Ongoing security ownership

Get experienced security leadership, without a full-time CISO hire

Security Leadership gives you ownership of your security roadmap, risk management and governance, on a schedule that fits your stage, from light-touch monthly oversight to embedded, near-full-time leadership.

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Security Leadership Service Detail

WHEN YOU NEED THIS

Is Security Leadership right for you?

If one or more of these apply to your situation, our Security Leadership service is worth a closer look:

  • You need senior security leadership but can't justify (or don't want) a full-time CISO hire yet
  • Investors or the board are asking for security governance and reporting you don't currently have
  • Nobody owns security risk end-to-end, it's split across founders, engineering and IT
  • You're heading toward a size or stage where "we'll figure it out as we go" stops being good enough
  • You want a named, accountable security leader your team, customers and investors can point to

HOW IT WORKS

From scoping call to delivered roadmap

1

Discovery call

We learn about your business, team, and current security governance.

2

Onboarding

We assess your current risk posture, roadmap and reporting needs.

3

Ongoing leadership

Regular time each month, owning your security roadmap, risk register and reporting.

4

Review & adapt

We review priorities regularly and adjust scope as your business and risks evolve.

TYPICAL OUTCOMES

What you walk away with

  • A named, accountable security leader without a full-time hire
  • Board and investor-ready security reporting on a regular cadence
  • A managed risk register and prioritised roadmap, kept current
  • Confidence that customer, supplier and investor security questions are being handled properly

SERVICE PACKAGES & PRICING

Security Leadership Packages

Virtual CISO

from £1,500/month
1-2 days/month
Best for

Startups needing regular senior security input and leadership, without full operational involvement.

Flexible, remote security leadership; 1-2 days a month of senior oversight, direction and reporting.
What you get
  • 1-2 days/month of senior security input
  • Ownership of your security roadmap and priorities
  • Risk management and governance oversight
  • Customer, supplier and investor security support
  • Leadership-level reporting
Start with Virtual CISO ➜

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SCOPE

What's not included

  • Hands-on engineering, configuration or remediation work — We direct and prioritise; your team or IT provider carries out hands-on changes.
  • 24/7 SOC, monitoring or incident-response coverage — Ongoing monitoring and incident response are separate, specialist services.
  • Penetration testing or specialist technical testing — These can be commissioned separately where needed.
  • Formal legal, regulatory or certification advice — We identify relevant obligations; we do not provide legal opinions or carry out certification.
  • Full-time operational ownership beyond the agreed vCISO/fractional scope — Day-to-day operational security remains with your team; we provide leadership, direction and oversight within the agreed scope.

NEXT STEP

Related services

Secure Foundations

If the basic controls and policies still need to be put in place first

Commercial Readiness

For a focused push around a specific questionnaire or due-diligence request

Product & AI Security

For a deeper technical review of a specific product or AI feature

KEEP READING

Related insights

FOUNDERS ASK US

Security Leadership FAQs

What is a Fractional CISO, and do we need one instead of hiring?

A Fractional CISO gives you senior, CISO-level oversight, investor meeting attendance, and board-level reporting, without the cost or hiring timeline of a full-time senior hire. At Series A, investors increasingly expect a CISO-level function; your CTO is not your CISO. Our Security Leadership service fills that gap until the business is ready to hire one directly.


What's the difference between Virtual CISO and Fractional CISO here?

Virtual CISO gives you regular access to senior security expertise, 1-2 days a month, for businesses that need direction and oversight but limited operational involvement. Fractional CISO embeds that expertise into your leadership team for around a day a week, with active ownership of the security programme.


Can we start with Virtual CISO and move to Fractional CISO later?

Yes. Many founders start with lighter-touch oversight and increase involvement as the business grows, an upcoming funding round approaches, or the board starts expecting more formal reporting.


Will you actually attend board or investor meetings?

Yes, that's part of the service, particularly at the Fractional CISO tier, where board-level reporting and investor meeting attendance are included.


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Book a Discovery Call.

30 minutes, no obligation. We will talk through where you are, what is coming up, and what would actually help at your stage.

Book a discovery call