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The Assurance Desk

SideChannel, Inc. review

Advisory firm

A small US cyber security firm selling virtual CISO retainers and fixed-scope SOC 2 and ISO 27001 readiness projects, alongside its own security software.

Relevant if you want a virtual CISO or SOC 2 readiness help and a published price range

Price Published
Indemnity cover Not published
How it uses AI Not published
Facts last checked

Not published means we did not find it on the firm's own pages.

SideChannel scores

Six scores, each 1 to 5. The evidence for each is further down.

Help when things go wrong 2/5
Qualifications of the people who do the work 3/5
What it publishes about fees 4/5
Knowledge of your sector 4/5
Independence from what it sells 2/5
Who carries the risk if the advice is wrong 2/5

What SideChannel offers, and what it publishes

SideChannel publishes its prices. A virtual CISO retainer costs $3,000-$12,000 a month, and a fixed-scope SOC 2 or ISO 27001 readiness project costs $15,000-$75,000. It says SOC 2 Type I readiness takes 60-90 days. Its chief executive, Brian Haugli, is a contributing author to a 2020 Wiley book on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

SideChannel does not publish named case studies, client testimonials or professional liability insurance. Its About, team and compliance pages give only overall figures, such as '$8.54B revenue protected'.

SideChannel sells its own security software, Enclave, alongside its advice, which gives it a reason to steer clients to that product. It is a small public company: 23 full-time staff and about 15 contractors at 30 September 2025, with shares traded over the counter. Its 2025 annual filing says its controls over financial reporting are currently ineffective.

Strengths

  • Named, credentialed practice lead: CEO Brian Haugli co-authored a Wiley NIST CSF reference book and led DoD/Pentagon security programs for 20+ years, backed by a stated bench of '25+ CISOs'.
  • Publishes concrete, itemized fee ranges for both SOC 2/ISO 27001 fixed-scope readiness work and ongoing vCISO retainers on its own site, rare transparency for this sector.
  • Has a genuinely named SOC 2/ISO 27001 readiness service page with realistic timelines (Type I readiness in 60-90 days) rather than a generic compliance blurb.
  • As an SEC-reporting company it files audited 10-Ks and 8-Ks, giving outside parties a public paper trail most private boutique consultancies do not have.

Things to check

  • SideChannel's own FY2025 10-K discloses that its disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting were previously found to have material weaknesses and are currently ineffective.
  • SideChannel sells its own proprietary Enclave zero-trust/microsegmentation software as a distinct revenue line alongside its vCISO and compliance-readiness advisory work, a structural incentive to steer readiness clients toward its own product.
  • No named case studies, client testimonials, or professional-liability/errors-and-omissions insurance disclosure appear on the company's About, team, or compliance service pages.
  • SideChannel is a publicly traded microcap formed by reverse merger into two prior shell registrants, a corporate lineage distinct from a purpose-built advisory partnership.

Common questions

Does SideChannel publish its fees?

Yes. A virtual CISO retainer is $3,000-$12,000 a month, and a fixed-scope SOC 2 or ISO 27001 readiness project is $15,000-$75,000.

Does SideChannel sell software as well as advice?

Yes. Its 2025 annual filing lists its own Enclave security software as a separate revenue line from its virtual CISO services.

Does it publish client results or insurance cover?

No. Its About, team and compliance pages show no named case studies, and neither its website nor its 2025 annual filing discloses professional liability insurance.

Is SideChannel a public company?

Yes. It files reports with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and its shares trade over the counter as SDCH, not on a national exchange. It was formerly Cipherloc Corp and, before that, National Scientific Corp.

Evidence for each SideChannel score

Show our working

Notes behind each thing to check

  • SideChannel's own FY2025 10-K discloses that its disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting were previously found to have material weaknesses and are currently ineffective. (10-K text: 'our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting are currently ineffective')
  • SideChannel sells its own proprietary Enclave zero-trust/microsegmentation software as a distinct revenue line alongside its vCISO and compliance-readiness advisory work, a structural incentive to steer readiness clients toward its own product. (10-K business description lists Enclave software and vCISO Services as separate revenue categories)
  • No named case studies, client testimonials, or professional-liability/errors-and-omissions insurance disclosure appear on the company's About, team, or compliance service pages. (About/team/compliance pages checked contain only aggregate marketing stats, no named cases)
  • SideChannel is a publicly traded microcap formed by reverse merger into two prior shell registrants, a corporate lineage distinct from a purpose-built advisory partnership. (SEC EDGAR lists former names Cipherloc Corp and National Scientific Corp/AZ)
Six criteria, each scored 1 to 5, with the evidence for each.
CriterionScoreEvidence
Help when things go wrong 2/5 No named case studies or verifiable examples of guiding a client through a live regulatory probe or breach are published; only unverifiable aggregate stats like '$8.54B revenue protected' appear.
Qualifications of the people who do the work 3/5 CEO is a named, published NIST CSF co-author with DoD/Pentagon pedigree, but the firm's own 10-K discloses unremediated material weaknesses in its internal financial controls.
What it publishes about fees 4/5 Publishes specific dollar ranges on its own site: $3,000-$12,000/month vCISO retainer and $15,000-$75,000 fixed-scope SOC 2/ISO 27001 readiness projects.
Knowledge of your sector 4/5 Dedicated service page names SOC 2 Type I/II and ISO 27001 readiness scope and timelines, with reported past clients including DoD, CRISPR Therapeutics and Panduit.
Independence from what it sells 2/5 10-K confirms SideChannel sells its own Enclave security software as a core revenue line alongside its advisory engagements, a clear funnel risk.
Who carries the risk if the advice is wrong 2/5 Neither the company website nor its 10-K discloses professional-liability or errors-and-omissions insurance covering advisory engagements.

Sources for SideChannel

  • SideChannel, Inc. is a Delaware corporation and SEC-reporting company (formerly Cipherloc Corp, formerly National Scientific Corp/AZ) (CIK 0001022505; Delaware corporation; SIC 7374) (sec.gov, checked 20 September 2026)
  • SideChannel's common stock trades over-the-counter, not on a national exchange (Ticker SDCH, quoted on OTCQB Venture Market) (sec.gov, checked 20 September 2026)
  • SideChannel is a small firm by headcount (23 full-time employees plus approximately 15 independent contractors as of 30 Sept 2025) (sec.gov, checked 20 September 2026)
  • SideChannel's most recent 10-K discloses unremediated internal-control weaknesses (Company states disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting were previously found to have material weaknesses and are currently ineffective) (sec.gov, checked 20 September 2026)
  • SideChannel publishes specific fee ranges for its compliance-readiness and vCISO engagements (vCISO retainer $3,000-$12,000/month; fixed-scope SOC 2/ISO 27001 readiness project $15,000-$75,000) (sidechannel.com, checked 20 September 2026)
  • SideChannel CEO Brian Haugli has a named, published cybersecurity credential (Contributing author, 'Cybersecurity Risk Management: Mastering the Fundamentals Using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework' (Wiley, 2020); 20+ years leading DoD/Pentagon security programs) (sidechannel.com, checked 20 September 2026)
  • SideChannel's own FY2025 Form 10-K (fiscal year ended 30 September 2025, filed 18 December 2025) states under Item 3, Legal Proceedings: as of the filing date there are no material pending legal proceedings against the company. (No material pending legal proceedings disclosed (FY2025 10-K, Item 3)) (sec.gov, checked 20 September 2026)

Seeking ISO 42001 certificationFirst DPO or AI policy

Where this firm appears

If you represent this firm and something here is wrong or out of date, email hello@theassurancedesk.com with the evidence.

This is an independent editorial guide, not legal advice.