Strategy & Leadership

We embed senior security leadership into your organisation through virtual CISO roles, board advisory, M&A assessments and program strategy.

Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical problem—it’s a strategic imperative. Organisations need strong leadership, clear direction, and measurable goals to effectively manage cyber risk. IGCCD’s Strategy & Leadership services help align security with business strategy, elevate the role of cybersecurity at the executive level, and develop future-ready governance models. Whether you need interim CISO support, a cyber strategy refresh, or board-level engagement, we help you lead with confidence in an uncertain threat landscape.

  • Cybersecurity Strategy Development

    We co-create tailored cybersecurity strategies aligned to your business goals, threat landscape, and regulatory drivers. These strategies balance risk, innovation, and resource constraints—and include clear priorities, KPIs, and delivery roadmaps.

    Virtual / Fractional CISO Services

    Need strategic cyber leadership without the cost of a full-time CISO? Our vCISOs provide part-time executive-level guidance, stakeholder engagement, programme delivery oversight, and board reporting—whether for 3 days/month or 3 days/week.

    Cybersecurity Maturity Assessments

    We assess your organisation’s current cybersecurity posture against recognised frameworks (e.g. NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CIS Controls, Cyber Essentials) and deliver a heatmapped maturity scorecard with a tactical and strategic improvement plan.

    Cyber Board Engagement & Education

    We brief boards and senior leadership teams on key cyber risks, responsibilities, and governance structures. Our sessions are practical, non-technical, and focused on what leaders need to know to ask the right questions and support the right investments.

    Target Operating Model Design

    We help you design or restructure your cybersecurity function, including defining roles, responsibilities, reporting lines, capability gaps, and delivery models (in-house, outsourced, hybrid). This is ideal for organisations scaling security functions or post-M&A consolidation.

    Cyber Budget Planning & ROI Modelling

    We support business cases, budget proposals, and cybersecurity investment prioritisation using risk-adjusted ROI models, maturity uplift scoring, and cost-benefit analysis to ensure leadership buy-in and optimal resource allocation.

    • You lack senior cybersecurity leadership or strategic direction.

    • Your board needs clarity on their cyber risk responsibilities.

    • You’re scaling, merging, or restructuring and need a future-ready model.

    • You need to refresh your security roadmap or justify new investments.

    • You’re preparing for certification, IPO, or regulator scrutiny and need alignment.

  • We begin by understanding your business strategy, risk appetite, and leadership goals. Then we assess your cyber maturity, pain points, and organisational readiness. Based on that, we co-develop strategies, operating models, and engagement frameworks tailored to your sector, size, and constraints. For vCISO engagements, we embed alongside your team, act as trusted advisors, and drive delivery across people, process, and technology.

    • NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)

    • ISO/IEC 27001 & 27014 – Governance of information security

    • CIS Controls v8

    • NIS2 Directive – Strategic risk management and board oversight

    • DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) – Cyber governance for financial institutions

    • COBIT, ITIL, TOGAF – Operating model and architecture alignment

    • Cybersecurity Strategy Document – Vision, objectives, priorities, roadmap

    • Cyber Maturity Scorecard – Baseline, heatmap, target state

    • vCISO Engagement Pack – Role scope, cadence, reporting lines

    • Board Briefing Decks – 30- to 60-minute non-technical briefings

    • Operating Model Blueprints – RACI charts, org structures, role definitions

    • Cybersecurity Budget Justification Models – TCO, ROI, maturity uplift

    • Maturity models: NIST CSF, CIS RAM, FAIR

    • Planning: MS Planner, Power BI Dashboards, Strategy Maps

    • Reporting: Board-ready slides, Gantt charts, KPI scorecards

    • Communication: Slack/Teams for vCISO engagement, stakeholder portals

    • Identify leadership sponsor(s) and strategy decision-makers

    • Provide access to strategic plans, risk registers, and security documentation

    • Support interviews with key business units and technical teams

    • Clarify business goals and upcoming change programmes (e.g., digital transformation, cloud migration)

    • Cyber Strategy Development: 3–6 weeks

    • vCISO Onboarding: 1 week (then ongoing)

    • Maturity Assessment: 2–3 weeks

    • Board Education: 1–2 days

    • Operating Model Review: 3–4 weeks

    Milestones:

    1. Leadership Alignment & Discovery Sessions

    2. Current State Maturity Review

    3. Strategy or Operating Model Drafting

    4. Review & Sign-Off with Execs

    5. Optional vCISO or Delivery Oversight Support

    • Risk: Strategy doesn’t align with business goals
      Mitigation: Business-first approach and exec engagement from day one

    • Risk: Security seen as IT-only issue
      Mitigation: Board education and cross-functional strategy development

    • Risk: Operating model becomes siloed
      Mitigation: Clarity on roles, integration points, and reporting lines

    • Risk: Budget blocked due to unclear ROI
      Mitigation: Investment cases backed by maturity, risk, and cost models

  • Q: Do I need a CISO to have a strategy?
    No—but you need someone who can think strategically and engage leadership. We can fill that gap with vCISO support or guide your current team.

    Q: What’s the difference between a cyber strategy and a risk register?
    A strategy sets direction, priorities, and roadmap. A risk register captures specific threats and controls. We help align the two.

    Q: How often should we refresh our strategy?
    Every 1–3 years depending on your sector, threat landscape, and business change cycles. We offer annual check-ins and updates.

    • Cyber Strategy Development: From £8,000

    • vCISO Services: From £2,500/month (scaled by days/week)

    • Maturity Assessment & Scorecard: From £3,500

    • Board Briefing & Training: From £1,500

    • Operating Model Design: From £6,000

    Quarterly Reviews or Retained Leadership Support packages available.

“You don’t need to understand the firewall—just know who’s accountable.”