Fractional Security Leadership
Shellhex provides external security leadership for organisations that require experienced security oversight without hiring a full-time Chief Security Officer or Chief Information Security Officer. This service offers clients access to external security leadership, with Shellhex providing comprehensive security oversight and direction. Think of this as a C-Suite member without the overhead; Shellhex can provide the benefits of a security director without needing to conduct the operations internally.
These services combine information security leadership (CISO) with broader organisational security strategy (CSO) to help organisations design, implement, and maintain a mature security posture. This service operates on a monthly retainer basis and provides ongoing advisory, strategy, and governance support.
Strategic Role of the Service
Shellhex Fractional Security Leadership positions Shellhex as an organisation’s trusted external security authority. Clients receive experienced security leadership, an independent security perspective, structured security strategy, and access to professional testing capability—without the cost of hiring a full-time security executive.
We offer three tiers—Security Advisor (£2,000/month), Fractional CISO (£4,500/month), and Strategic Security Partner (£8,500/month)—each with clear deliverables and partner pricing on our Security Testing services. Full tier descriptions and pricing are on our Pricing page under the Security Leadership tab.
A Court Wizard for Your Business
Shellhex can become your trusted advisor on all things security. We’ll assess your technical supply chain as well as your operational security, and help you evaluate what infrastructure and organisation decisions won’t come back to bite you. We can look into technology companies you are considering working with, and evaluate if they are up to your organisation’s standards. During our weekly meetings, you can consult us on whatever topics are on your mind. During our time together, our goal is to become your complete right hand and be able to give you straight advice that others might shy away from.
Core Contractual Terms
To ensure clarity and sustainability of the service, the following terms apply.
Minimum Commitment
Fractional security leadership requires familiarity with the organisation’s systems, staff, and risk environment. A minimum engagement period of 6 months is recommended. At minimum, 3 months is required.
Partner Pricing Eligibility
Discounted testing pricing is only available to active retainer clients. If a subscription is cancelled, partner pricing eligibility ends immediately. This prevents short-term subscriptions purely for discounted testing.
Scope of Advisory
These services provide security leadership, strategic advice, and oversight. They do not include:
- Continuous monitoring services
- Security operations centre (SOC) services
- Managed detection and response
- Implementation work beyond advisory scope
Technical implementation or remediation work is quoted separately where required.
Availability
The retainer provides priority advisory access but does not constitute unlimited availability. Work requiring significant time or project effort will be scoped separately.
Testing Discounts
Testing discounts apply to standard Shellhex testing services but may not apply to unusually large or highly specialised engagements. Such engagements may be quoted separately where necessary.