Why Startups Need a Fractional CISO
Senior security expertise without the full-time cost.
Index
The Problem
Your startup needs security. Customers ask about it. Investors ask about it. Enterprise deals require it.
But you cannot afford a full-time CISO. A senior security leader costs 150-250k EUR per year, plus equity. That is more than most seed-stage companies spend on their entire engineering team.
So you do nothing. Or you do the wrong thing.
The Bad Options
Companies typically try one of these approaches:
- Ignore security: Works until it does not. Then you lose deals, get breached, or fail due diligence.
- Hire junior: Someone with 2 years of experience cannot architect your security program. They do not know what they do not know.
- Big consultancy: They charge 15-20k EUR for ISO 27001 prep, take 12 months, and leave you with PDFs you will never update.
- DIY with compliance tools: Vanta and Drata are good, but they cannot tell you what to implement. They just track what you already have.
None of these give you what you actually need: senior judgment applied to your specific situation.
The Fractional Model
A fractional CISO gives you senior security leadership on a part-time basis. You get the expertise without the full-time cost.
The model works because startups do not need 40 hours per week of security work. They need strategic guidance, periodic implementation, and someone to answer questions when they come up.
A typical engagement might be 10-20 hours per month. Enough to make real progress without paying for idle time.
What You Actually Get
- Strategic direction: What to prioritize based on your stage and customers
- Policy development: Real policies, not templates
- Technical implementation: Actually configuring controls, not just advising
- Questionnaire support: Help closing deals that require security review
- Certification prep: ISO 27001, SOC 2, whatever your customers need
- Board communication: Translate security into business terms
When It Works Best
The fractional model works best when:
- You are 5-50 people and growing
- Enterprise customers are asking security questions
- You are preparing for a funding round or acquisition
- You need to pass a certification but cannot justify full-time headcount
- Your CTO is stretched thin and needs security off their plate
It stops making sense when you hit 100+ people or have complex regulatory requirements. At that point, you probably need someone full-time.