Small Business Cybersecurity Risks: MSSP Solutions for SMBs

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Cybersecurity Resilience Hinges on Addressing CISO Shortage

A recent report from Cybersecurity Ventures in partnership with Sophos highlights the alarming global shortage of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). As of 2026, there are approximately 35,000 CISOs employed worldwide, leaving nearly 360 million businesses vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.

The staggering disparity represents a 10,000:1 ratio, a critical challenge for global cybersecurity resilience.

Industry Leaders Acknowledge the Gravity of the Situation

“Those are not good odds.” — Joe Levy, CEO at Sophos

Sophos describes the shortage as a “market failure” and emphasizes the need for innovative solutions to bridge the expertise gap.

Promising Approaches Gaining Traction

One promising approach gaining traction is the adoption of virtual or remote CISOs, also known as vCISOs. Organizations are increasingly leveraging these services to address the expertise deficit without incurring the costs associated with hiring a full-time executive.

Raja Patel, President, Product & Marketing at Sophos, notes that the challenge lies in scaling the human bandwidth required to support vCISO offerings.

Key Players in Addressing the CISO Shortage

Sophos sees managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) as key players in addressing the CISO shortage. By partnering with these service providers, organizations can leverage their existing infrastructure and expertise to extend their security capabilities.

Sophos is providing MSPs and MSSPs with its CISO Advantage program to help them expand their services into governance, compliance, and risk management areas.

Hybrid Model Holds Promise

Levy highlights the potential for a hybrid model that combines human expertise with advanced technologies to provide scalable security leadership to underserved small-to-mid-sized businesses.

This approach could enable the creation of a new generation of MSPs and MSSPs equipped to tackle the complex cybersecurity challenges facing hundreds of millions of businesses worldwide.