Outsourced or Shared CISO: Why Adopt It for Your Company in 2025?

1. What is an outsourced or shared CISO?

The CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) is a central player in corporate cybersecurity. They oversee security policies, prevent incidents, manage response plans, ensure regulatory compliance, and raise awareness among teams.

But faced with a shortage of qualified profiles, increasingly complex regulatory requirements (such as NIS2 or DORA), and budget pressure, more and more SMEs, mid-sized companies, and public authorities are opting for an outsourced CISO or part-time CISO.

What is an outsourced CISO?

An outsourced CISO is an independent cybersecurity expert or employee of a specialized company, working remotely or on-site, with a tailored mission according to needs.

And a shared CISO?

The shared CISO works part-time across multiple organizations, providing a high level of expertise without increasing the payroll. They are particularly suited to organizations that don't need (or can't afford) a full-time CISO.

2. The Growing Challenges of Cybersecurity: NIS2, DORA and Other Regulatory Challenges

In 2025, two texts are revolutionizing cybersecurity obligations:

• The NIS2 directive, which imposes strict measures on numerous essential or important companies (health, energy, transport, digital, finance, etc.).
• The DORA regulation, which applies to financial institutions, fintechs and technology service providers, with one objective: to guarantee the digital operational resilience of the financial sector.

These texts make cybersecurity support, a NIS2 audit or DORA audit, and continuous governance, led by an experienced outsourced CISO, essential. This role becomes a key player in NIS2 and DORA compliance, but also in the overall management of cybersecurity.

3. The 7 key advantages of outsourced or shared CISO

1. ✅ Immediate access to specialized expertise
   The outsourced CISO provides a comprehensive view of risks, constant threat intelligence monitoring, and mastery of compliance requirements (ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2, DORA…).
2. 💸 A more agile economic model
   With a part-time CISO, you only pay for the time actually needed. No recruitment costs, no social charges, but high-level expertise available quickly.
3. 🛡️ Strengthening your cybersecurity posture
   The CISO establishes a security policy, formalizes processes, conducts a cybersecurity audit, monitors incidents and secures your systems, data and cloud usage.
4. 📊 Simplified regulatory compliance
   They support you in achieving NIS2 compliance, preparing for DORA requirements, conducting a DORA audit or formalizing your business continuity and incident response plan.
5. 👀 External and independent vision
   The outsourced CISO identifies vulnerabilities that internal teams no longer see. They provide a fresh, neutral perspective to strengthen your cybersecurity maturity and priority actions.
6. ⏱️ Rapid deployment and flexibility
   Available within days, they can work full-time on a critical mission or part-time over the long term. You adapt assignments to your evolution and constraints.
7. 👥 Support for internal teams
   The outsourced CISO works in collaboration with your CIOs, CTOs, compliance officers or internal CISOs. They structure actions, create synergies and avoid silos.

4. How to Successfully Outsource the CISO Function?

1. 🧭 1. Identify your needs
   First and foremost, define your maturity level, your obligations (NIS2? DORA? GDPR?) and the risks specific to your activity. A NIS2 audit or cybersecurity audit can lay the foundations.
2. 🤝 2. Choose the right partner
   Opt for an experienced player in cybersecurity support, who knows your sector and can provide a certified outsourced CISO. Favor sovereign providers, ISO 27001 certified, and mastering NIS2 and DORA compliance.
3. 📅 3. Organize the mission
   Plan interventions, expected deliverables (PSSI, DRP, access policy…), steering meetings. The CISO operates in project mode with clear objectives and monitored indicators.
4. 🔄 4. Maintain continuous collaboration
   Cybersecurity is a marathon, not a sprint. A part-time CISO, if well integrated, supports you over the long term to upskill your teams and monitor the evolution of threats and legal obligations.

# 5. Conclusion: Towards Accessible, Continuous, and Compliant Cybersecurity

Faced with the rise in cyberattacks, the new constraints imposed by the NIS2 directive and the DORA regulation, and the scarcity of qualified profiles, the outsourced CISO or part-time CISO is a winning solution for SMEs, mid-sized companies, local authorities and financial institutions.

It allows you to benefit from:

• expert cybersecurity support,
• operational management of your risks,
• and controlled NIS2 compliance / DORA compliance, at lower cost.