liabilities in case of a security incident. Alpine’s fractional CISO services adapt to meet your evolving security needs. From current and future state assessments to audit reviews to compliance planning, Alpine’s fractional CISO services offer more functionality and greater flexibility as your needs grow.

4. Navigate external challenges with ease

Multiple stakeholders play key roles in your business’ cybersecurity. It’s not easy to navigate the web of vendors, auditors, officials, and SMEs on your own. Alpine’s fractional CISO can intermediate between your business and key cybersecurity stakeholders. By routing communication through a cybersecurity trusted advisor, you’ll see a measurable improvement in resource utilization: ensure that the right people are deployed for the right security functions access vendor solutions at preferred rates, have clear expectations about compliance requirements, and more.

5. Bridge the gap between your needs and your capabilities

Your business needs cybersecurity just as much as a large corporation. Alpine’s fractional CISO services bridge the gap between your security budget allocation and the critical cybersecurity functions you need to stay safe in today’s connected world. By integrating access to a full-fledged cybersecurity team, Alpine’s fractional CISO service provides you with more value than hiring a CISO outright, for a fraction of the price.

Strategic planning and implementation are equally important aspects of your cybersecurity approach. Alpine’s fractional CISO service gives you uncompromised access to both.