The Role
The Fractional CISO will provide strategic cybersecurity leadership and CISO-level advisory services to multiple client organisations. The role will work with executive leadership, technology teams and business stakeholders to assess security posture, define cybersecurity strategy and establish practical security programmes aligned with business risk, regulatory requirements and organisational maturity.
The role requires significant experience in cybersecurity leadership, governance, risk management and client advisory. The Fractional CISO will act as a trusted security advisor to senior management, provide oversight during significant security incidents and guide clients on security investments, regulatory readiness, third-party risk and emerging areas such as cloud and AI security.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as the CISO-level security advisor for assigned clients, providing strategic direction on cybersecurity risk, governance and security programme development.
- Assess clients’ cybersecurity maturity, identify material risks and develop prioritised security roadmaps aligned with business objectives, risk appetite and regulatory requirements.
- Establish and review cybersecurity policies, governance structures, risk management processes, security standards and executive reporting mechanisms.
- Advise senior management and boards on cyber risk, significant security exposures, security investments, regulatory obligations and remediation priorities.
- Provide executive oversight during major cybersecurity incidents, supporting incident governance, stakeholder coordination, escalation and post-incident improvement.
- Guide security architecture and control strategies across areas such as identity and access management, cloud security, data protection, vulnerability management, SOC, incident response and third-party risk.
- Lead or oversee cybersecurity risk assessments, maturity assessments, gap assessments and regulatory/compliance readiness reviews.
- Support clients in aligning security programmes with relevant frameworks and standards such as
ISO 27001, NIST CSF, CIS Controls
and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Advise on third-party and supply-chain cybersecurity risk, including security requirements, due diligence and risk treatment.
- Guide organisations on
AI governance and AI-related cybersecurity risks
, including appropriate security controls for enterprise adoption of AI and Generative AI technologies.
- Define meaningful cybersecurity metrics, KRIs and management reporting to provide leadership with visibility into security posture, risk exposure and remediation progress.
- Mentor client security teams and provide guidance to security managers, architects and technical leads to strengthen internal security capabilities.
Skills & Experience
- 15+ years of progressive cybersecurity experience, including substantial experience in senior security leadership, consulting, advisory or CISO-level responsibilities.
- Strong experience developing and executing enterprise cybersecurity strategies, transformation programmes and multi-year security roadmaps.
- Deep understanding of cybersecurity governance, enterprise risk management, security architecture and security programme management.
- Strong working knowledge of
ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls
and other recognised security and risk frameworks.
- Broad technical understanding across
SOC and incident response, IAM, cloud security, network security, application security, data protection, vulnerability management and third-party security risk
.
- Experience advising on cybersecurity regulatory, compliance and audit requirements across complex organisational environments.
- Demonstrated experience managing or providing executive oversight for significant cybersecurity incidents and remediation programmes.
- Ability to assess technical security issues and translate them into clear business risk, financial impact, priorities and decision points for senior leadership.
- Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, consulting and presentation skills, including experience engaging with CXOs and boards.
- Ability to operate across multiple client environments, understand differing risk profiles and provide proportionate, practical security recommendations.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CCISO
or equivalent senior-level cybersecurity certifications are preferred.
- 15+ years of experience working in cybersecurity consulting, MSSP, virtual/fractional CISO services or advisory environments with at least 3+ years in a senior leadership role will be an advantage.
- Experience with cloud security, privacy, regulatory readiness, cyber resilience and AI governance is preferred.
Key Skills
Fractional CISO
Virtual CISO
vCISO
Cybersecurity Strategy
Cybersecurity Governance
Information Security
Cyber Risk Management
CISO Advisory
ISO 27001
NIST CSF
Security Architecture
Cybersecurity Consulting
Incident Response
Cloud Security
Third-Party Risk
Security Transformation
Board Advisory
AI Governance
