The 2025 State of the vCISO Report: 68% Drop in vCISO Workload with AI

We’re excited to announce the release of the 2025 State of the vCISO report. For the past three years, we’ve been tracking the evolution of the MSP and MSSP ecosystem, observing and analyzing how the shifts in the cybersecurity landscape are impacting SMBs and reshaping how security services are delivered.

This year’s report reveals a cybersecurity market in motion. Some trends that commenced in recent years are now peaking, like the rise of vCISO services among MSPs and MSSPs. Others are just beginning to take shape, like the adoption of AI in vCISO offerings. But each one presents an opportunity for service providers to broaden their offerings, increase scale and drive revenue growth.

Below, we offer a sneak peek into the main highlights of the report. For more in-depth findings and insights, read the full report.

From Niche to Necessity: The Rise of vCISO Services

At Cynomi, we deeply believe in the power of vCISO offerings. For SMBs, vCISOs provide a cost-effective and flexible way to access global and enterprise-grade security expertise, without the burden of employing a full-fledged CISO and security team. For these reasons, we’re excited (but not completely surprised) to see demand for vCISO services skyrocketing among SMBs, as 79% of service providers report high demand.

As a consequential and complementary motion, adoption of a vCISO offering among MSPs and MSSPs has surged from 21% in 2024 to 67% in 2025, a 319% YoY increase. This dramatic shift reflects both rising market demand and the fulfillment of last year’s stated intentions, when 74% of non-adopters said they planned to launch vCISO services by the end of 2025. And the momentum is still building: another 50% of remaining service providers say they plan to launch vCISO offerings by the end of the year.

“Plans of Offering vCISO Services”

The Business Outcomes: Tangible Gains for Service Providers

High demand for vCISO offerings is also generating measurable business value for service providers:

• 41% report increased upsell opportunities for new products and services
• 40% cite improved profit margins
• 39% report an expanded client base and increased lead generation

For many providers, vCISO services are proving to be both a revenue growth engine and a strategic differentiator. They are leveraging them to strengthen long-term client relationships and position themselves as trusted security and business partners, rather than transactional vendors.

Operational Barriers Remain, But Not Strategic Ones

Despite the clear business upside, some service providers remain cautious about launching vCISO offerings. While introducing a new service is always a strategic decision, in this case, the primary barriers appear to be operational.

When asked, 35% of MSSPs and MSPs cite concerns about profitability and ROI, 33% point to the high upfront resource demands, and 32% struggle with access to qualified cybersecurity talent.

In other words, the hesitation isn’t about why to offer vCISO, it’s how. Here, automation and AI are playing an increasingly critical role.

AI is Transforming the vCISO Delivery Model, Cutting Costs and Effort

Just like in other verticals and industries, AI is also reshaping the vCISO landscape. According to the report, 81% of providers are using AI or automation in their vCISO workflows, with another 15% planning adoption within the next 12 months. This means that nearly all vCISO offerings will be powered, to some extent, with AI.

“Use of Automation and AI Tools in vCISO Service Delivery”

Key areas of AI application include:

• Automated reporting and insights
• Remediation planning
• Compliance readiness and monitoring
• Security and risk assessments
• Task prioritization
• And more

On average, service providers leveraging AI report a whopping 68% reduction in manual workload. Notably, 42% of respondents report workload reductions exceeding 80% in certain domains. This efficiency enables service providers to scale without adding headcount, serve more clients and improve the consistency and quality of deliverables.

2025 Outlook: Scalable, AI-Powered vCISO Services

The findings from The 2025 State of the vCISO Report reflect a maturing market. As AI and automation become more deeply embedded in service delivery, the vCISO model will continue to evolve, becoming more scalable, profitable, and effective.

Key trends we predict for the coming year include:

• Broader adoption of vCISO services across MSPs and MSSPs
• Expanded use of AI across and throughout the vCISO lifecycle
• Increased ROI and operational efficiency driven by intelligent tooling

But we’ll have to see if we were right in next year’s report.

To explore this year’s insights and access detailed benchmarks and best practices, read the full 2025 State of the vCISO Report.