Why businesses bring in a fractional CISO
The trigger is rarely a breach. More often it's a client's supplier questionnaire, a cyber insurance renewal with forty questions nobody can answer, or a board that has read one too many headlines. Security has become a leadership responsibility, but a full-time Chief Information Security Officer is out of reach for most SMEs.
A fractional CISO gives you that leadership for a few days a month. You get a clear view of where you stand, a plan to close the gaps that matter and someone accountable for keeping it on track.
What's included
- Risk assessment. A plain-English view of your real exposure, ranked by likelihood and impact rather than by what a vendor is selling this quarter.
- Security roadmap. Prioritised actions with owners and dates, most of which use the Microsoft 365 licences you already pay for.
- Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Scoping, remediation and getting you through the assessment.
- ISO 27001 readiness. Gap analysis, policies that reflect how you actually work, and support up to certification audit.
- Insurance and client questionnaires. Accurate answers, and fixes where the honest answer is currently "no".
- Policies and incident response. An acceptable use policy people will read, an AI policy, and an incident plan that has been rehearsed at least once.
- Board and audit reporting. Regular, short reports on security posture that a non-technical board can understand.
Microsoft-first, not tool-first
Most SMEs already own good security tooling through Microsoft 365 Business Premium: Entra ID Conditional Access, Intune, Defender for Business and Purview. The problem is usually configuration, not missing products. We start there before recommending anything new, and we're independent of resellers, so there's no incentive to add another subscription.
Security cleared
Our consultants hold UK SC and DV clearance and are used to working in secure, regulated and sensitive environments. That matters if you handle sensitive data, work in the public sector supply chain or simply want someone who treats discretion as normal.
How it works
We begin with a short security review, then agree a fixed monthly retainer, typically one to three days a month. Some clients start with a fixed-scope project, such as Cyber Essentials Plus, and move to a retainer afterwards. One utilities broker started with us on a fractional basis and the role grew into an ongoing, full-time engagement.
If you also need wider technology leadership, the CISO role can sit alongside a fractional CTO engagement.