CvCISO® Level 3 Course Bundle (CvCISO®-B, CvCISO®-C, CvCISO®-E, Student Subscription)

Overview

This package includes the following courses:

• Information Security Budget Justification Course (CvCISO®-B)
  The CvCISO®-B: Information Security Budget Justification course is designed to equip cybersecurity leaders with the skills to build, defend, and communicate effective security budgets. Participants will learn how to align budget requests with business objectives, quantify risk reduction, and present compelling financial justifications to executive stakeholders.
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  This advanced-level CvCISO® course focuses on the strategic and practical aspects of building and justifying an information security budget. Designed for current and aspiring virtual CISOs, the course provides tools and frameworks to translate technical needs into business-aligned financial plans. Participants will explore real-world budgeting scenarios, learn how to quantify risk in financial terms, and practice presenting budget proposals to executive leadership.

• Information Security Communications Course (CvCISO®-C)
  Effective communication is often cited as the most critical skill for CISOs and vCISOs. Technical expertise alone isn’t enough; leaders must be able to influence decisions, secure budgets, and align cybersecurity with organizational strategy.
  
  The CvCISO®-C course directly addresses this gap, focusing on strengthening communication skills for cybersecurity leaders, particularly virtual CISOs (vCISOs). It equips professionals to effectively convey complex security concepts to executives, boards, and non-technical stakeholders.
  
  Unlike technical courses, CvCISO®-C emphasizes communications in information security; helping leaders translate technical risk into clear, actionable language for business decision-makers.
  
  This course is designed for aspiring or practicing vCISOs who need to improve their ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and organizational leadership.
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  Skills Developed:
  • Crafting concise, impactful security reports and presentations.
  • Communicating risk in business terms.
  • Building trust and credibility with executives and boards.
  • Leading conversations about governance, compliance, and incident response.

• Information Security in Complex Environments Course (CvCISO®-E)
  Complexity is often the biggest enemy of effective security. Traditional approaches frequently fail in large, multifaceted organizations. CvCISO®-E provides a structured methodology to overcome these challenges. The CvCISO®-E course is designed to help information security leaders (CISOs, vCISOs, executives, and others) secure complex environments such as state-level or global enterprises.
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This package includes the following subscription services:

• If you are a previous student of the CvCISO® Foundations course, enjoy
  
  • Continued Access to CvCISO® Foundations Legacy Curriculum
    Revisit lessons, recorded sessions, and materials from your cohort at any time.
  • Continued Access to all CvCISO® Level 3 Curriculum
    Stay ahead with early access to updated content and new modules.
• SecurityStudio Control Group Instruction Videos
  Learn how to effectively use SecurityStudio tools in real-world scenarios.
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• NFR SecurityStudio License (Not for resale)
  Hands-on access to SecurityStudio’s platform for practice and exploration.
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• Community Access
  
  • CvCISO® Discord Server – Engage in real-time discussions and peer support.
  • CvCISO® LinkedIn Group – Expand your professional network and share insights.
• Additional Resources
  SecurityStudio Academy is continuously developing resources in support of continued education and professional development. These resources are shared with CvCISO® graduates through this subscription.
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• Exclusive Discounts
  Receive special pricing on future training courses, workshops, and events.

For an optimal learning experience, students are expected to review lesson material BEFORE attending the corresponding class. Attending classes is not required to complete the course but are strongly encouraged to get the most from the course. Classes are taught LIVE, spending time reviewing lesson content, asking questions, collaborating with fellow students, and getting time with various subject matter experts to learn even more.

Additional support is available through our Office Hours, every Tuesday from 10-11am PST / 12-1pm CST / 1-2pm EST and emailing us is always an option.

Schedule

Registration for the CvCISO® Level 3 courses is open now, which gives you access to the course content so you can start learning NOW. Each course is taught over a 1 month period, with all 3 being taught over a 1 quarter period. (i.e. in Q1, CvCISO®-B is taught in January, CvCISO®-C is taught in February, and CvCISO®-E in March.

LIVE classes are taught on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings from 4-6pm PST / 6-8pm CST / 7-8pm EST. A detailed schedule for each class is available upon request.

Course Length

Each course runs for 4 weeks and includes 6 instructor-led 2-hour sessions (12 classroom hours in total). In addition to the classroom hours, students are expected to complete the online course and all related homework to receive credit.

Course Cost

The cost of this bundle is $3,000, saving $500 from the items being individually priced.

