A Fractional CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) is a part-time or on-demand cybersecurity executive who provides expert leadership in managing cyber risks, securing data, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Businesses benefit from a Fractional CISO by gaining high-level security expertise without the expense of hiring a full-time executive. This helps organizations improve their security posture, prevent data breaches, and meet compliance requirements cost-effectively.

A Fractional CISO (fCISO) is a security executive responsible for developing and overseeing an organization’s cybersecurity strategy on a part-time or contract basis. Unlike a full-time CISO, a Fractional CISO works flexibly, providing strategic security leadership, risk management, and compliance oversight while ensuring businesses have the protection they need to operate securely.

Hiring a full-time CISO can be costly, especially for small to mid-sized businesses. A Fractional CISO provides access to senior-level cybersecurity leadership, risk management, and compliance expertise at a fraction of the cost. Businesses benefit by having flexible security leadership, tailored risk assessments, and compliance guidance without the overhead of a full-time executive salary and benefits.

Businesses that handle sensitive data, require regulatory compliance, or face cybersecurity threats can benefit from a Fractional CISO, including:

Small and mid-sized businesses that lack in-house security leadership.

Heavily regulated industries (finance, healthcare, SaaS, legal) that must comply with SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, or CMMC.

Companies undergoing rapid growth and need security strategy support.

Organizations recovering from a data breach and require incident response planning and security hardening.

A Fractional CISO is responsible for:

✅ Cybersecurity Strategy Development – Creating a security roadmap tailored to business needs.

✅ Risk Management – Identifying vulnerabilities and implementing security controls.

✅ Regulatory Compliance – Ensuring adherence to frameworks like NIST, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and CMMC.

✅ Incident Response & Crisis Management – Developing breach response plans and conducting tabletop exercises.

✅ Security Awareness Training – Educating staff on cybersecurity best practices.

✅ Vendor Security Risk Assessment – Evaluating third-party vendors' security to mitigate potential risks.

✅ Cloud Security & Zero Trust Architecture – Implementing best practices for cloud, network, and endpoint security.

A Fractional CISO retainer provides ongoing cybersecurity leadership, risk management, and compliance oversight on a flexible, month-to-month basis.

How it works:

Fixed Monthly Hours: You retain a set number of hours per month for security strategy, risk assessments, incident response, and compliance guidance.

Priority Access: You get on-demand cybersecurity expertise without the cost of a full-time CISO. Custom Scope: Services are tailored based on your business needs, whether it's compliance preparation, security audits, policy development, or team leadership.

Scalable Support: As your security needs grow, your Fractional CISO can increase or decrease engagement levels based on company priorities.

This model ensures cost-effective security leadership while keeping your organization protected against evolving cyber threats.

Our One-Time Cybersecurity Strategy Session typically lasts for a half day.

Our CISO Engaged Services have a 3 month minimum.

Our CISO Advisory Services have a 6 month minimum.

My pricing is based on the level of engagement, and I offer a variety of options to fit your budget. You can find more information about my pricing on my website.

Costs vary based on company size, industry, and risk level. Schedule a consultation to receive a customized quote tailored to your business.

A niche CISO specializes in specific industries and regulatory environments, while a generalized CISO has broad experience across different sectors. 💡

Niche CISO Benefits:

Deep Industry Expertise – Knows the specific risks, threats, and compliance challenges in your field. Faster Implementation – Understands the security tools and best practices that work for your industry. Regulatory Compliance Mastery – Has specialized knowledge in frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and CMMC.

Generalized CISO:

Broader experience across multiple industries.

Less specialized knowledge for highly regulated sectors like healthcare, finance, or SaaS compliance.

For organizations with specific compliance or security needs, a niche CISO is the best choice to ensure tailored risk management and compliance success.

Many businesses struggle with outsourced IT and security services due to:

❌ Generic, one-size-fits-all solutions.

❌ Lack of tailored risk management.

❌ Slow response times & poor security oversight.

📌 How to avoid failure:

✔ Hire a strategic security leader (Fractional CISO) instead of a general IT consultant.

✔ Ensure direct executive involvement – A Fractional CISO is a true decision-maker, not just a contractor. ✔ Choose an expert with experience in your industry – Not all security professionals understand compliance-heavy environments like finance, healthcare, or SaaS.

✔ Implement clear success metrics – Ensure that cybersecurity efforts align with your business goals, regulatory needs, and risk tolerance.

With a Fractional CISO, your organization gains expert leadership, tailored security strategies, and an executive-level partner committed to long-term cybersecurity success.

Unlike traditional security consultants or managed service providers (MSPs), I offer direct, executive-level cybersecurity leadership tailored to your organization’s security and compliance needs.

📌 What sets me apart?

✔ Over [X] years of cybersecurity leadership experience across regulated industries.

✔ Deep expertise in risk management, compliance, and incident response.

✔ A hands-on approach – I work directly with your executive team to develop security strategies aligned with business growth and compliance.

✔ Cost-effective – You get CISO-level expertise at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time executive.

✔ Proven track record – Helping organizations successfully navigate SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and CMMC compliance.

🚀 Schedule a consultation to see how I can help strengthen your security posture today.

A CISO plays a critical role in product leadership by integrating cybersecurity into the product development lifecycle.

📌 Ways a CISO contributes to product leadership:

✔ Security by Design – Embeds security controls into product development to prevent vulnerabilities from day one.

✔ Compliance & Trust – Ensures products meet regulatory security requirements (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR).

✔ Risk Reduction – Identifies and mitigates risks in software, APIs, third-party integrations, and customer data handling.

✔ Competitive Advantage – Helps position security as a market differentiator to attract security-conscious customers.

✔ Incident Readiness – Builds response plans to quickly mitigate security breaches that impact products or customer data.

Bottom Line: A CISO doesn’t just protect the company— they enable business growth by making security a selling point for customers and partners.