Your Business
Has Gaps.
We Find Them First.
Independent security oversight for business owners who need to protect what they've built — without the cost of a full-time security hire. We speak plain language, not technical jargon.
The Cost of Not Looking
You don't need to understand firewalls to understand this: most security failures aren't sophisticated attacks. They're gaps nobody found until they were already expensive. Here's what's actually at stake — not hypothetically, based on what's actually happening to businesses like yours.
The Real Cost Isn't the Ransom
The number that makes headlines is rarely the number that actually hurts. It's the week you're offline while payroll and client work sit frozen. It's the client who quietly moves their business elsewhere because they heard you had "a data problem." It's the cyber insurance claim that gets reduced — or denied outright — because the application said controls were in place that weren't.
None of that shows up in a ransom demand. All of it shows up on your bottom line. An assessment doesn't just tell you what's wrong — it tells you what any of that would actually cost you if it happened, in language a business owner can act on, not a report only an engineer can read.
Why Independent, Not Managed
If the person diagnosing the problem also sells the fix, how do you know the diagnosis was honest? Most IT and security vendors are graded on selling you something. Vanir Strategies has no products to sell and no vendor relationships that bias a recommendation — the assessment finds what's actually wrong, not what happens to be profitable to fix.
This isn't a replacement for your IT company or MSP. It's independent oversight of them — the outside check that confirms what you're paying for is actually working, and catches what a provider grading their own homework has no incentive to flag.
Three Tiers. One Trusted Advisor.
Advisory drives everything — security and technology decisions both. We find the gaps, then help you close them: ongoing subscription coverage, project-based execution, or a one-time review. No products to sell. No vendor bias.
A complete independent review delivered in 10–14 days. External scan, breach check, maturity scorecard, written findings report, and prioritized 90-day roadmap. Includes a complimentary Technology Operations Review — a full security picture requires understanding your technology and vendor environment too.
One-TimeAn independent review of your technology operations, vendor stack, and contract terms — delivered with the same rigor as the security assessment. Included free with any Security Posture Assessment, or available standalone.
One-TimeProject-scoped executive security leadership for companies that need a CISO voice without a full-time hire. Board and PE sponsor prep, security program development, compliance framework build-out, M&A due diligence support.
Scoped per EngagementEvery Security Posture Assessment includes a complimentary Technology Operations Review at no additional cost — one engagement, two independent findings reports, the full picture of your risk.
One-Time · vCIO Review Included FreeContinuous monitoring, monthly threat digest, monthly regulatory tracking, two advisory calls, priority incident access, and ongoing cyber insurance and security vendor evaluation — month-to-month, no long-term contract. A senior security executive engaged with your business year-round.
Ongoing · Month-to-MonthOngoing technology operations advisory — a standing resource for general technology questions, recurring vendor and contract reviews, and technology stack monitoring. Includes sourcing and vetting new vendors on your behalf, so you're not the one spending hours on it. Bundle with the vCISO retainer for combined technology and security oversight at a reduced rate.
Ongoing · Month-to-MonthSoftware and hardware evaluation, MSP/MSSP selection, and technology stack advisory — folded into the vCIO retainer as ongoing coverage. Brad evaluates and recommends; a trusted VAR partner handles procurement and fulfillment.
Vendor-NeutralOngoing review of technology contracts, SLAs, data processing agreements, and vendor security questionnaires — a core part of the vCIO retainer. Particularly relevant for legal and financial services clients.
Recurring ReviewMFA and identity rollout, EDR deployment, backup architecture, security policy documentation, incident response plan development, compliance readiness projects. Every engagement is scoped from assessment findings — never cold-sold. Smaller out-of-scope requests are handled as flat-fee ad hoc projects, quoted individually.
Project-BasedFirst-call guidance when something goes wrong. Triage direction, insurer coordination, and response management. Priority advisory included in the retainer. Extended incident response billed at $375/hr — typically covered by cyber insurance.
$375/hr Extended IRDeveloping and delivering employee security training programs — phishing simulation, role-based training tracks, policy acknowledgment, and measurable outcomes. Human error is the leading cause of breaches. This closes that gap.
