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Glossary · Management

CSO

Chief Security Officer

In plain language

The senior executive responsible for protecting a company's information, people and buildings.

The metaphor

Like the head of building security who answers for the locks, the cameras and the guard schedule.

Going deeper

How it works

  • Sets security policy and priorities.
  • Reports to the CEO or board.
  • Owns the plan for incidents, audits and training.
  • Small businesses seldom have one and split the duties among owner and provider.

How WILDCARD handles it

vCIO gives a fractional technology leader who can own those decisions on a retainer.

In practice
  • A mid-size firm hires a security chief after a failed audit.
  • An owner names themselves the security contact in a client contract.
  • A board asks who owns the incident plan.

A question owners ask

Does a small business need one?

A full-time one rarely makes sense. A named person who owns security decisions does, and a part-time advisor can fill the role.

Where WILDCARD handles this
✨
vCIO
  • Fractional CIO on retainer
  • Moonlight, Sunlight, Starlight tiers
  • Credits for single outputs
Start with vCIO
Related terms
AIArtificial IntelligenceALEAnnualized Loss ExpectancyAROAnnualized Rate of OccurrenceAUPAcceptable Use PolicyBCPBusiness Continuity PlanningBIABusiness Impact AnalysisCARCorrective Action ReportCIOChief Information Officer

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