Fractional CISO · Chief information security officer, part of the week
Fractional CISO · what one does, what one costs, when you need one
A fractional CISO is a chief information security officer who holds the role for an agreed part of the week, on an ongoing basis, often for more than one company. They own the security strategy, the risk register and the response plan, and report to the CEO and board on cyber risk, without a full-time appointment.
This page explains the role: the week, the cost, how it compares with a virtual, interim or full-time CISO, and when you need one. To hire a fractional CISO or to browse fractional CISO jobs, go to the hub. We recruit fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent security leaders.
How a brief runswhat we undertake
- 01Brief30-MINUTE SCOPING CALLDay 0
- 02Shortlist of 3–5VETTED · RATE BENCHMARK · IR35After the brief
- 03InterviewsYOU MEET THE SHORTLISTYour diary
- 04Scoped startFIRST-MONTH OUTCOMES AGREEDYou set the date
- 05Fractional, interim and permanentIR35 POSITION SET OUTOn every brief
Shortlist3–5
In the press
Fast Company 16 leaders on when fractional C-suite hires make sense · 24 Jun 2026
Senior leaders disagree on when a fractional C-suite hire makes sense: many back one for a defined mandate, others want a full-time owner for work that needs daily attention. Security is where that test bites hardest, so it is worth reading before you scope the days.
15 minutes · video or phone
Book 15 minutes to hire a fractional CISO
Tell us the scope and the days a week. We come back with CISO candidates, their day rates and availability.
- 0115 minutes, video or phone
- 02We scope the role and the days a week
- 03A shortlist of 3–5 after the call
- 04Fractional, interim and permanent briefs
Pick a day that suits · live availability
On the board · last 3 months
Fractional CISO jobs on the board
Live CISO and security leadership roles
Fractional recruiting starts with the brief, not the CV pile. Send a CISO brief and we come back with a shortlist of three to five candidates, each through five-stage vetting.
01/ the role
What is a fractional CISO?
A fractional CISO is a chief information security officer engaged for part of the week, on an ongoing basis. The person holds the CISO seat in full: they set the security strategy, decide where to invest, and answer for cyber risk to the board, for an agreed number of days rather than five. “Fractional” describes the days, not the seniority.
The government’s Digital and Data capability framework describes the seat as creating a culture that keeps the organisation’s information and technology secure: a security strategy, an assessment of current maturity, advice to the board on risk, and readiness to detect, respond to and recover from an attack. A fractional CISO does that work in fewer days, so the days go on decisions rather than tickets.
CISO, CIO or security manager?
A CISO owns security risk across the business and reports on it to the board. A CIO owns the systems and suppliers, and security often sits with them until it needs its own seat. A security manager runs the controls day to day. If the gap is the wider technology estate, hire a fractional CIO instead. For the full seat, see what a CISO does.
02/ scope
What a fractional CISO does, week to week
The first month
An assessment of where security stands: what data the business holds, which systems and suppliers matter most, which controls are in place, and what would happen in an incident. The output is a risk register and a short roadmap the leadership team can agree and fund.
A typical week
Reviewing the risk register, working through the roadmap with the IT team or managed service provider, answering security questionnaires from customers, and checking suppliers. Much of it starts with the basics: the NCSC’s Cyber Essentials sets five technical controls (firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection) as the government’s recommended minimum.
The board
The Cyber Governance Code of Practice shows boards and directors how to govern cyber risk, and the NCSC’s Cyber Security Toolkit for Boards helps them put it into practice. A fractional CISO usually writes the board report against it and leads the response plan.
Data protection
Under the UK GDPR, personal data must be processed securely by “appropriate technical and organisational measures”, as the ICO’s guide to data security sets out. The CISO owns those measures; a fractional DPO often owns the wider data protection programme beside them.
03/ comparison
Fractional, virtual, interim or a full-time CISO
Four ways to put security leadership in place. Choose by how much of the week the work fills and whether you need one named person in the leadership team.
04/ vetting
How we vet fractional CISOs
What we undertake on every brief, before a candidate reaches you.
- 01
Qualification screen
Verify CISO tenure, sector context and stage fit.