Project-BasedDevelopment of business continuity and disaster recovery plans — recovery time objectives, failover procedures, communication protocols, and tabletop exercise facilitation. Turns backup infrastructure into a tested, executable recovery capability.
Project-BasedThe Security Posture Assessment
Before you can fix anything, you need to know what's actually wrong. Not what you think is wrong — what's verifiably wrong, based on an independent look at your business from the outside in. Every assessment includes a complimentary Technology Operations Review, because you can't fully understand your risk without understanding your technology and vendor environment too.
A short questionnaire completed by your leadership team — no technical knowledge required. Covers data handling, access controls, vendor relationships, and incident readiness.
We independently scan your public-facing systems — your website, subdomains, email servers, and any exposed services — looking for the same things an attacker would.
Your domain and email addresses checked against breach databases, paste sites, and 500+ active ransomware gang victim blogs. If your business appears somewhere it shouldn't — you'll know within 24 hours.
Every finding translated into plain business language — what the gap is, what could happen because of it, and a prioritized 90-day action plan sequenced by risk and effort.
A 60-minute walkthrough with you and your team. Findings reviewed, priorities confirmed, questions answered. No slides designed to sell you additional software.
- External attack surface scan — domains, subdomains, SSL, open ports
- Email security audit — SPF, DKIM, DMARC configuration
- Credential and breach exposure check
- Dark web and ransomware leak site check
- Short intake questionnaire — no technical knowledge required
- Security maturity scorecard across six key areas
- Written findings report in plain business language
- Prioritized 90-day remediation roadmap
- 60-minute findings presentation call
- Technology Operations Review — included free
- Cyber insurance readiness review — control mapping against major underwriters
- Vendor security risk snapshot — top 5 technology vendors reviewed
The vCISO Monthly Retainer
Security isn't a one-time project. Your business changes. Threats change. Regulations change. The retainer keeps a senior security executive engaged with your business on an ongoing basis. A companion vCIO Monthly Retainer covers technology operations and vendor oversight — bundle both for combined coverage at a reduced rate.
New threats, sector breach news, and regulatory changes — written for a business owner, not a security engineer.
Your public-facing systems scanned daily for new exposures — SSL, email security, and DNS checked every 24 hours, full surface scan weekly. You hear about problems before attackers find them.
Weekly monitoring against breach databases, paste sites, and ransomware gang victim lists. Alert delivered within 24 hours of discovery if your business appears.
Monthly scan of regulatory feeds across your industry — CISA, HHS, FTC, SEC, state bar, and more. Changes that affect your obligations surface in your monthly digest before they become compliance problems.
Two 30-minute calls per month. Priority access during incidents. Quarterly written posture reviews. Annual reassessment included.
First call when something goes wrong. Triage guidance, insurer coordination, response direction included. Extended IR at $375/hr.
Pricing tailored to your business size, industry, and scope. Assessment required before retainer engagement.
- No long-term contract required
- Annual reassessment included
- Plain-language reports — no jargon
- Priority incident access included
- Bundle with vCIO retainer for combined coverage at a reduced rate
- Available through technology partners
The Technology Operations Review
Every business runs on a stack of tools, vendors, and contracts nobody's independently reviewed. This finds the waste, the risk, and the redundant spend — the technology side of the same outside-in rigor as the security assessment. Included free with any Security Posture Assessment, or available on its own.
A short questionnaire completed by your leadership team — current systems, business goals, growth plans, pain points, and budget. No technical knowledge required.
A full audit of your software, hardware, subscriptions, licensing, and every active vendor contract — what you actually have, not what you think you have.
Overlapping tools, unused licenses, above-market pricing, and unfavorable contract terms — auto-renewals, lock-ins, and weak SLAs surfaced before they cost you more.
A technology maturity scorecard, written findings report, and a prioritized 90-day roadmap with budget guidance — translated into plain business language.
A walkthrough of findings and roadmap with your leadership team. Priorities confirmed, questions answered — no pitch for software you don't need.
