SOC 2 Cost and Budget
What is a vCISO and do I need one for SOC 2?
What Is a vCISO?
A vCISO is a fractional security leader — typically a consultant with CISO experience who works with multiple companies on a part-time basis. They provide the compliance expertise startups lack internally: writing security policies, designing controls, preparing for audits, and serving as the security point of contact for your organization.
What Does a vCISO Do for SOC 2?
| Task | What They Do | Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| Gap assessment | Review your infrastructure against SOC 2 requirements | 10–20 hours |
| Policy writing | Write 4–7 security policies customized to your stack | 20–40 hours |
| Control mapping | Map your controls to Trust Services Criteria | 5–10 hours |
| Evidence guidance | Tell you what evidence to collect and how | 10–20 hours |
| Auditor liaison | Communicate with the audit firm on your behalf | 5–15 hours |
| Remediation support | Help fix gaps found during readiness or audit | 10–30 hours |
How Much Does a vCISO Cost?
vCISO engagements for SOC 2 typically range from $5,000 to $30,000 depending on scope. Hourly rates run $200–$400. A full SOC 2 engagement (gap assessment through audit completion) usually takes 60–120 hours — much of it repeatable operational work.
Do You Actually Need One?
You'll likely want a vCISO if:
- You have no one internally who understands compliance frameworks and want a security leader to own the program
- You are pursuing multiple frameworks simultaneously
- Your audit scope is large (100+ employees, multiple systems)
You can probably reach a first audit without paying for a full vCISO engagement if:
- Your team is under 50 people
- You are pursuing SOC 2 Security-only
- You're willing to use AI tools that automate the operational work — policy drafting, control mapping, and evidence collection
The AI Angle
The operational side of the vCISO role — analyzing infrastructure, writing policies, mapping controls, and collecting evidence — is repeatable and automatable. Screenata performs that layer automatically, so a small team can reach audit-ready without buying those hours by hand.
It also works the other way: vCISO firms run Screenata across their clients to absorb the operational grind, freeing their people for the judgment work and letting them take on more clients at the same headcount. See Screenata for vCISO firms.