Fractional CISO
Security and compliance leadership, without a full-time CISO hire.
A fractional CISO provides senior security leadership and strategic guidance without the cost of a full-time executive hire. From risk management and governance to compliance readiness and stakeholder communication, we help you reduce risk, satisfy enterprise customers, and move faster with confidence.
When to consider a Fractional CISO
Where a fractional CISO adds the most value.
A Fractional CISO is ideal when you need senior security leadership but aren't ready for a full-time executive hire. Typical scenarios include regulatory pressure, upcoming audits, security incidents, or growing enterprise customer demands that require stronger security governance and stakeholder confidence.
Companies facing regulatory or compliance pressure (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, NIS2).
Teams preparing for upcoming security audits or customer due diligence.
Organisations recovering from a security incident and needing to rebuild trust.
Scale-ups engaging with enterprise customers who demand strong security posture.
Engineering-led teams without dedicated security leadership or clear accountability.
Businesses where the CTO or CEO is stretched thin handling security on top of their core role.
How our Fractional CISO engagements work
We own security strategy, align with business risk, guide controls and policies, and support audits and stakeholder communication. Our approach is pragmatic, senior-led and outcome-focused.
Security strategy & governance
Define how security supports the business.
- Develop and maintain security strategy and roadmap.
- Establish and refine security governance and decision-making.
- Align controls with business risk and growth plans.
Risk management & controls
Make risk visible and actionable.
- Lead risk assessments and prioritisation.
- Advise on technical and organisational controls.
- Guide incident response readiness and tabletop exercises.
Compliance & stakeholder communication
Help you pass audits and keep customers confident.
- Prepare for customer security reviews and due diligence.
- Support ISO/SOC-style programmes with pragmatic advice.
- Communicate clearly with executives, boards and customers.
What you can expect from a Fractional CISO
Combine our security leadership with your domain expertise to reduce risk, satisfy customers and move faster with confidence.
Outcomes we focus on
- Clear security strategy aligned with business goals and risk appetite.
- Documented policies, controls and governance frameworks that satisfy auditors.
- Improved readiness for customer security reviews and enterprise sales.
- Reduced cyber risk through pragmatic, prioritised control implementation.
- Confident stakeholder communication with executives, boards and customers.
- Faster progress towards ISO 27001, SOC 2 or other certifications.
Why teams choose a Fractional CISO
Access senior security leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive hire, with the flexibility to scale engagement up or down as your needs evolve.
Clearer risk visibility, faster progress towards certifications like ISO 27001 or SOC 2, and stronger trust with enterprise customers and regulators.
Pragmatic, vendor-agnostic advice from experienced security leaders who understand both technical and business priorities.
A structured, outcome-focused engagement model
From initial alignment and security audit through to ongoing leadership and regular reviews, we keep the focus on risk reduction and business enablement.
- 1
Initial Alignment
We align on business goals, current challenges, stakeholders and define success metrics and cadence for the engagement.
- 2
Audit & Gap Analysis
Deep assessment of current state (architecture, security, processes, team) to identify gaps, quick wins, and strategic priorities.
- 3
Strategic Roadmap
Build a clear roadmap with milestones, resource requirements, and risk mitigation. Present to leadership as needed.
- 4
Ongoing Leadership
Regular engagement: strategic guidance, decision-making support, mentoring, hiring support, and vendor evaluation with weekly or bi-weekly touchpoints.
- 5
Regular Reviews
Monthly or quarterly reviews to assess progress, adjust priorities, and ensure continued alignment with business objectives.
Why NexusMind
Security leadership grounded in real engineering experience.
We bring security expertise combined with deep technical understanding and pragmatic business sense. No ivory-tower consulting, just senior-only leadership that understands your challenges.
Transparent Pricing
No hidden fees or enterprise sales games. You know exactly what you pay and why.
Security First
Every architecture decision starts with security. Zero-trust by default, compliance built in.
Vendor Agnostic
We recommend the right tools for your needs, not what pays us the highest commission.
What security and compliance leaders say
Security-focused case studies and testimonials coming soon.
Client testimonials coming soon
We're adding stories from CTOs, CISOs, and engineering leaders.
Ready to strengthen your security posture?
Book a confidential consultation to discuss your security leadership needs, compliance goals, and how a Fractional CISO can help you reduce risk and build stakeholder confidence.