Book a Development & IT Consultation with Sam W. | Upwork

Development & IT Consultation with Sam W.

4.8 · 14 reviews

With 18 years as a CISO and a doctorate in cybersecurity, I provide expert guidance on threat intelligence, cybersecurity strategy, and enterprise protection. My expertise includes integrating threat intelligence, designing secure architectures, incident response planning, and aligning security with business goals. I also advise on compliance (SOC 2, PCI DSS, GDPR) and cybersecurity training to build resilient teams.

Guidance I Provide:
• Cybersecurity Strategy: Building frameworks and aligning security with business goals.
• Threat Intelligence: Mitigating insider threats and advanced threats.
• Compliance: SOC 2, PCI DSS, GDPR readiness, and roadmap creation.
• Incident Response: Designing strategies and recovery plans.
• IAM: Secure implementation and enhanced access control.
• Emerging Tech Security: Securing cloud, IoT, and AI-based systems.
• SOC Optimization: Improving processes and workflows.

Questions I Answer:
• How can we achieve SOC 2 compliance?
• What are our biggest cybersecurity threats?

I deliver tailored, actionable strategies to meet your cybersecurity challenges in today’s complex landscape.

Get personalized advice on:

AI & Machine Learning AI Data Annotation & Labeling AI Integration Cybersecurity & Data Protection IT Support & Services cyber threat intelligence security engineering information security governance, risk & compliance software red hat

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About Sam

Expert-vetted CISO | SOC 2, Risk & Compliance | Secure Your Business

100% Job Success

4.8 (14 reviews)

Setauket-East Setauket, United States - 11:27 am local time

Turn Security Into Your Fastest Path to Revenue

Enterprise clients won't sign until you can prove security, privacy, and compliance. I get you there — fast, audit-ready, and without grinding your roadmap to a halt.

I'm Dr. Sam Wertheim, an Upwork Expert-Vetted (Top 1%) fractional CISO with 17+ years across DoD (Defense Innovation Unit), Fortune-scale enterprises, and federal agencies. I currently serve as fractional CISO to a NYDFS-regulated insurtech and as sitting CISO for an identity-governance platform. My doctoral research focuses on AI-driven social engineering — bringing both battle-tested compliance execution and a forward view on where threats are heading.

WHERE I CREATE VALUE

- Close enterprise deals — SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, NYDFS §500, done right and audit-ready
- Secure cloud & AI products — AWS, Azure, GCP, SaaS platforms, and the new risk surface AI introduces
- Strengthen risk posture — without slowing the business down

WHY CLIENTS KEEP ME ON RETAINER

- Executive security leadership at a fraction of a full-time CISO's cost
- A practitioner, not just an advisor — I've run the pen tests, built the SIEM, filed the regulatory certifications
- Deep regulatory specialization (NYDFS §500, SOC 2, ISO 27001) most generalists can't match

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

- "The SOC 2 work let us close a Fortune 100 contract we'd been stuck on for months." — SaaS founder
- "ISO 27001 certified faster than we thought possible. It opened doors immediately." — Series-stage CTO
- "Compliance finally stopped being the thing that slowed our sales cycle." — B2B SaaS CEO

SOUND FAMILIAR?

- Drowning in security questionnaires and vendor risk reviews?
- Need to be audit-ready before your next enterprise deal closes?
- Running Vanta, Drata, or Sprinto but unsure what comes next?
- Shipping AI-driven products and unsure how to govern the risk?
- Want ongoing CISO leadership without a full-time hire?

CORE SERVICES

- Fractional / virtual CISO (vCISO) — ongoing security leadership
- Compliance & audit readiness — SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, NYDFS §500
- Penetration testing & security assessments
- Security questionnaires & vendor risk — pass enterprise reviews quickly
- AI security & governance — for teams building AI-driven products

EXPERTISE

- Frameworks: SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, NIST 800-53, NYDFS §500, GDPR, HIPAA, CMMC, HITRUST
- Cloud & security: AWS, Azure, GCP, SIEM, IAM, Zero Trust, endpoint security
- GRC tooling: OneTrust, Whistic, CyberGRX, Panorays, Graphite Connect, Vanta / Drata / Sprinto

Let's talk. Message me or click Invite for a free consultation — bring your toughest compliance roadblock and I'll tell you straight how I'd solve it.

Dr. Sam Wertheim · Fractional CISO · Upwork Expert-Vetted Top 1%
Cybersecurity Expert | Threat Intelligence | AI Security | Governance, Risk, and Compliance

What to expect

Schedule the consultation

Choose from the freelancer’s available days and times.

Get advice for your custom needs

Share details about your project and what you want to talk about. The freelancer will review and reach out if they have questions.

Join the Zoom meeting

1-on-1 meeting with the freelancer to discuss your needs and project.

Approve the work

The freelancer will finish up the documents you asked for and send them to you for approval:

Before the consultation

Here’s what Sam will need to know before you meet

What is the primary challenge or objective you’d like to address in this consultation?
Do you have any specific frameworks or compliance requirements to meet?
What are your key concerns regarding cybersecurity, and have you experienced any security incidents or breaches in the past?
What outcome or deliverable are you expecting from this consultation?
Is there anything else you’d like me to know to prepare for our session?
Are there any file attachments you want me to review to make our time together more efficient?

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Sam is an exceptional consultant and educator, demonstrating deep expertise and thought leadership in his domain. His insights were invaluable, and I highly recommend him.