Cybersecurity reporting is an important but often overlooked capability for service providers who manage cybersecurity for their customers, and in particular for virtual chief information security officers (vCISOs). While reporting is seen as a requirement for tracking cybersecurity progress, it’s often bogged down with technical jargon, complex data, and disjointed spreadsheets that don’t resonate with decision makers. The result? Clients who struggle to understand the value of your work and remain insecure about their safety.
But what if reporting could be turned into a strategic tool for aligning cybersecurity with business goals? What if your reports empowered customers, built trust, and demonstrated cybersecurity as a business success factor?
This is precisely the focus of Cynomi’s new leadership—“Taking the Pain Out of Cyber Security Reporting: A vCISO’s Guide to Reporting Mastery.” This resource helps vCISOs reimagine reporting as an opportunity to create value, improve customer engagement, and highlight the measurable impact of cybersecurity initiatives. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, vCISOs can streamline the reporting process, save time, and elevate the role of cybersecurity as a business enabler.
This guide was co-authored with Jesse Miller, co-author of The First 100 Days and founder of PowerPSA Consulting and PowerGRYD. Jesse is a long-time CISO/vCISO and information security strategist who has made it his mission to help service providers crack the code for premium vCISO revenue.
Why is reporting more important than ever?
According to Miller, “Cybersecurity reporting is about creating a shared vision with your customers where they see cybersecurity as an engine for growth, efficiency and long-term success.”
Cybersecurity reporting serves four key purposes:
- Risk communication – Reports help customers understand the changing threat landscape and how specific risks impact their organization.
- Facilitating decision-making – By presenting clear, actionable insights, the reports enable executives to effectively prioritize cybersecurity investments.
- Demonstration of value – Reports connect the dots between cybersecurity initiatives and measurable business outcomes, from reducing risk to improving compliance.
- Building trust – Regular transparent reporting builds trust in your vCISO services and strengthens long-term customer relationships.
As Miller explains, “The purpose of the report is to discuss business strategy as it relates to security.“
Essentially, reporting is not just about showing off what you’ve done, it’s about presenting the customer as the hero of their own cybersecurity journey. Your role as a vCISO is to provide a roadmap, assess progress, and guide them toward informed decisions that protect their business.
Biggest reporting mistake: Focusing too much on technical details
One of the most common mistakes in cybersecurity reporting is overwhelming clients with technical jargon and raw data. Many vCISOs assume that customers want deep technical analysis, but this approach misses the mark.
As Miller says, “Most decision makers are not cybersecurity experts. They don’t care about firewalls or patch logs—they care about business outcomes.”
Leaders think in terms of:
- How secure is my business?
- What risks do we face?
- How does it affect operations, reputation or profits?
For example, instead of saying, “Firewall logs detected 50,000 external threats that were blocked based on configured rules.”
Put it this way: “This month we successfully prevented 50,000 external attacks, demonstrating the power of your current security. We closely monitor these threats to identify trends and anticipate future risks.”
By translating technical findings into clear business implications, you engage decision makers on their terms. Your reports become tools for strategic conversations, not just a to-do list.
Elements of an effective vCISO report
To make your reports valuable and effective, focus on these key components:
- Know your audience: Adapt your reports to different stakeholders. Executives need high-level summaries related to business goals, while IT teams may need more technical details.
- Translate technical data into a business idea: Connect cybersecurity metrics to real-world outcomes. Use clear language to explain how your initiatives:
- Reduce risk (e.g. fewer vulnerabilities, faster incident response times).
- Enhancing compliance (e.g. regulatory compliance).
- Protecting business continuity (eg minimizing downtime due to ransomware attacks).
- Reduced incident response time.
- Fewer successful phishing attacks.
- Improved compliance rates.
As Miller states, “Metrics are how you connect cybersecurity actions to business impact – they’re how you tell a story of value.” These metrics tell a compelling story of improvement, demonstrating the return on investment in the customer’s security efforts.
- Summary: High level overview of key findings and recommendations.
- Risk assessment: Prioritization of risks and vulnerabilities with clear explanations of their impact on the business.
- Recommendations: Actionable steps to address risks and improve security posture.
- Strategic road map: a forward-looking plan outlining next steps and long-term initiatives.
For example, you can use visuals to show the customer their threats and vulnerabilities and their risk mitigation plan.
 |
| Example report: vulnerability and scan results |
 |
| Example Report: Risk Mitigation Plan |
Optimizing reporting with technology
Manual reporting processes—juggling spreadsheets, extracting charts, and compiling disconnected data—are time-consuming and error-prone.
As Miller points out, “VCISOs need tools that eliminate manual processing so they can focus on providing insights, not crunching the numbers.”
vCISO platforms such as Synonymy automate data collection, create visually compelling reports, and align findings with business outcomes. Using the right tools, a vCISO can:
- Save time and reduce manual effort.
- Deliver consistent professional reports.
- Focus on strategic ideas that drive customer success.
The double protection of effective reporting
A well-written report not only benefits the customer, but also protects the vCISO or MSP. By documenting risks, actions taken, and decisions made, you create a record of due diligence. This can be invaluable if:
- Regulatory audits or compliance reviews.
- Cyber incidents for which responsibility is in doubt.
- The client disputes what action was taken or recommended.
Effective reporting provides transparency, accountability and peace of mind for both parties.
Your next steps as a vCISO
At the end of the day, cybersecurity reporting is about creating a shared vision for success. By aligning your reports with business goals, translating technical findings into actionable insights, and leveraging automation, you position yourself as a trusted advisor and strategic partner.
In the words of Miller, “The report reframes cybersecurity as an enabler of business rather than a cost center. It’s about showing how security drives growth, efficiency and success.”
Management –“Taking the pain out of cybersecurity reporting“— tells how to turn raw data into compelling narratives, demonstrate measurable value, and shape the future of your client’s cybersecurity strategy.
With the right approach, you empower your customers to be the heroes of their cybersecurity journey while demonstrating your expertise as an architect of their success.