- Leadership intake questionnaire — no technical knowledge required
- Technology & vendor inventory — every software, hardware, and vendor contract in use
- Spend and redundancy analysis — overlapping tools, unused licenses, unfavorable terms
- Technology maturity scorecard — plain-language, color-coded
- Written findings report — inefficiencies, risks, and business consequence of each
- IT support/staffing model assessment — in-house vs. outsourced vs. MSP fit
- Prioritized 90-day technology roadmap with budget guidance
- Presentation call — walkthrough of findings and roadmap
- Included free with any Security Posture Assessment
- Cloud cost optimization review
The vCIO Monthly Retainer
Technology decisions don't stop after the review. Contracts renew, vendors change, new tools get pitched to you constantly. The retainer keeps an independent technology executive engaged with your business on an ongoing basis. Bundle with the vCISO retainer for combined coverage at a reduced rate.
A standing resource for anything technology-related — new tools, a vendor pitch that landed in your inbox, a hire who needs a laptop. Ask before you decide, not after.
Renewals, new agreements, and vendor terms reviewed before you sign — not after you're locked in.
Need a new tool or vendor? I find the candidates, vet them against your actual needs, and bring you a shortlist — so you're not the one spending hours on RFPs and demo calls.
Scoping and specifying hardware needs without being tied to a reseller relationship.
Ongoing visibility into whether your current stack still fits your business, or is quietly creating cost and risk.
Quick questions and decisions don't need to wait for a scheduled call. Advisory access as needed, not just on a fixed cadence.
Pricing tailored to your business size, industry, and scope. Technology Operations Review recommended before retainer engagement.
- No long-term contract required
- Recurring vendor and contract review included
- Plain-language reports — no jargon
- Ad hoc advisory access included
- Bundle with vCISO retainer for combined coverage at a reduced rate
- Available through technology partners
How Exposed Is Your Business Right Now?
Five questions. Two minutes. You'll see where you stand — and what it means for your risk profile.
Every Industry Has Its Own Rules. We Track All of Them.
Vanir Strategies is sector-agnostic. Every engagement is informed by the specific regulatory environment you operate in. Two areas of deepest credibility: financial services and fintech from 15+ years in payments processing, and legal from genuine fluency in how law firms operate and where their obligations sit.
Patient record breaches carry up to $50,000 per violation. OCR audit activity is increasing.
SEC now requires material breach disclosure within 4 business days for public companies.
Attorneys have an ethics obligation to protect client data. Bar discipline is a real consequence.
48 states have enacted or are enacting insurance-specific cybersecurity requirements.
DoD contractors without CMMC compliance will lose contract eligibility. Deadlines are here.
Wire fraud targeting real estate transactions exceeded $446M in losses last year alone.
The FTC Safeguards Rule now covers a significantly broader range of non-banking financial companies.
Critical infrastructure operators face mandatory incident reporting within 72 hours of discovery.
Brad Davis
"You get the judgment of a senior security executive who understands how businesses actually operate — with no interest in selling you software."
Most security vendors want to sell you a product. Most consultants want to bill hours. Vanir Strategies is built differently — independent advisory with no platform to push, no vendor relationships that bias recommendations, and no interest in selling you something you don't need.
Advisory is the core of everything. When findings point to implementation work — deploying controls, building compliance programs, closing gaps — that work flows from the advisory engagement. When technology decisions need to be made, vendor evaluation and sourcing support is available through a trusted partner. No vendor margin is taken. The independent advisor positioning stays completely clean.
The monitoring infrastructure that powers the retainer runs continuously in the background — automated scans, breach checks, and report generation — so your engagement doesn't depend on someone remembering to check things manually. Every finding is written in language your leadership team can act on. No jargon, no FUD. Clear risk, clear consequences, clear next steps.
In Norse mythology, the Vanir are gods of wisdom, prosperity, and foresight — the counsel sought before decisions of consequence. The name isn't incidental. It reflects the orientation of this practice: not reactive protection, but strategic foresight.
Before You Ask
Straight answers, no sales pitch. If your question isn't here, ask it directly — that's what the first call is for.
How much does this actually cost?
We already have an IT company or MSP. Do we need this too?
How long does an assessment actually take?
We already have cyber insurance. Isn't that enough?
We think we may have already been breached. What do we do?
We're not in a regulated industry. Does this still apply to us?
Every Engagement
Starts the Same Way.
A short questionnaire. An independent external scan. A written report in two weeks. No obligation to continue beyond that. You'll know exactly where you stand.