Cybersecurity leadership, on demand.
Senior cybersecurity expertise without the full-time commitment. Executive-level security leadership that adapts as quickly as the threat landscape changes.
Through 6 or 12-month engagements, your Fractional CISO sets strategy, governs risk and compliance, and works alongside your operating team. Strategy meets execution, with a defined handoff at the end.
- CMMC
- PCI DSS
- HIPAA
- GDPR
- SOC 2
- ISO 27001
When companies bring in a Fractional CISO.
- Risk 01
Rapid growth or digital transformation
New systems, new data, new vendors. The security posture needs executive ownership before the audit shows up.
- Risk 02
Regulatory pressure
CMMC, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2. Compliance frameworks need senior leadership to interpret and translate to your environment.
- Risk 03
After a security event
Breaches, near-misses, or audit findings expose internal gaps. A Fractional CISO stabilizes the program and rebuilds trust with the board.
What a BTA Fractional CISO brings to your organization.
Strategy, governance, and execution oversight across the four pillars (Protect, Detect, Optimize, Observe).
- 01
Cybersecurity strategy
Comprehensive security roadmap aligned to business objectives, with risk priorities and resource allocation explicit.
- 02
Risk assessments and audits
Evaluate IT systems, applications, and processes. Identify vulnerabilities and recommend mitigation in measurable terms.
- 03
Security policy and governance
Frameworks that meet GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and CMMC. Policies your team can actually enforce.
- 04
Incident response and crisis management
Design and run incident response playbooks. Recover rapidly from breaches, ransomware, or other cyber incidents.
- 05
Data center and network security
Architect secure network environments that maintain performance under load.
- 06
Application security
Strengthen application-layer protection and reduce risk in system interactions.
- 07
Vendor and third-party risk
Assess and govern vendor relationships. Ensure secure integrations and compliance across the supply chain.
- 08
Employee training and awareness
Lead awareness programs that reduce risks from phishing, social engineering, and insider threats.
How a Fractional CISO engagement runs.
Defined duration, defined deliverables, defined handoff. Internal IT leadership owns Day-2 by close.
6-month or 12-month
Scoped to your needs. Project-based, retainer, or incident-specific.
Reports to your CEO or executive team. Integrates with internal IT, security, and compliance leads.
6-month engagement
- Security strategy and roadmap aligned to Protect, Detect, Optimize, Observe
- Risk assessment with prioritized remediation plan
- Compliance gap analysis (CMMC / PCI DSS / HIPAA / GDPR / SOC 2)
- Incident response playbook and tabletop exercise
- Board-ready security posture report
12-month engagement
- Everything in the 6-month scope
- Governance frameworks operating on a quarterly review cadence
- Vendor risk program established and operating
- Awareness program rollout with measured phishing-simulation outcomes
- Quantifiable risk-reduction metrics reported to the executive team
- Mentoring of internal security leads with a defined handoff plan
What Fractional CISO delivers.
Concrete, customer-side results we measure to.
- ↓Audit exposure across regulated frameworks
- FasterIncident response and containment
- OwnedRisk decisions at the executive level
- AuditGrade governance documentation
We're architects who execute.
Three principles every BTA engagement runs on. Visible in the work itself.
We architect, deploy, and stay through Day-2.
Every engagement is end-to-end. We design the target environment, deploy it in stages, and remain on hand through the operational handoff.
We train your team to own the outcome.
Training is part of every engagement. By the close of an engagement, your operators can run, maintain, and defend the system to an auditor.
We measure success when your team runs it alone.
An engagement closes when your team is operating the solution without us in the room. SIMPLE methodology enforces this exit criterion on every project.
We meet you where you are.
Some teams want the full BTA delivery from architecture to handoff. Others bring us in for a single advisory window or a fully managed operations contract. Pick the model that fits and adjust as the business changes.
Consulting & Advisory
Strategy and senior guidance. Architecture reviews, technology assessments, and roadmap design for teams that own their own operations.
Learn moreManaged Services
BTA runs the system day to day under your governance. Monitoring, change management, escalation paths, and SLAs for teams without Day-2 capacity.
Learn moreDeployment
Implementation-only engagement. Faster than the Full Service Lifecycle when the customer team will not own operations afterwards.
Learn moreOptimization
Refresh and refine an existing environment. Performance, automation, and refactor work for platforms already in production.
Learn moreEnablement
SIMPLE-driven Quickstart programs that deliver a specific Cisco capability into production on a known timeline.
Learn moreMentoring
Capability transfer for teams adopting a new platform. Pair-programming, custom training modules, and Cisco MINT-aligned curriculum.
Learn more
Fractional CISO, answered.
Direct answers from BTA leadership who run Fractional CISO engagements.
What does a Fractional CISO do?
A Fractional CISO provides executive-level cybersecurity leadership on a flexible engagement model. They oversee strategy, risk management, compliance, and incident response, giving your company senior expertise without the cost of a full-time hire.When should a company hire a Fractional CISO?
Companies often engage a Fractional CISO during periods of rapid growth, digital transformation, new regulatory demands, or after experiencing security issues that reveal internal gaps.How is the engagement structured?
Most engagements run 6 or 12 months. Time commitment scales to your needs (project-based, retainer, or incident-specific). The Fractional CISO reports to your CEO or executive team and integrates with internal IT, security, and compliance leads.What is the difference between a Fractional CISO and a Virtual CISO?
A Fractional CISO works as part of your leadership team, actively guiding strategy and implementation. A Virtual CISO typically serves in an advisory capacity and may operate entirely off-site.Can a Fractional CISO assist with compliance and audits?
Yes. BTA's Fractional CISOs are experienced in CMMC, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and SOC 2. They design governance policies, prepare documentation, and maintain audit readiness across IT and vendor environments.How is the service priced?
Pricing is project-based and tailored to scope, duration, and deliverables. Most organizations engage for senior cybersecurity leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CISO.What happens when the engagement ends?
The Fractional CISO mentors your internal security leads through the handoff. From there, BTA stays available through Consulting & Advisory or Fully Managed Services if you want continued involvement.
Schedule a call. We’ll scope it in 30 minutes.
Bring your hardest architecture problem. We’ll tell you what we’d do, what it costs, and how long it takes.
- 30-minute scoping call
- 1,000+ projects shipped
- Training in every engagement