Fractional CISO services for startups
A fractional CISO gives you senior security leadership part-time: someone who owns your security and compliance outcomes without the cost of a full-time executive. For most startups, the trigger is simple. A customer, an investor, or an insurer asked a question you cannot yet answer.
The moment a fractional CISO earns their keep
An enterprise customer will not sign until you have SOC 2 or pass their security review.
A fundraise or acquisition put your security posture under diligence.
Your cyber-insurance renewal now requires controls you have not implemented.
You are the de facto security owner and it is pulling you off the product.
What a fractional CISO does for you
- Own your path to SOC 2 or ISO 27001, end to end.
- Answer security questionnaires and vendor reviews so deals keep moving.
- Review your cloud and infrastructure for the gaps an auditor or attacker finds first.
- Give your team and board a straight answer on where security actually stands.
Three steps from stalled to audit-ready
Scoping call
A 30-minute call to understand what triggered the need and what a good outcome looks like for you.
Gap assessment and plan
A clear, scored view of where you stand today and a prioritized plan to get audit-ready.
Ongoing retainer or fixed-scope engagement
Either a monthly retainer as your acting security leader, or a fixed-scope sprint to a specific outcome.
Xorabyte is founder-led by Arif Mohamed, a senior security engineer who has taken a company through SOC 2 end to end: scoping, control implementation, evidence collection, and auditor management, personally and solo. With over six years across security and infrastructure, engagements are delivered by someone who has configured the VPCs, managed the cloud resources, and sat through the audit, not summarized someone else's report.
Earlier experience at ISA Cybersecurity, one of Canada's largest security firms. Based in the Greater Toronto Area, working remotely with startups across Canada and the US.
Where a fractional CISO goes to work
SOC 2 readiness
The full path to audit-ready: scoping, controls, evidence, auditor management.
ISO 27001 readiness
ISMS scoping, risk assessment, Annex A controls, and certification audit prep.
Security questionnaire help
A blocked deal turned back into a moving deal, fast.
Cloud security review
The misconfigurations an auditor or attacker finds first, with clear fixes.
Pricing
Straight numbers for assessments, sprints, and retainers.
Fractional CISO FAQ
What is a fractional CISO?
A fractional CISO is a senior security leader who owns your security and compliance outcomes part-time, on a retainer, instead of as a full-time executive hire. You get the leadership and accountability of a CISO at a fraction of the cost, sized to a startup.
How is a fractional CISO different from a consultant?
A consultant hands you a report and leaves. A fractional CISO owns the outcome: they run your compliance program, answer your customers, face your auditors, and stay accountable for getting you audit-ready and keeping you there.
When should a startup hire a fractional CISO?
Most startups bring one in when a customer, investor, or insurer asks a security question they cannot yet answer: an enterprise deal blocked on SOC 2, fundraise diligence, a cyber-insurance requirement, or a security scare that made the risk real.
Who does the work at Xorabyte?
Xorabyte is founder-led. Engagements are delivered by a hands-on practitioner who has taken a company through SOC 2 end to end, personally and solo, from scoping through auditor sign-off. You work with the practitioner, not a bench.
Weighing the two options directly? See fractional CISO vs full-time CISO for a side-by-side on cost, scope, and accountability. Some teams call this a virtual CISO (vCISO); it is the same service.
Put a security leader in your corner.
Tell us what triggered the need. You leave the first call with a clear path, not a sales pitch.