CISO as a Service | External Information Security Officer

Senior security leadership without the hire

evoila acts as your external information security officer, owning strategy, governance and your compliance programme. Scaled to what your organisation actually needs.

Talk to a security lead

Security leadership that scales with you

NIS2 and DORA expect a named, accountable owner for information security, but a full-time CISO is expensive and hard to recruit. Most mid-sized organisations do not need one full-time. evoila provides that leadership as a service: an external information security officer who sets your security strategy, owns governance, steers your ISMS and compliance programme, and reports to management, backed by a full security team rather than a lone adviser.

  • A named, accountable security lead for management, auditors, and regulators
  • Strategy and governance without a six-figure full-time hire
  • Backed by evoila’s full security and compliance team, not a lone consultant

Leaving the security leadership seat empty is itself a governance risk

Under NIS2, management remains personally accountable. Without qualified guidance in place, that exposure stays unmanaged.

The Challenge

Accountability needs an owner

Security needs someone who sets direction, makes risk decisions and answers to management and regulators. NIS2 and DORA make that expectation much clearer than before. But hiring a full-time CISO pushes well into six figures, the talent market is thin, and many mid-sized organisations cannot justify the role as a permanent full-time position. The result is familiar: the role stays open, or the responsibility lands on an already stretched IT lead without the mandate, time or security-specific experience to carry it properly.

No clear ownership

Security decisions stall or default to whoever is loudest. Without an accountable lead, risk treatment is inconsistent and reactive.

Management stays exposed

NIS2 places direct accountability on management for information security governance. Without a qualified advisor, that accountability is unmanaged.

IT is stretched across two roles

An IT lead covering both operations and security rarely has the scope, mandate or capacity to do both well.

Strategy turns reactive

Tools get bought after incidents instead of managing risk upfront. Without a roadmap, spending is driven by urgency, not by a defensible risk baseline.

The good news: The role does not have to be full-time.

It has to be filled, clearly mandated and backed by people who can act on the decisions.

Our Solution

Your security leadership, on demand


evoila steps into the external information security officer role at the level you need, from a few fixed days per month for governance oversight to active programme leadership. One accountable contact. A clear mandate. The full strength of evoila’s security organisation behind every decision.

Security strategy and governance

Risk-based roadmap, policies, and management reporting. Your security direction, owned and maintained.

Information Security Officer (ISB) role

The named, accountable security lead NIS2 and DORA expect. Continuity, mandate, and documented ownership.

ISMS and compliance steering

Your ISO 27001, NIS2 or DORA programme managed end to end, from setup through audit.

Risk management

Identifying, assessing, and steering treatment of security risks with a maintained register not a one-off spreadsheet.

Management and board reporting

Security posture translated into decisions leadership can actually make. Documented, audit-ready, and decision-oriented.

Incident escalation

A senior point of contact and decision-maker when something happens. Not a helpdesk but a lead.

Tech-Deep-Dive

How the engagement works

CISO as a Service is a structured engagement, not ad-hoc advice.

Operating model

We agree a cadence (e.g. fixed days per month) and a clear mandate. Your external officer maintains the security roadmap, chairs management reviews, and owns the risk register, providing the continuity a rotating consultant cannot.

Methodology

Governance is built on recognised frameworks: ISO/IEC 27001 for the management system, and the control mappings needed for NIS2 and DORA. This keeps decisions defensible and audit-ready. → See also: ISO 27001 & ISMS Solution | NIS2 Solution

Team behind the role

Unlike a solo vCISO, your officer draws on evoila’s full bench: GRC consultants for compliance, engineers for technical controls, and the SOC/MDR team for detection and incident response. Recommendations come with the capability to execute them.

Reporting

You get regular, decision-oriented reporting for management and documentation that satisfies auditors and supports management’s due-diligence obligations under NIS2.

Technical Advantages

Six reasons organisations choose evoila as their external CISO

1. Named, accountable ownership

One contact owns the role, satisfying NIS2 and DORA expectations for security leadership and providing a clear point of accountability for management and auditors.

2. Cost-scaled leadership

Senior security leadership at a fraction of a full-time CISO salary. You define the cadence; you pay for what you need.

3. Built-in continuity

A consistent lead and a maintained roadmap, not rotating advisors who restart every engagement. Institutional knowledge stays.

4. A full team behind one contact

Advice comes with delivery capability. GRC, engineering and 24/7 SOC/MDR support sit behind the role.

5. Audit-ready governance

An ISO 27001-based framework, defensible decisions and reporting that stands up under regulator and auditor scrutiny.

6. Scales up when it counts

The engagement scales during audits or critical projects, then returns to steady-state. No fixed headcount overhead.

Your partner of choice

Advice is worth more when someone can act on it

A lone virtual CISO can advise, but often cannot execute. evoila’s external officer is backed by a full security organisation, spanning GRC, engineering and 24/7 SOC/MDR, so strategy turns into running controls. Our governance is built on ISO/IEC 27001, and evoila is itself ISO 27001 certified. We already operate compliance programmes and ISMS environments for customers as a service. That gives you continuity, accountability and the ability to act when it matters, not just a monthly slide deck.

ISO 27001 certified, not just advised

evoila holds ISO 27001 certification itself. The governance framework we install for you is the one we operate internally.

GRC, engineering and SOC in one team

Your external officer draws on compliance consultants, security engineers and a 24/7 SOC/MDR capability, not a solo role with presentation slides.

ISMS programmes already running for customers

We operate compliance programs and ISMS environments as a managed service. The experience behind your engagement is proven, not theoretical.

Strategy that turns into running controls

A vCISO who can only advise stops at the recommendation. evoila’s officer can help execute, build controls, steer audits and escalate incidents with a real team behind the role.


Services & Starter Deals

Start the way that works best for you

1 | Security Leadership Assessment

A focused assessment of your security governance, risks, responsibilities and current compliance position. We identify the most urgent gaps and define the priorities for the next steps.

2 | CISO as a Service (Retainer)

An ongoing security leadership model with a named external CISO, clear governance routines and access to evoila’s wider security team when decisions, incidents or audits require support.

You need accountable security leadership

Not necessarily a full-time salary. Get the role filled, backed by a whole team.

Talk to a security lead

Is your Security Lead role still waiting for someone? Let’s fill it.

You reach someone with a security background who can assess your situation and tell you honestly what you need.

FAQs

Commonly asked questions about CISO as a Service