How to build and grow a scalable vCISO practice as an MSP

The cybersecurity needs of small and midsize businesses have reached a critical point. Compliance mandates, increasing ransomware attacks, and cyber insurance requirements are driving demand for expert guidance. Yet, hiring a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) remains out of reach for many.

The growing demand for strategic security leadership – without the cost of a full-time hire- has created a valuable opportunity for MSPs and MSSPs to offer virtual CISO (vCISO) services. In fact, 79% of the MSPs and MSSPs we surveyed in Cynomi’s 2025 State of the Virtual CISO report saw high demand for vCISO services among their customers. When implemented effectively, MSPs can expand their revenue, strengthen client relationships, and assume a more strategic role in their customers’ businesses.

However, success isn’t achieved by simply adding “vCISO” to your website.

To build a truly impactful and profitable vCISO practice, MSPs must thoughtfully structure their offerings, identify ideal clients, and lead with business value.

For a comprehensive step-by-step breakdown with practical templates and tools, see our Ultimate Guide to Structuring and Selling vCISO Services, created in collaboration with Jesse Miller, vCISO expert and PowerPSA founder.

Start with what you have

Before developing new offerings from scratch, take a close look at what you’re already doing. Many MSPs are unknowingly delivering vCISO-like services today, including conducting risk assessments, assisting with audits, generating security roadmaps or incident response plans, and communicating the cybersecurity status to your client’s management. These activities form the building blocks of a scalable vCISO service.

Begin by formalizing and packaging these services. Clarify what’s included, what isn’t, and how it’s delivered. Doing so positions you to price services effectively and set clear client expectations from the start.

Who are the right clients?

Not every client is ready for vCISO services, and that’s okay. The key is client segmentation.

Focus on:

• Company size
• Regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance)
• Businesses seeking compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA, etc.)
• Clients with growing digital risk exposure

By assessing client maturity and complexity, you can map them to specific service tiers:

• Basic: Foundational assessments, compliance prep, tactical advice
• Strategic: Roadmaps, board-level reporting, cross-department alignment
• Leadership: Full vCISO role overseeing governance, vendors, business alignment

Start with mid-maturity, mid-complexity clients: those with the biggest needs and clearest path to ROI. The Ultimate Guide to Structuring and Selling vCISO Services includes a service matrix to help you align tiers with client types for efficient planning and service delivery.

Build a repeatable structure

A standardized framework supports consistent quality across clients, scalable delivery by your team, and clear expectations and outcomes.

To get there, define:

• Scope: What’s included at each tier
• Cadence: Monthly reporting, quarterly planning, ongoing oversight
• Artifacts: Policies, dashboards, risk registers, executive reports

Tools like Cynomi’s AI-powered cybersecurity and compliance management hub help standardize workflows and deliverables – ensuring consistency, quality, and repeatability across clients. By automating assessments, tracking cybersecurity and compliance status, and generating client-ready reports, these tools make it easier to deliver high-impact services at scale without reinventing the wheel for every engagement.

Selling the strategic value

Position cybersecurity as a business enabler, not just a risk reducer.

Ask discovery questions that go beyond the IT team, such as:

• Business alignment: How do security gaps affect their business goals?
• Compliance drivers: What regulations are shaping their priorities?
• Resilience framing: What would downtime or data loss cost?

Engage leadership in understanding how cybersecurity enables growth, protects reputation, and satisfies board-level concerns.

Understanding buyer mindsets

Some clients need help seeing beyond check-the-box compliance. Frame vCISO services around business continuity, reputation among clients, investor trust, and board accountability to shift the narrative from expense to investment.

Miller suggests starting by asking, “As a business owner, how do you think about revenue? Do you aim to spread your revenue across multiple customers, shorten sales cycles, and minimize risks?” When they agree, explain that attackers operate similarly. They run a highly sophisticated business model. Just like legitimate businesses, they seek diversified revenue streams and quick returns. For attackers, small businesses represent the perfect target: shorter transactional cycles and easier entry points.

Our Ultimate Guide provides an overview of how to effectively position cybersecurity to clients and handle sales objections.

Highlight key benefits

Your clients care about outcomes. Make sure you communicate the unique value that vCISO services bring:

• Enterprise-grade expertise at a fraction of the cost
• Faster paths to compliance and audit readiness
• Strategic alignment between IT and business
• Insurance-friendly documentation and reporting
• Proactive, rather than reactive, security posture

Use testimonials, dashboards, and sample reports to show tangible results.

Watch out for hidden costs

vCISO services can be highly profitable, but only if operational complexity is kept in check. Profitability is often impacted by the need to recruit and retain skilled security professionals, the cost of licensing and maintaining specialized tools, the time invested in educating clients about the value of strategic security, and the resource burden of manual documentation and reporting tasks.

Solution: Lean on automation and frameworks. Tools that streamline risk analysis, policy creation, and client communication will save time and drive consistency. Our Guide also breaks down the cost factors and how to mitigate them.

The bigger opportunity

Offering vCISO services isn’t just about meeting client demand. It’s about transforming your MSP into a strategic partner.

Done right, a vCISO practice:

• Increases client retention
• Elevates your brand as a trusted advisor
• Creates upsell and cross-sell pathways
• Future-proofs your business in a security-first world

The time to start is now. The MSPs that will lead in today’s cybersecurity economy are those delivering strategic leadership empowered by intelligent, automation-driven technology and deep expertise.

Learn more about establishing vCISOs services by downloading the Ultimate Guide to Structuring and Selling vCISO Services.