Hire a
Fractional CISO
Complete guide to finding, vetting, and hiring the perfect fractional Chief Information Security Officer.
Where to Find Fractional CISOs
Six proven channels for finding pre-vetted, experienced fractional security leaders.
Security Networks
ISACA chapters, ISC2 communities, CISO networks like Evanta or Venture in Security.
vCISO Firms
Consultancies offering vCISO services (Coalfire, Secureworks, boutique security firms).
LinkedIn Search
Search #FractionalCISO, #vCISO, or "Security Advisor" + certifications.
Fractional Platforms
Fractional.Quest, CISO Global, or security-specific fractional networks.
VC Security Advisors
Ask your investors for security advisors from their portfolio.
Security Conferences
RSA, Black Hat, BSides, or InfoSec Europe attendees and speakers.
What to Look For in a Fractional CISO
Not all security professionals make good fractional CISOs. Here's what separates the best from the rest.
1. Relevant Certifications
Do they have the right certifications? CISSP, CISM, CISA are baseline. Industry-specific certs (HITRUST for healthcare, PCI DSS for payments) may be required.
CISSP/CISM certified, relevant industry certifications, maintained credentials
No certifications, expired credentials, only vendor-specific certs
2. Compliance Experience
Have they achieved the compliance frameworks you need? SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS require specific experience.
Led successful certifications, audit experience, compliance program design
Only maintained compliance, never achieved certification from scratch
3. Industry Match
Do they understand your industry's specific security requirements? FinTech, healthcare, and B2B SaaS have different needs.
Direct industry experience, understands regulatory landscape, relevant case studies
No experience in your industry, dismissive of industry-specific requirements
4. Incident Response
Have they handled real security incidents? Breach response experience is invaluable and rare.
Real incident experience, IR plan development, crisis management skills
Only theoretical knowledge, no actual incident experience
5. Cloud Security
Do they understand modern cloud architectures? AWS, Azure, GCP security is essential for most companies now.
Cloud certification (AWS Security Specialty), container security, DevSecOps
Only traditional on-premise experience, can't discuss cloud security
6. Fractional Effectiveness
Can they be impactful part-time? Security requires consistent presence and quick response times.
2-4 clients, clear escalation procedures, responsive communication
First fractional role, slow response times, overcommitted
Interview Questions to Ask
These questions separate strategic CISOs from technical specialists. Use them to assess expertise, incident response capability, and fit.
🔒 Security Strategy Questions
- "Walk me through how you'd approach a security audit of our company. What would your first 30 days look like?"
Listen for: Methodical approach, risk assessment framework, stakeholder engagement - "How do you prioritize security investments when budget is limited?"
Listen for: Risk-based thinking, business alignment, quick wins vs long-term strategy - "Tell me about a compliance certification you led (SOC 2, ISO 27001). What were the key challenges?"
Listen for: Hands-on experience, timeline management, stakeholder coordination - "How do you balance security requirements with business velocity?"
Listen for: Pragmatic approach, enablement mindset, understanding of business needs
🚨 Incident Response Questions
- "Describe a security incident you managed. What happened, how did you respond, what was the outcome?"
Listen for: Real experience, clear incident command, lessons learned - "How would you structure our incident response plan if we don't have one?"
Listen for: Playbook approach, communication plans, tabletop exercises - "What's your approach to breach disclosure and regulatory notification?"
Listen for: ICO/regulatory knowledge, legal coordination, PR management - "How do you stay current on emerging threats and vulnerabilities?"
Listen for: Threat intelligence sources, continuous learning, industry networks
☁️ Technical & Cloud Questions
- "How would you secure our AWS/Azure/GCP environment? What are the key controls?"
Listen for: Cloud-native security knowledge, IAM, network security, data protection - "What's your approach to securing a DevOps/CI-CD pipeline?"
Listen for: Shift-left security, SAST/DAST, secrets management, container security - "How do you approach vendor security assessments and third-party risk?"
Listen for: Vendor questionnaires, risk tiering, ongoing monitoring - "How do you stay effective working 1-2 days/week vs embedded full-time?"
