Initial assessment
Establish a clear view of current risk, maturity, and priorities. The result is an executive-ready assessment and a practical path forward.
Enterprise cybersecurity leadership
Security leadership built for growth.
Padlon helps growing organizations build mature cybersecurity and compliance programs through experienced CISO leadership—without the cost and overhead of a full-time executive hire.
Direct access to senior leadershipPractical, fundable roadmapsBoard-ready clarity
Jonathan SargentFounder & Virtual CISO
26+Years of executive technology leadership
Fortune 100Cybersecurity and transformation experience
300+Security initiatives led
$400M+Technology budgets managed
CISSP · CISMCRISC · PMP · Georgetown MBA
Ways to work together
Start where your business needs leadership most.
Padlon offers several engagement structures so organizations can begin with a focused question, a defined project, or an ongoing security leadership partnership.
Ongoing retainer
Consistent executive leadership for governance, roadmap ownership, compliance, board communication, and measurable program improvement.
Defined project
Focused support for a specific business need such as compliance readiness, incident planning, a security roadmap, or an executive exercise.
Advisory hours
Flexible access to senior guidance for leaders who need help evaluating a decision, preparing for a meeting, or navigating a time-sensitive issue.
Questions about scope, timing, confidentiality, or what happens after the first call?
See how engagements work ↓Representative engagements
Security progress leaders can use.
These examples show the kinds of business problems Padlon helps solve. Client details are limited to protect confidentiality.
Why the examples are anonymized:Padlon’s work often involves sensitive security, operational, and governance information. Client names and identifying details are shared only with permission.
Board-ready security governance in 90 days
Disconnected technical reporting became a unified risk register, an executive roadmap, and a repeatable quarterly reporting rhythm leadership could act on.
- Challenge
- No consistent view of risk or ownership
- Outcome
- Clear accountability and board-ready visibility
Security reviews organized around enterprise sales
Customer requirements were mapped to existing controls, evidence ownership was clarified, and the highest-value gaps were prioritized around buyer expectations.
- Challenge
- Security reviews were slowing sales activity
- Outcome
- A repeatable process and stronger customer answers
Incident decisions tested before the pressure was real
Executives, legal, operations, and IT aligned around escalation paths and response roles, then tested the plan through a facilitated tabletop exercise.
- Challenge
- Roles existed on paper but had not been exercised
- Outcome
- Clearer decisions, escalation, and executive coordination
What happens next
A clear path from first conversation to action.
The strategy session is designed to establish fit and focus—not force a generic sales process.
Strategy session
Discuss the business context, the pressure behind the request, and the outcome leadership needs.
Focused scope
Agree on the right starting point: assessment, project, advisory support, or an ongoing partnership.
Leadership alignment
Confirm stakeholders, confidentiality expectations, priorities, timing, and how decisions will be made.
Practical action
Begin with clear ownership, useful deliverables, and a rhythm leadership can understand and sustain.
Working with Padlon
Practical answers before you book.
Good security partnerships start with clarity. Here is what prospective clients often want to know before the first conversation.
How are engagements structured?
Padlon works through ongoing retainers, initial assessments, defined-scope projects, and advisory-hour arrangements. The right structure depends on whether you need an initial view of risk, help with a specific outcome, or continuing executive leadership.
What does an initial assessment cost?
Initial cybersecurity assessments start at $2,500. Final scope depends on the organization’s size, complexity, systems, regulatory obligations, and the depth of analysis required.
How long does an engagement typically last?
Retainers are normally structured as 12-month partnerships, giving the organization time to establish governance, execute a practical roadmap, and demonstrate measurable progress. Project timelines vary by client and scope.
What happens during the strategy session?
The session focuses on what is changing in the business, the security or compliance pressure behind the request, and the outcome leadership needs. If there is a fit, the next step is a focused scope—not a generic sales presentation.
Can Padlon work with our internal IT team or managed provider?
Yes. Padlon provides leadership, governance, prioritization, and executive communication while working alongside the technical teams and service providers responsible for implementation.
How is sensitive information handled?
Security work frequently involves confidential operational, risk, and governance information. Padlon can establish appropriate confidentiality expectations before detailed information is exchanged. Specific NDA language and onboarding practices are confirmed during contracting.
Meet your virtual CISO
Senior experience. Direct access.
Jonathan Sargent brings more than 26 years of technology and cybersecurity leadership to organizations that need experienced guidance without a full-time executive hire. Clients work directly with the person responsible for understanding the business, shaping the roadmap, and communicating with leadership.
His background spans Fortune 100 environments, cloud and security transformation, board-level communication, teaching, publishing, and advising leaders who must make important decisions with incomplete information.
Former Fortune 100 executiveGeorgetown MBACISSP · CISM · CRISC · PMPPublished author
Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn ↗Your next step
Bring your cybersecurity challenge into focus.
Start with one practical conversation about the business you are building, the risk you carry, and the right way to move forward.
Book an executive strategy session ↗