Fractional Security Leadership

Your Outsourced Security Executive

A named, experienced security leader attending your leadership meetings, advising your board, and building your security program — at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

Schedule an Executive Risk Consultation See What’s Included

The Problem With Waiting for a Full-Time CISO

A full-time CISO costs $250,000–$400,000 annually — a number most organizations cannot justify. Yet without security leadership, boards make uninformed decisions, compliance gaps go undocumented, and vendors operate without oversight. A Fractional CISO fills that gap immediately, without the hiring risk or overhead.

$300K+
Average fully-loaded cost of a full-time CISO annually
70%
Of organizations cite budget as the top barrier to security leadership
Day 1
When our advisory engagement begins — no 90-day onboarding ramp

What a Fractional CISO From SPM Advisors Does

We don’t just advise — we own the outcome. Every engagement includes a named security leader accountable for your program’s direction and effectiveness.

Security Program Development

We build your security program from the ground up — or take over one that’s stalled. Policies, controls, risk register, training, and vendor oversight: all designed around your actual risk profile, not a generic template.

Board & Executive Reporting

We attend leadership meetings, present risk summaries to your board, and translate security findings into plain business language. Leadership makes better decisions when security is explained in terms of risk, not technology.

Security Roadmap & Strategy

We develop a prioritized, multi-year security roadmap tied to your business objectives — so your organization knows exactly where it’s headed and can demonstrate progress to auditors, insurers, and partners.

Vendor Risk Oversight

We evaluate your technology vendors, review contracts for security obligations, and ensure your third-party relationships don’t become your largest unmanaged risk.

Cyber Insurance Readiness

We prepare your organization for the cyber insurance application process — documenting controls, closing gaps that insurers flag, and helping you get the coverage your risk exposure actually requires.

Incident Response Leadership

When something happens, your Fractional CISO coordinates response across your team, your vendors, and legal counsel — ensuring decisions are made quickly and documented defensibly.

Who This Is For

Fractional CISO services are built for organizations that need executive security leadership now — without the timeline or cost of a full-time hire.

Healthcare Organizations

HIPAA requires a designated security official. We fill that role — building your security program, conducting required risk analyses, and representing your compliance posture to auditors.

Nonprofits

Donor trust and grant compliance require security governance. We provide board-level security reporting and program oversight without diverting resources from your mission.

Professional Services

Law firms, accounting practices, and consulting firms handle highly sensitive client data. We build the security governance structure that satisfies clients, insurers, and bar requirements.

Financial Services

IRS Safeguards, SOC 2, and fiduciary obligations require documented security controls. We build and maintain the program that keeps you compliant and defensible.

Growing Businesses

You’ve outgrown “the IT person handles security” but aren’t ready to hire a $300K executive. We bridge that gap with real security leadership at a fraction of the cost.

Organizations Facing an Audit

If a regulatory audit, insurance renewal, or client security questionnaire is forcing the issue, we move quickly — assessing gaps and building the documentation that demonstrates control.

Market Context

The firms that used to handle security for organizations like yours — Optiv’s consulting division, Secureworks advisory, rotating Big 4 teams — are restructuring or consolidating. If your security relationship recently changed, you are not alone. This is exactly the gap SPM Advisors fills.

Engagement Structure & Investment

Fractional CISO engagements with SPM Advisors are structured as monthly retained advisory — typically a fraction of the cost of a single full-time security hire, with no recruiting timeline, no benefits overhead, and no 90-day ramp. You get executive-level security leadership starting in week one.

How Engagements Are Structured

No open-ended retainers without defined scope. Every engagement has a clear shape, named deliverables, and an outcome you can point to.

Tier 1

Compliance Baseline

For organizations with no existing security documentation. You need a defensible starting point before a carrier audit, vendor review, or regulatory inquiry.

  • Formal security risk assessment
  • Written information security program
  • Security Official designation
  • Vendor & BAA review
  • Incident response plan

Fixed-scope engagement. Suitable as standalone or as the foundation for ongoing advisory.

Tier 2 — Most Common

Ongoing Advisory

For organizations that have baseline documentation and need continuous security leadership — board reporting, vendor oversight, and executive guidance on an ongoing basis.

  • Monthly retained advisory
  • Security reporting cadence
  • Vendor evaluation & oversight
  • Policy maintenance & regulatory monitoring
  • Named point-of-contact for security decisions

Month-to-month retained. A named security leader integrated into your governance without a full-time hire.

Tier 3

Strategic Program

For organizations under active regulatory pressure, preparing for acquisition, or managing a significant compliance initiative requiring full program ownership.

  • Everything in Ongoing Advisory
  • Incident response leadership
  • Quarterly board reporting
  • Regulatory examination support
  • Framework-specific program development

Full-scope program ownership. Kenneth leads the engagement personally from assessment through audit.

Not sure which tier fits? Request a Security Fit Call — 30 minutes, no obligation.

Is This the Right Fit?

You’re a good fit if…

  • You need security leadership but can’t justify a full-time hire
  • Your board or leadership needs security reporting they can understand
  • You face compliance requirements (HIPAA, IRS Safeguards, SOC 2)
  • You have vendors and tools but no one overseeing them strategically
  • You want one accountable person, not a rotating consulting team
  • You need help preparing for a cyber insurance application or renewal

This may not be right if…

  • You need 40+ hours/week of hands-on security staffing
  • You need managed alert monitoring or SOC operations — SPM Advisors builds and governs the program that oversees those functions, not the functions themselves
  • You want purely tactical IT support rather than strategic leadership
  • You have a mature security team and just need a specific tool deployed

Ready for Executive-Level Security Leadership?

Schedule a 30-minute consultation. You’ll leave with a clear picture of what security leadership would look like for your organization — no obligation.

Schedule an Executive Risk Consultation