For many SMEs, hiring a full-time Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is out of reach. Salaries often exceed €120k per year in Europe, and even then, one person can’t cover everything — from frameworks like DORA, NIS2, and ISO 27001 to vendor risk and audit readiness.
Yet regulators, investors, and customers all expect a mature security function. How can SMEs deliver that level of trust without the cost and overhead of a permanent hire?
Enter CISO as a service
Platforms like Copla combine automation with expert oversight, replicating the core functions of a CISO in a scalable way. Here’s how it works:
- Automation handles the heavy lifting: evidence collection, vendor registers, risk scoring, weekly workflows.
- Fractional CISO experts step in where it matters: reviewing policies, advising boards, validating evidence, and guiding teams through incidents.
The ROI case
Instead of a €120k+ salary, SMEs can access Copla’s fractional CISO services for a fraction of the cost, while reducing compliance workload by up to 80% and saving €60k+ annually. Investors see this as proof of efficiency and resilience; boards gain confidence that risks are actively managed, not just documented.
The time is now
New EU frameworks demand more than paper compliance. Regulators expect organisations to show that controls are in place, tested, and continuously managed. Without CISO-level oversight, SMEs risk falling short — not because they don’t care, but because they lack resources.
Beyond compliance, CISO-as-a-Service builds trust at scale — proving resilience to regulators, protecting data for customers, and showing investors you can grow without security risks holding you back.
For ROI-conscious executives, the message is clear: hiring full-time isn’t the only way. With Copla’s CISO as a Service, SMEs can stay ahead of regulation, reduce costs, and build trust without compromise.