SOURCING - 02
Mandate fit
Match to your situation — stage, board dynamics, timing.
MATCHING - 03
Reference deep-dive
We take references ourselves, from recent past clients — real outcomes, not titles.
VERIFY - 04
Shortlist
Three to five candidates with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
SHORTLIST OF 3–5
05/ what it costs
What a fractional CISO costs day rates, retainers and the full-time comparison
Optima Europe, a recruiter, puts a fractional CISO at £1,200 to £2,000 a day, with two-to-three-day weekly retainers at £8,000 to £18,000 a month. Cypro, which sells virtual CISO services, prices a vCISO at £3,000 to £15,000 a month, on a day rate of £1,200 to £2,500. These are their figures, not ours; we set out each candidate’s day rate on the shortlist.
For a full-time CISO, Robert Half’s 2026 guide gives a London band of £131,000 to £220,000 (25th to 75th percentile), median £184,000 (Robert Half). Cypro puts a full-time UK CISO at £140,000 to £220,000 base. A salary carries employer costs on top, and a day rate does not, so compare like with like.
The detail is on three pages: fractional CISO cost, CISO salary and vCISO cost and the fractional CISO hourly rate.
06/ fractional vs interim
Fractional CISO vs interim CISO ongoing cover, or a full-time stint
Fractional CISO vs interim CISO is a choice between ongoing part-week ownership and a full-time stint with an end date. A fractional CISO holds the seat for part of the week for as long as the business needs it. An interim CISO works full-time for a fixed period: after a breach, during a remediation programme, while a permanent CISO is found, or to meet a regulator’s or customer’s deadline.
Barclay Simpson, a recruiter, benchmarks a global or EMEA CISO on contract at £1,000 to £1,500 or more a day. An interim costs more in total because they work every day of the assignment. For full-time cover, see interim CISO jobs.
07/ fractional vs virtual
Fractional CISO vs virtual CISO how the vCISO relates
The two titles overlap, and some people use them interchangeably. In practice a virtual CISO (vCISO) is usually a service: a security firm provides CISO-level advice remotely, for a set number of days or hours a month, to a defined scope such as policies, certification or supplier questionnaires. A fractional CISO is one named person who joins the leadership team part of the week and owns security risk to the board.
If the need is a defined package of advice, a vCISO may be enough; see virtual CISO jobs and how to hire one. If the board wants a named owner of cyber risk, it is a fractional CISO. For what each engagement covers, see fractional CISO services.
08/ when
When to hire a fractional CISO the usual triggers
Companies usually look at when to hire a fractional CISO once security questions reach the board or the sales team before anyone senior owns them. The common triggers:
Customers asking for proof. Security questionnaires and audits from larger customers that hold up sales.
A certification to reach. Cyber Essentials, or ISO 27001 (see our ISO 27001 consultant page).
A board asking about cyber risk. Directors who want to govern it as the Cyber Governance Code describes, and need someone to report to them.
After an incident or a review. A near miss, or a cyber security assessment that found gaps no one owns.
If an incident is live and needs someone every day, an interim CISO fits better. When security fills the week, most companies move to a full-time CISO; we recruit that permanent hire too.
09/ hiring
How to hire one the short version
Write down what the CISO must deliver in the next twelve months, who they report to, what they can spend and how many days that takes. Ask candidates for a CISO role they held in a business like yours, and check certifications with the issuing body: the ISC2’s CISSP, for example, is aimed at experienced practitioners leading a security programme.
Settle the contract before the start date. Where the CISO works through their own company, the off-payroll working rules (IR35) may apply; status depends on how the engagement runs in practice, and a medium or large client makes the determination (HMRC’s guidance for clients). Our IR35 guide explains the tests.
To hire a fractional CISO through us, send the brief. We send a shortlist of 3–5, each with day rate or pay, availability and IR35 position set out, after our five-stage vetting.
10/ questions
Fractional CISO FAQ
The questions people ask before bringing in a fractional CISO.
Book 15 minutes · shortlist of 3–5
Bring the brief. We architect the team.
A shortlist of 3–5 with day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, after five-stage vetting.
