Interim CISO · Freelance

Pragmatic security leadership, up to speed from day one.

As an interim CISO, I think along with your business – not just your controls. I quickly get a feel for how your organisation works, whether you are an SME or a multinational, and turn that into realistic choices: from strategy, policy and risk management to NIS2 and ISO 27001.

Schedule an introduction How I work
  • 15+ yearsin cyber security
  • CISSPcertified
  • SME to multinationalquickly up to speed
Portrait of Steven Lievens
Steven LievensFounder ELiSEC

Experience gained at

  • Honda Motor Europe
  • Deloitte
  • Ahold Delhaize
  • Proximus
  • Agristo
  • Vasco Data Security

Interim CISO

Security leadership, without a full-time hire

No CISO in-house, an open vacancy, or a programme that needs stronger direction? I step into the role, in the form that fits your organisation.

  1. 01

    Interim CISO

    Bridging a vacancy, absence or reorganisation. I take on the full role and hand over cleanly to your permanent CISO.

    Temporary · full-time or part-time

  2. 02

    Fractional CISO

    A fixed number of days per month, for organisations that don't (yet) need a full-time CISO but do want structural direction.

    Ongoing · x days per month

  3. 03

    Project-based CISO

    Reinforcement for a defined project: a NIS2 programme, an ISO 27001 implementation or a maturity assessment with roadmap.

    Defined scope and duration

What I take on as your CISO

  • Strategy & roadmap

    A security strategy aligned with your mission and business goals, translated into a realistic, prioritised roadmap.

  • Governance & policy

    A policy framework with clear roles and responsibilities, and processes that are actually followed in practice.

  • Risk management

    Identifying and assessing risks, and translating them into risk treatment plans that business and IT own together.

  • Compliance & audit

    Gap assessments and internal audits against NIS2 and ISO 27001/27002, with follow-up until compliance can be demonstrated.

  • Projects & suppliers

    Security requirements from day one, architecture reviews, coordination of penetration tests and supplier assessments.

  • Reporting & culture

    Clear reporting on status and risks to executive management, and an organisation in which security becomes second nature.

Processes I have established and matured

I attach great importance to processes that are truly embedded in the organisation: clearly owned, measured against defined objectives and continuously improved through a regular cycle of review and adjustment. That way, security does not stop at a one-off project.

  • Vulnerability management
  • Incident response
  • Security awareness & phishing
  • Internal audits
  • Secure SDLC
  • Supplier assessment
  • Risk treatment
  • Incident & change management

Approach

From baseline to results

A clear way of working, so you always know where we stand and what comes next.

  1. 01

    Introduction

    A no-obligation conversation about your organisation, your challenges and what you expect from a CISO.

  2. 02

    Baseline

    I map your security maturity and key risks against the relevant framework: NIS2, ISO 27001 or your own policy.

  3. 03

    Roadmap

    A prioritised, realistic plan, agreed with management and IT. What removes the most risk comes first.

  4. 04

    Execution & follow-up

    I steer the execution, measure progress and report clearly – in language management understands.

Based in
Zaffelare (Ghent area), Belgium
Languages
Dutch and English (fluent), French (basic)
Company
Elisec BV

About

Technology as the foundation, the business as the goal

I'm Steven Lievens, founder of ELiSEC. I speak the language of the boardroom as well as that of the engineers – and that makes the difference when security really has to land.

My career started hands-on in 2005, as a technician and system administrator, followed by security engineering roles at Vasco Data Security and Securelink. At Deloitte I grew into a cyber security manager: I was business security advisor at Ahold Delhaize, led penetration testing projects for government bodies and helped build a cyber security offering for SMEs.

I then carried responsibility for information security as security officer at CEVI and as IT security expert at Honda Motor Europe. Since 2022 I have been working as a freelance CISO through ELiSEC, currently on assignment for Proximus. Always with the same mindset: pragmatic, well-founded and getting things done.

Let's get acquainted

Experience

Twenty years in IT, fifteen of them in security

  1. 2022 – present

    Freelance CISO @ ELiSEC, on assignment for Proximus

    CISO role for the Professional Managed Services department and for a company in the food manufacturing industry: security strategy, policy framework, assessments based on ISO 27002 and NIS2, vulnerability management and awareness.

  2. 2021 – 2022

    IT Security Expert @ Honda Motor Europe

    Translated the global security policy into a European one, ran yearly internal audits across European entities, performed risk assessments during system development and led the rollout of the new cyber security policy under UNECE WP.29 regulation.

  3. 2019 – 2021

    Security Officer & Service Manager @ CEVI

    Information security policy, incident response plan, awareness programme with phishing campaigns and internal audits at an IT service provider for local governments.

  4. 2016 – 2019

    Cyber Security Manager @ Deloitte

    Business security advisor at Ahold Delhaize (risk assessments, supplier assessments, baseline security requirements), security specialist in the chemical industry and project lead for penetration tests for government bodies. Built a cyber security offering for SMEs.

  5. 2010 – 2016

    Senior Product Specialist @ Vasco Data Security & Securelink

    Integration, audit and support of authentication and firewall solutions; NOC/SOC services for critical networks.

  6. 2005 – 2010

    Field Engineer & Technician @ Schaubroeck & Telenet

    System and network administration in Windows and Unix environments: the technical foundation I still bring to every assignment.

Certifications

  • ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer AI management systems In progress
  • ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer Information security management
  • CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional (ISC)²
  • CEH Certified Ethical Hacker EC-Council
  • JNCIS-SEC Juniper Networks Certified Specialist Security Juniper Networks

Looking for a CISO?

A first conversation is free of obligation. Together we look at where your organisation stands and what a realistic next step is.

Get in touch

Contact

Tell me about your challenge

Send a message using the form or reach out on LinkedIn. I usually reply within one business day.

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