Cybersecurity / TPRM / vCISO
Brian Rankin
Head of Cybersecurity Services
Brian Rankin helps life sciences organizations strengthen cybersecurity in the places where regulated work is most exposed: vendor ecosystems, cloud platforms, medical device programs, clinical operations, and emerging AI-enabled workflows. His work connects security leadership with the compliance, quality, and operational realities that regulated companies have to defend.
Cybersecurity leadership
Guides life sciences teams through practical security programs, risk prioritization, and executive-ready cyber decisions.
Third-party risk
Supports vendor oversight models that move beyond annual questionnaires into continuous, evidence-driven assurance.
Regulated readiness
Connects cybersecurity controls to FDA expectations, GxP operations, business continuity, and inspection-ready evidence.
Brian Rankin's Credentials
Brian helps regulated companies treat cybersecurity as an operating discipline, not a scary slide deck that appears once a year.
His work focuses on the security programs life sciences companies need as vendor ecosystems, cloud platforms, connected devices, and AI-enabled tools expand the risk surface. He helps teams align cyber controls with compliance expectations, executive accountability, and day-to-day operational reality.
Proof points
USDM lead for cybersecurity services across regulated life sciences environments
Author and SME for USDM resources on FDA cybersecurity guidance, third-party risk management, and vCISO for life sciences
Cybersecurity contributor to USDM’s AI use case dossier and digital trust programming
Supports cybersecurity, vendor risk, and virtual CISO conversations for pharma, biotech, medical device, and clinical organizations
Primary role
Cybersecurity services
Helps organizations assess, build, and mature cybersecurity programs that support sensitive data, regulated workflows, and business continuity.
Where he helps
Vendor and digital trust
Supports third-party risk, vCISO leadership, medical device cyber readiness, incident preparedness, and governance for emerging technology.
How Brian helps clients solve it
Brian Rankin's Resources
Resources that prove the expertise.
A focused shelf of content tied to Brian's work across cybersecurity, third-party risk, vCISO, and regulated digital trust leader.
May 16, 2026
FDA Cybersecurity Guidance: What Life Sciences and Medical Device Companies Need to Do Now
Brian’s practical view of FDA cyber expectations, 524B, secure design, software visibility, and postmarket readiness.
May 16, 2026
Third-Party Risk Management in Life Sciences
How regulated teams can strengthen vendor oversight across cybersecurity, compliance, operational, and data integrity risk.
May 16, 2026
Virtual CISO (vCISO) for Life Sciences
A cybersecurity leadership model for emerging biotech and biopharma teams protecting IP, clinical data, and regulated operations.
March 27, 2026
Transforming Third-Party Vendor Risk Management at Enterprise Scale
How continuous monitoring, analyst validation, and managed assessments helped scale enterprise vendor risk oversight.
July 6, 2023
Understanding FD&C 524B: Cybersecurity Requirements for Medical Devices
A medical device cybersecurity guide for teams preparing submissions and lifecycle controls under FD&C 524B.
April 12, 2022
Cybersecurity Threats and Risks to Life Sciences Companies
An on-demand cybersecurity session for life sciences organizations managing sensitive data, partners, and regulated systems.
Contact Brian Rankin
Start a conversation about cybersecurity before the risk register becomes a historical document with better formatting.
Use the form to route a conversation about cybersecurity maturity, third-party risk, vCISO leadership, medical device cyber readiness, incident preparedness, or digital trust.