CYBER SECURITY

Virtual CISO (vCISO) Services

cyber security
OVERVIEW

Security leadership your
board can govern from

A virtual CISO (vCISO) is an executive-level, part-time cyber security resource that handles strategic, compliance and risk-governance work for mid-market organisations on an outsourced basis without the cost, or the nine-to-twelve-month wait, of a permanent hire.

For many mid-market Australian organisations, the greatest challenge to effective cyber governance is that no one “owns” the cyber programme.

In most organisations the accountability sits with the IT manager, a person most directors know little about and cannot really hold to account. While a large amount is spent on security tools with no processes in place to measure whether that money is working.

Our vCISO service places your cyber programme under the strategic guidance of a seasoned security expert, enabling them to develop a single strategy for your organisation and keep your board up to date with current information regarding risk to the organisation.

The TechBrain sovereign Australian SOC can detect and respond to all threats 24/7 under the same strategy.

Not to be confused with a vCIO: virtual CIOs focus on technology strategy, whilst virtual CISOs focus on cyber security: risk, governance, compliance and security posture.

Many organisations end up engaging both.

Is it for you?

Who needs a vCISO

A vCISO may not be for everyone, but they are worth the expense the moment cyber security moves from being an IT function to a board problem.

You likely need one if:

  • You’re facing an ISO 27001, Essential Eight ML2 or APRA CPS 234 programme with no one to own it.
  • Your board, or a major client, is asking who your security lead is… and you don’t have an answer.
  • You can’t realistically hire a CISO (9–12 months) but the risk won’t wait.
  • You operate in a regulated vertical such as mining, medical, legal, accounting, insurance or wealth management.
  • Your cyber-insurance renewal now demands a named security lead and evidence you can’t currently produce.
Get Started

Time to Hire

9 -12

Typical time in months to hire a permanent CISO in Australia.

Cybercrime Cost

55 %

YoY increase in average cost of a single cybercrime incident to an Australian medium sized business. Now $97K per incident.

Unseen Threats

39 %

Of Australian ransomware victims had no idea they were breached. The ASD gave them first notice.
Map of Australia with TechBrain city nodes marking Perth, Sydney and Melbourne
Protecting Your Digital Future

Grounded, accountable and local

The ISMS discipline our vCISO team runs for our own security programme is the reference model we use to build an Information Security Management System for your business.

You deal directly with Ash and the team behind him, so continuity never depends on a single contractor who can disappear at short notice.

  • ISO 27001-certified delivery — we hold the standard we help you reach.
  • 20+ years in the mid-market — scaled for 20–500 seats, not enterprise theory.
  • Sovereign Australian SOC — your detection and data stay onshore.
  • A named security lead — you work with Ash, with continuity built in.
Telephone handset with security shield representing one point of contact for vCISO and SOC
One relationship

vCISO + SOC. One number to call

A security strategy document has little value if no one is monitoring it.

Typically, monitoring services are sold separately to advice or services.

Rarely will someone sell both advice on a security strategy and 24/7 monitoring and incident response for you. And typically not from one service provider.

The TechBrain vCISO service develops your security strategy for you and TechBrain’s 24/7 managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) detects and responds to security threats for you. All under one SLA. All under one threat model.

The intelligence layer of the security strategy and the 24/7 monitoring and incident response is the SIEM system. The detection data from your environment sits in TechBrain’s sovereign Australian SOC; none of it is sent offshore to a third-party platform that you have no control over.

GOVERNANCE OUTPUTS

Tangible outputs, not advice by the hour

Don’t confuse the value of a vCISO with the hours charged by said vCISO. A vCISO is only worth what you take back to the board table, and that is of greatest value when presented in recognised governance artefacts; with TechBrain, these key governance artefacts are created as part of any engagement.

01
KEY DOCUMENT

Board Risk Register & SoA

A current risk register and Statement of Applicability for governance, developed from ISO 27001 Annex A — all risk treated and documented, providing an audit trail of a director’s due diligence in compliance with ASIC v RI Advice.
  • On the board's desk within the first 30 days and then a living document thereafter
  • Every risk is dispositioned (i.e. accept, treat, transfer or avoid) with reasoning documented
  • Exclusions are justified in the SoA and presented in a format familiar to a certification auditor
02
KEY DOCUMENT

ISO 27001 / E8 ML2 Evidence Pack

The readiness gap, control attestations and organisation maturity evidence typically collected during a certification audit that need to be assembled and kept current for a federal procurement team or a cyber insurer.
  • The Essential Eight ML1 attestation is generated within 90 days of commencement
  • ML2 evidence is subsequently developed across the programme
  • A live document, updated prior to each insurance year.
03
KEY DOCUMENT

Annual Board Cyber Statement

An annual governance statement based off your current risk register and updated SoA, with your yearly plan and budget locked off at year end for the board to hold your cyber programme to.
  • Statement is written against the live Risk Register and SoA, not assembled to respond to an audit
  • Evidence of a defensible governance cadence as required under ASIC’s director-duty standard

In turn, these programme artefacts change the nature of cyber security expenditure from an operational expense to a defensible governance asset, providing documented due diligence to regulators, cyber insurers and shareholders alike.

