The Chief Information Security Officer is responsible for managing information and cyber risk across the organization, on both the administrative and the technical side. The role has grown considerably: today it spans governance, regulation, resilience, suppliers and, increasingly, artificial intelligence.

Core responsibilities

  • Setting security strategy and an annual work plan aligned with business priorities.
  • Managing enterprise information and cyber risk, and reporting it to management and the board.
  • Owning policies, procedures and their implementation.
  • Tracking regulatory and contractual obligations, from privacy law to industry standards.
  • Overseeing incident readiness and leading the security side of incident response.
  • Managing security budgets, technology selection and service providers.
  • Assessing third-party and supplier risk.
  • Building awareness so that employees become part of the defense.

What has changed

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 added Govern as a sixth function, which reflects how cybersecurity has become a leadership responsibility rather than an IT task. At the same time, regulation has tightened. In Israel, Amendment 13 to the Privacy Protection Law came into force in August 2025, expanding enforcement and obligations. And AI adoption has created a new category of risk that someone must own.

When a virtual CISO makes sense

Not every organization needs, or can recruit, a full-time CISO. A virtual CISO (vCISO) provides an experienced security leader for a defined portion of time. It fits well when:

  • The organization is too small for a full-time executive but has meaningful risk or regulatory exposure.
  • Customers or regulators are asking for evidence of a structured security program.
  • A CISO has left and the program needs continuity during recruitment.
  • Leadership wants an independent view alongside internal IT.

What to expect from a good vCISO

A clear risk picture within the first weeks, a realistic plan, regular reporting in business language, and hands-on management of the program rather than only advice. The measure of success is simple: leadership understands its cyber risk and can make informed decisions about it.

Learn more about SecureTech's vCISO and cyber advisory service and our governance, risk and compliance work.