Listen for: Async communication, clear escalation paths, monitoring tools
The Fractional CISO Hiring Process
From first conversation to start date in 2-4 weeks. Here's the proven process.
Brief
Tell us about your needs, company stage, and what you're looking for in a fractional executive.
Match
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted fractional executives who match your specific requirements.
Meet
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and provide interview frameworks.
Start
Your fractional executive begins within days. We support onboarding and ongoing success.
Brief
Tell us about your needs, company stage, and what you're looking for in a fractional executive.
Match
We curate a shortlist of pre-vetted fractional executives who match your specific requirements.
Meet
Interview your top candidates. We handle scheduling and provide interview frameworks.
Start
Your fractional executive begins within days. We support onboarding and ongoing success.
Timeline Breakdown
Week 1: Define & Source
- • Define security requirements and compliance needs (Day 1-2)
- • Post on job boards, ask for referrals (Day 2-3)
- • Review candidates, verify certifications (Day 4-7)
Week 2-3: Interview & Vet
- • First-round interviews (45-min calls)
- • Second round: technical deep dive or case study
- • Reference checks and certification verification
- • Security clearance check if required
Week 4: Onboard & Start
- • Contract signing with NDA and security terms
- • Share access to systems and documentation
- • First week: security posture assessment
- • Begin risk assessment and roadmap work
First 90 Days: Deliver
- • Month 1: Security audit, quick wins, risk register
- • Month 2: Policy development, compliance roadmap
- • Month 3: Implementation, team training, metrics
- • Decide to extend or part ways
Contract Terms & Structure
Standard terms for fractional CISO engagements. Security roles require additional clauses around data access and confidentiality.
Standard Contract Template
Engagement Model
- Day rate: £900-£1,500 per day (based on certifications and industry)
- Commitment: 1-2 days per week (specify exact days)
- Monthly retainer option: £3,600-£6,000 for predictable billing
Term & Notice
- Initial term: 3-month trial period
- Renewal: Auto-renew to 12-month rolling contract after trial
- Notice period: 30 days either side (standard)
Scope of Work
- Responsibilities: Security strategy, compliance, incident response, policy development
- Deliverables: Risk assessments, security roadmap, compliance documentation, incident playbooks
- Exclusions: 24/7 SOC monitoring (unless scoped), penetration testing (use specialists)
Security-Specific Clauses
- Security clearance: Vetting requirements for regulated industries
- Data access: Least privilege principle, access audit trails
- Confidentiality: Enhanced NDA with specific security incident clauses
- Non-compete: May apply to direct competitors in sensitive industries
IP & Confidentiality
- IP ownership: Company owns all security documentation and policies
- Confidentiality: Extended NDA terms, survives termination by 3+ years
- Incident disclosure: Clear protocols for breach notification
Optional: Equity
- Advisory shares: 0.1-0.25% for long-term engagements (12+ months)
- Vesting: Quarterly or annual vesting
- Cash reduction: If equity included, day rate may reduce 10-15%
Cost Comparison: Fractional vs Full-Time vs Consultancy
Understand the total cost of each CISO hiring option for your business.
| Cost Factor | Fractional CISO | Full-Time CISO | Security Consultancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | £45k - £75k | £180k - £300k | £100k - £400k |
| Days per Week | 1-2 days | 5 days | Project-based |
| Strategic Ownership | Full ownership | Full ownership | Advisory only |
| Incident Response | On-call available | Full-time | Limited/extra cost |
| Compliance Leadership | Yes (SOC 2, ISO) | Yes | Yes |
| Equity Required | Optional (0.1-0.25%) | 0.5-1.5% | None |
| Time to Hire | 2-4 weeks | 3-6 months | 1-2 weeks |
| Cross-Industry Experience | High (multiple clients) | Limited | High |
| Best For | Scale-ups needing security leadership | Enterprises with complex security needs | One-off audits or compliance projects |
Sources: Glassdoor UK, ISC2 Salary Survey, Market research
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