OUR POSITION

Setting the Standard
in Cyber Security

As head of TechBrain's cyber security department, my job is to transform complex cyber threats into clear, manageable decisions. Ensuring your business remains resilient, secure and compliant.

Ashish Srivastava, Head of Cyber Security
ash srivastava

We understand that each business faces unique cyber challenges, which is why our approach is always tailored, pro-active and holistic. With a 100% local team of cyber engineers, we provide more than security. We deliver peace of mind.

Alex Stewart, General Manager
alex stewart, general manager of TechBrain

Being on the frontline of cyber defence, you'd be surprised to see how often our security measures protect businesses daily.

Palen Govender, Cyber Security Specialist
pale govinder
THE PROCESS

Inside a TechBrain vCISO engagement

As with any vCISO, what they actually deliver is key. For us, at its core, the vCISO role is made up of 6 pillars of work that start on day 1 of engagement.

Security Strategy & Roadmap

A vCISO led Prioritised Security Roadmap owned by your board, not a ‘checklist’ to work your way down.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

We review your risk register and your SoA from ISO 27001 Annex A. This means we are only looking at the obligations that actually apply to you. This could include the Essential Eight, APRA CPS 234, the Privacy Act and the SOCI Act, as well as any other obligations that fall on you through contracts, cyber-insurance, etc.

ISO 27001 & Essential Eight Uplift

Our readiness / maturity programmes are run similar to how we run our business, we are an ISO 27001 certified business, and your uplift is aligned to Maturity Level 2.

Board & Executive Reporting

We translate your company’s security to risk, liability and investment required by your directors. Reporting your company’s cyber duty in line with ASIC’s expectations on a periodic basis.

Third-Party & Vendor Risk

We assess your vendors and their respective supply chains outside of your network to minimum standards that a Tier-1 organisation would expect to be met by their respective vendors and providers.

Incident Response Planning

We can develop an Incident Response (IR) plan for you, conduct a tabletop of the plan and build the mandatory ransomware reporting obligations into it.

FAQ

What does a virtual CISO do?

A virtual CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) provides executive security leadership and covers cyber strategy, governance, risk, compliance, board reporting, vendor risk and incident-response planning. TechBrain’s vCISO service creates a security programme your board can govern which isn’t in the remit of your IT manager or your MSP.

What's the difference between a vCISO and an MSSP or SOC?

A vCISO is leadership: the strategy, the governance, the accountability (the what and the why), while the MSSP or SOC is the delivery of detection and response (the doing). At TechBrain you get both under one umbrella; your vCISO sets the direction, and our sovereign Australian SOC detects and responds under a single SLA.

Is a vCISO the same as a vCIO?

No. Virtual CIOs focus on technology strategy, whilst virtual CISOs focus on cyber security risk, governance, compliance and security posture. Many organisations engage both.

We already have an IT manager and an MSP, do we still need a vCISO?

Usually yes. The IT manager or MSP keeps your technology running; the vCISO owns risk, governance, compliance and your organisation’s overall security posture. Many businesses have both virtual C-level roles, and that’s ok.

Can a vCISO help us achieve ISO 27001 or Essential Eight ML2?

Yes. TechBrain completes the readiness work, a Statement of Applicability, control evidence and an uplift roadmap drawing on our own live ISO 27001 ISMS. Certification is issued by an independent accredited body; we get you ready and align your controls to Maturity Level 2.

How is a TechBrain vCISO scoped and priced?

The service is scoped on your seat count, industry and regulatory requirements, and delivered on a retainer rather than a product basis. See our guide to vCISO cost in Australia for the wider budget picture or book a call with Ash to scope yours before your next board meeting.

Insights

View All
Illustration of an IT manager responding to a 2am security alert with an incident response plan document in hand
Cyber Security

Cyber Incident Response Plan Template Australia (2026)

 Read More
Illustration of an executive inputting a FIDO key into a laptop and a phishing attempt on the laptop blocked by a shield
Cyber Security

Phishing-Resistant MFA: The Playbook for FIDO2 & Passkeys

 Read More
illustration of a businessman standing before 3 doors marked xdr / siem / soar
Cyber Security

 XDR vs SIEM vs SOAR: Which Security Platform Does Your Organisation Really Need?

 Read More