Next Level Secure, LLC began as a side project of the President/CEO/Owner, Eric Peterson, who (in advising and helping others recover from security incidents) and fielding requests for after-hours cybersecurity consulting, decided to form the business.
He believes there is a cyber difference to be made at every home and company and wants to see your security maturity increase and your risk of cyber threats decrease. Our cybersecurity consulting and vCISO services empower small businesses and others to proactively manage their cybersecurity risks, protect sensitive data, and maintain customer trust.
Visit our Contact Us page to set up a free consultation.
Quick Bio
Eric has B.S. and M.S. degrees in IT Security and Assurance and currently works as the Director of Cybersecurity Operations for a large MSSP.
He has the following certifications: CCP • CISSP • CCSP • CRISC • CISM • CISA • C|EH • C|HFI • CCNA Cyber Ops • CCNA Security • CCNA • CompTIA CySA+ • Security+ • Project+ • A+ and more.
He’s an avid blogger and published writer of cybersecurity books such as ‘Screened In: Essential Cyber Safety Habits for Modern Teens,’ ‘From Bytes to Barriers: Building Cyber Walls for Your Small Business,’ and ‘Cyber Tips Guide: Navigating the Digital Age Safely.’ Other written works include instructional books for the guitar (but that’s another story) and many cybersecurity and technical-based blog posts.
vCISO Services
- Cybersecurity Strategy Development
- Risk Assessment and Management
- Policy and Procedure Development
- Security Awareness Training
- Security Audits and Assessments
- Incident Response Planning
- Vendor Risk Management
- Compliance and Regulatory Support
- Security Technology Recommendations
- Security Awareness Training
- Budgeting and Resource Allocation
- Incident Response Testing
- Security Metrics and Reporting
- Executive and Board Reporting
- Security Governance and Compliance
- Security Incident Investigation
- Cybersecurity Roadmap
- Cybersecurity Training and Workshops
- Security Architecture Review
- Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning
- Security Policy Enforcement
- Continuous Improvement
- Interim CISO Services
You may not be sold on outsourcing your critical security needs and strategies to a vCISO consultant, but look at these stats.
- The use of virtual CISO (vCISO) services by companies lacking a full-time CISO is proliferating. Adoption grew over 90% from 2020 to 2021. Read more here.
- 63% of organizations with less than 500 employees do not have a dedicated CISO or cybersecurity leader. This represents a significant gap in security leadership that vCISOs can fill. Read more here.
- The most common reasons companies hire a vCISO are to get expert advice on strategy, compliance, risk assessments, and incident response cost-effectively. A vCISO is seen as a fraction of the cost of a full-time CISO. Read more here.
- 78% of IT leaders report improved cybersecurity after engaging a vCISO, citing benefits like getting an unbiased external perspective on vulnerabilities. Read more here.
- The rise in remote and hybrid work since 2020 has increased the need for outside cybersecurity expertise through vCISOs for companies managing more complex distributed environments. Read more here.