Experience Requirements

There are no prerequisites for the CvCISO®-B, C, and E courses, and technical expertise is NOT required. The CvCISO Foundations course is required only if you plan to pursue full certification.

Completion of these three courses is required for CvCISO® Level 3, Expert, and Mentor.

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CvCISO®-B: Information Security Budget Justification Course

Chapter 1 - Understanding Business Financials

Class 1: Introduction to Business Fundamentals

• Understanding the role of budgeting in cybersecurity leadership
• Key components of an effective security budget
• Common budgeting models and approaches

Class 2: Risk Quantification & Financial Impact

• Translating risk assessments into financial terms
• Cost-benefit analysis of security controls
• ROI and risk reduction metrics

Class 3: Aligning Budget with Business Objectives

• Mapping security initiatives to strategic goals
• Communicating value to non-technical stakeholders
• Prioritizing budget items based on business impact

Chapter 2 - Building an Information Security Budget

Class 4: Building the Budget Proposal

• Structuring a compelling budget document
• Justifying staffing, tools, and services
• Addressing objections and alternative scenarios

Class 5: Finalizing Your Information Security Budget

• Executive communication strategies
• Visualizing budget data for impact
• Role-playing budget presentations and Q&A

Class 6: Capstone Project & Peer Review

• Participants present a full budget justification in class
• Peer feedback and instructor evaluation
• Final reflections and next steps in leadership development
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CvCISO®-C: Information Security Communications Course

Class 1: Information Security Communication Challenges

• This class discusses common challenges that arise from communication breakdowns between information security and the organization’s stakeholders. This is an interactive class, led by the instructor, where students will learn from the instructor’s experiences and be encouraged to share their own experiences.

Class 2: Information Security Communication Strategy

• This class covers the steps necessary to build a formal communication strategy from desired outcomes for the vCISO and the organization. Students will learn to build a communication strategy for constant improvement, resonating with the organization’s stakeholders long term.

Class 3: Communication Strategy Measurement

• This class continues with the creation of the communication strategy from the previous class and expands into creative ways to measure its effectiveness once its implemented. This interactive class encourages students to share their ideas and discuss ways to map the strategy to the vCISO’s desired outcome(s).

Class 4: Exercise 1 - Persona #1 Communication Strategy

• Instructor-led class where students are given an example scenario for which to create a simple communication strategy. The scenario will present a specific organization, including its culture, its leadership personalities, etc., and the students will use what they’ve learned previously to propose their communication strategy. Students will be encouraged to defend/modify their strategy from opposing views.

Class 5: Exercise 2 - Persona #2 Communication Strategy

• Instructor-led class where students are given a second example scenario for which to create a simple communication strategy. The scenario will present a specific organization, including its culture, its leadership personalities, etc., and the students will use what they’ve learned previously to propose their communication strategy. Students will be encouraged to defend/modify their strategy from opposing views.
• In this class, students will also present and discuss their proposed strategies from Exercise #1.

Class 6: Exercise Completion and Peer Review

• The final class in the CvCISO®-C course. The instructor and students will continue the review of proposed communication strategies from Exercise #1 and Exercise #2.
• Students will be given a final exercise to complete. This exercise will be peer reviewed in this class, with transparent feedback. Completion of this exercise results in the issuance of the CvCISO®-C certificate.
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CvCISO®-E: Complex Environments Course

Class 1: Introduction to Complexity in Information Security

• Why complexity is the biggest enemy of effective security.
• Common pitfalls of traditional approaches in large organizations.
• The mindset shift required to succeed in complex environments.

Class 2: Frameworks for Securing Complex Entities

• Governance structures for state, enterprise, and global organizations.
• Aligning security with organizational strategy and culture.
• Risk management approaches tailored to multifaceted environments.

Class 3: Critical Thinking and Discernment

• Developing analytical skills to navigate complexity.
• Case studies on decision-making in high-stakes environments.
• Exercises to strengthen discernment and adaptability.

Class 4: Communication in Complex Environments

• Translating technical risk into executive-level language.
• Building trust with diverse stakeholders.
• Presenting security strategies to boards and leadership teams.

Class 5: Operational Challenges and Solutions

• Incident response in complex environments.
• Managing distributed teams and resources.
• Integrating compliance and regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.

Class 6: Practical Exercises & Exam Preparation

• Participants present final exercises for peer review.
• Completion of this exercise results in the issuance of the CvCISO®-C certificate.
• Final reflections and next steps in leadership development.