Services / Fractional CISO
Fractional CISO Services
Senior security leadership for growing companies. You get a CISO who owns your program, reports to your board, and makes hard calls. Without the $300K salary.
Book a Fractional CISO ConsultationSecurity leadership is not a nice-to-have
Customers ask about your security posture. Auditors want a named point of contact. Your board wants a risk report. Vendors want questionnaires answered. And your engineering team wants someone to make the call on a security decision that has been sitting in a backlog for three months.
Most companies at this stage do not need a $300K full-time CISO. They need a senior practitioner who can own the program, build the foundation, and be present when it matters. That is exactly what a fractional engagement provides.
What the engagement covers
Security Strategy and Roadmap
A prioritized 12-month plan tied to your business risk, not a generic framework checklist. Includes control gaps, ownership assignments, and a timeline the rest of the organization can actually execute.
Risk and Control Prioritization
Identify the exposures that actually matter given your architecture, data, and customer base. Not every risk needs the same response. You get clear guidance on where to spend the next dollar of effort.
Board and Executive Reporting
Security updates your leadership and board can understand and act on. Risk ratings, program status, incident summaries, and the questions investors and directors actually ask about.
Vendor, Incident, and Policy Leadership
Point-of-contact for security reviews, third-party questionnaires, incident response coordination, and policy development. The decisions get made, the documentation gets written, and the process does not stall.
Who this is for
- +Seed to Series B companies building their first security program
- +Companies preparing for SOC 2, PCI DSS, or HIPAA audits who need a named security lead
- +Mid-size companies between CISOs who need coverage without a full-time hire
- +PE-backed businesses adding security maturity ahead of an exit
- +Engineering-led companies that need security oversight without slowing down the product team
How it starts
A free 30-minute discovery call
We map your current gaps and upcoming milestones, then deliver a fixed-price proposal within 24 hours. No open-ended retainers, no hourly billing surprises.
Book a Free CallNo long-term contracts. Senior practitioner on every engagement.
Common questions
What does a fractional CISO actually do?
A fractional CISO owns your security program part-time: setting strategy, managing risk, coordinating vendors and incidents, and reporting to leadership. The work is the same as a full-time CISO. The time commitment is not.
How many hours per week does an engagement require?
Most early-stage engagements run 8 to 16 hours per month. The right scope depends on your current risk posture, upcoming audits or certifications, and how much internal security capacity you already have.
When do I need a fractional CISO instead of a consultant?
If you need someone who owns decisions, shows up in board meetings, and is accountable for your security posture over time, that is a fractional CISO. If you need a specific deliverable, like a risk assessment or a policy document, that is a consulting project.
What is the difference between a fractional CISO and a vCISO?
The terms are often used interchangeably. At 543HQ, every engagement is led by a senior practitioner with hands-on experience, not a staffing firm placing a generalist.