What a fractional CISO does
A fractional CISO takes accountability for protecting your data, systems and reputation. That means a security strategy matched to your real risks, ownership of the controls that reduce them, leadership of compliance and certification programmes, an incident response plan that works under pressure, security awareness across your people, and a clear, honest picture of security risk presented to the board. You get the seniority to make the call and stand behind it.
When businesses bring us in
A customer or regulator demands it
A defence prime, a large customer, an insurer or a regulator expects a named, accountable security lead and credible controls in place, and you need that capability quickly.
A compliance programme has to be delivered
You are working toward Cyber Essentials, NIST, ISO 27001 or a defence supplier standard such as DefStan or CMMC, and you need someone to own and drive it, not just advise on it.
Security has been left to chance
The business has grown without anyone owning security. There is no strategy, no incident plan, and no one who could answer a board’s questions about risk with confidence.
Security leadership, not just security tooling
Buying tools is not a security strategy. A CISO makes sure the right controls are in place for your actual risks, that they are used properly, and that people know what to do when something goes wrong. We lead the strategy, the programme and the culture, and bring in or direct the technical delivery as needed, so security is managed as a whole rather than as a pile of disconnected products.
Where compliance meets the supply chain
This is where Keekco is unusually strong. We lead the security and compliance work that defence and aerospace supply chains now require, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, NIST 800-171, DefStan 05-138 and CMMC readiness, with the security-cleared background to do it credibly. For suppliers facing customer flow-down requirements, a fractional CISO and a readiness programme are often the same engagement.
What makes Keekco different
This is security leadership shaped where the stakes were highest: security-cleared aerospace and defence programmes, and the discipline that comes from building and protecting technology in regulated, scrutinised environments. You work directly with the principal, and you get a CISO who is as comfortable in front of a board explaining risk in plain terms as in the detail of a controls framework.
Fractional, interim or full-time?
A fractional CISO is a part-time, ongoing member of your leadership team, not a temporary interim and not a consultant who reports and departs. It suits businesses that need continuous, accountable security leadership but not a full-time salaried executive.
Work with Keekco
Book a discovery call to talk through what a fractional CISO would do for your business.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a fractional CISO?
- A fractional CISO is an experienced Chief Information Security Officer who joins your senior team part-time and on an ongoing basis, taking accountability for your security and compliance without the cost of a full-time hire.
- When does a business need a fractional CISO?
- Commonly when a customer, regulator, insurer or investor expects a named, accountable security lead, when a compliance programme such as Cyber Essentials, NIST, ISO 27001 or CMMC needs delivering, or when security has been left without clear ownership.
- What is the difference between a CISO and a CTO or CIO?
- A CISO is accountable specifically for information security and compliance, where a CTO focuses on product and what you build and a CIO on systems, data and operations. For many smaller businesses one person can cover more than one of these roles.
- Can a fractional CISO lead our Cyber Essentials, NIST or CMMC work?
- Yes. Leading those readiness and certification programmes is core to what we do, backed by genuine defence and aerospace experience. For suppliers facing customer flow-down requirements, the CISO role and the readiness programme are often the same engagement.
- How much does a fractional CISO cost?
- Far less than a full-time CISO, because you pay for the days you need. The commitment is agreed upfront and can scale up during an intensive compliance programme and down once it is in steady state.
- How is Keekco different from other fractional CISOs?
- The background: security leadership built in security-cleared aerospace and defence programmes, unusual strength in supply-chain compliance such as DefStan and CMMC, and direct access to the principal rather than an account manager.