In Part 1 of this four-part series, we explained why you should establish a cyber risk management program as soon as possible. In Part 2, we delineated what to look for in a cyber security provider. In Part 3, we offer advice that will help you act on your findings and jumpstart your effort to reduce cyber risk.

Most providers sell a solution that does one of many things needed for a comprehensive cyber risk management program. But as we learned in Part 2 of this series from Trava Co-founder and CEO Jim Goldman, “A random collection of cybersecurity tools does not a cyber risk management program make.”

Trava provides one suite of offerings that address all three stages.

‍Understanding Risk: Automated Vulnerability Risk Assessment Tools

We learned in Part 1 that the first step in your comprehensive cyber risk management program is to understand where you are at risk. Then, you can prioritize and mitigate those areas of vulnerability according to risk severity.

The difference between what Trava provides for mitigation services and what other managed service providers (MSPs), managed security service providers (MSSPs), or consultants provide is that Trava is a one-stop shop, helping businesses first understand where they are at risk, then offers the services to prioritize and execute risk mitigation and compliance actions. Now let's take a deep dive into the next step, mitigating risk with the help of a vCISO.

Mitigating Risk: vCISO Services

Chief Information Security Officers—commonly referred to as CISOs—are a valuable part of an enterprise company’s strategic leadership team. But at hefty salaries averaging $250K, a CISO is out of reach for most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Trava’s virtual Chief Information Security Officers (vCISOs) provide expert guidance to help businesses prioritize action steps and plan cybersecurity investments—at a fraction of the cost. They offer full-service compliance management services, such as:

  • Secure Software Development Lifecycle
  • SOC2 and ISO 27001 Readiness
  • Vulnerability Scan Analysis and Action Plan
  • Enterprise Risk Management
  • Security Questionnaire Management
  • Cyber Due Diligence

Listen to Trava's vCISO, Mike Brooks, talk about his inspiration for becoming a vCISO and why it is an important person to have on your cyber risk management team.

Why Is this Important?

Growth-oriented SMBs trying to land enterprise deals need to have programs in place to assure those clients that they and their data are safe. Increasingly, their customers, vendors, and business partners are withholding business until their cyber risk is under control. “Cyber security is directly related to revenue, especially when dealing with selling B2B,” says Adam Patarino, co-founder and CPO of Casted, a content provider. “You’ll close deals faster, your AEs will have more confidence in the selling process, and you can land larger deals because you can pass their security reviews.” (Read our Casted case study.)

Security questionnaires have become more common, and many SMBs simply don’t have the knowledge or resources to complete them, or even know where to start. vCISOs can work on a fractional or project basis, or on an ongoing retainer basis to help cover the security needs of the business until that business scales to the point of hiring a full-time employee for the role.

Clients value this comprehensive approach. “It was really helpful as a small company who's never done this process before to have Trava’s level of expertise to break things down to a level of better understanding for us,” says Jade Dugger, operations development manager, Compass Commercial Construction. “Trava served as a true partner beyond just gathering the list of vulnerabilities. They helped us prioritize fixes. And a vCISO attended every one of the security meetings with our staff and related vendors.” (Read our Compass case study.)

In Part 4 of this series based on Trava's Buyer's Guide to Cyber Risk Management, we discuss the third of three components in an effective cyber risk management program: cyber insurance.

For more on how the services offered by a Trava vCISO, download the guide.