A CSO Who Understands BIM, Construction Draws, and Studio Risk.

Cybersecurity is one part of an architecture firm’s risk surface. Most cyber firms can’t credibly help with construction draw wire fraud, BIM file chain of custody, studio physical security, or what happens when Revit is down for three days.

$2,500–$7,500/month · same band as vCISO

The architect risk profile

Architecture Firms Carry an Unusual Risk Profile.

Your IP isn’t just data. It’s the designs that define buildings — sometimes the buildings of clients who don’t want their identity known.

Your financial workflow involves six- and seven-figure construction draws that wire fraud actors target every week.

Your studio is full of physical artifacts — drawings, models, material samples — that no SOC 2 program addresses.

Your business depends on a handful of software tools (Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, Autodesk Construction Cloud) that, if compromised, stop every billable project at once.

Most security firms run a cyber-only playbook. We don’t.

Seven ESRM Domains. One Program.

Seven of the thirteen ESRM domains apply directly to how architecture firms operate. We run them as one continuous program — not seven separate vendor relationships.

Domain 01

Information Security & IP Protection

BIM/CAD file classification, project file access control, sensitive client work handling, sub-consultant data sharing protocols.

Domain 02

Cybersecurity

Autodesk / Revit / Bluebeam environment hardening, ransomware preparedness for design environments, MFA across all staff, endpoint EDR, M365 Conditional Access.

Domain 03

Fraud Risk Mitigation

Wire fraud prevention on construction draws (BEC is the #1 financial threat to architecture firms), vendor impersonation detection, payment process controls.

Domain 04

Physical Security

Studio access control, model shop security, archived drawings, after-hours access, lost-and-found discipline for laptops and flash drives.

Domain 05

Business Continuity

What happens when Revit is down for three days. When a partner’s laptop is stolen mid-project. When the on-prem server fails Friday night before a Monday deliverable.

Domain 06

Brand & Client Protection

Client confidentiality protocols for sensitive projects (residential, government, executive). Media response procedures if a high-profile project leaks. Principal-level reputation protection.

Domain 07

Workplace Violence Prevention

Disgruntled former employees with IP knowledge. Residential client disputes that escalate. Site visit safety on active construction sites.

You Probably Need a vCSO If:

  • A client requested your SOC 2 status or cyber insurance details and you couldn’t credibly respond.
  • A subcontractor invoice was paid into the wrong account in the last 18 months. (Classic BEC.)
  • Your project files live on a single on-prem server with manual backups you’ve never tested.
  • You don’t have a written policy for how Revit, AutoCAD, or BIM 360 files leave the firm.
  • You operate in Texas and SB 2610 just landed in your inbox.
  • A partner’s laptop was lost or stolen and the firm response was “hopefully AutoSave caught most of it.”
  • A high-profile client asked you to sign an NDA with security obligations you don’t actually meet.

What an Engagement Actually Produces.

Within 90 days:

  • Documented information security program with named program owner
  • BIM/CAD file classification, access control, and external sharing policy
  • Construction draw wire fraud prevention procedures with named bank verification protocols
  • Cyber-insurance renewal posture that survives architecture-specific carrier questionnaires
  • Incident response plan tested against ransomware (Revit / Autodesk environments) and wire fraud scenarios
  • Sub-consultant and vendor risk program
  • Studio physical security review with access control recommendations
  • Backup verification specifically for project files — not just for servers
  • Texas SB 2610 readiness program (for Texas-HQ firms)
  • Quarterly board (or partners’) risk briefing

We've Yet to Meet a Cyber-Only vCISO Who Can Answer All Four.

Ask any virtual CISO four questions:

What’s your process for preventing construction draw wire fraud?

How do you handle BIM file chain of custody for a sensitive project?

What does model shop physical security look like?

What’s your continuity plan when Revit is down across the firm for 72 hours?

Most can’t answer one. None can answer all four.

Architecture firms don’t have CISOs. They have managing partners.

The role you actually need is a Chief Security Officer who understands the whole risk surface — cyber, physical, fraud, continuity, IP, brand. Texas DPS-licensed (C10504801, F26294001). CPP, CISSP, CISM credentialed. Operating since 2013.

That’s a vCSO. That’s what we do.

Schedule a 30-Minute Risk Discussion.

No deck. No sales pitch. If a vCSO program isn’t right for your firm, we’ll say so on the call.

Schedule a Risk Discussion →