Fractional CISO & CTO Leadership for Mid-Size Companies
Your MSP or IT team operates and supports technology. InformaStorm helps leadership decide what technology should do, which risks matter, and where investment belongs.
Senior technology and security accountability, without another full-time executive
InformaStorm provides fractional CISO, fractional CTO/vCIO, and executive technology-risk leadership for organizations that need senior accountability without another full-time executive. Engagements are led directly by Solomon Smith and are designed to work alongside existing IT teams, MSPs, security staff, legal/compliance leaders, and executives. The role is not to replace the people operating technology day to day. It is to help leadership decide what technology should do, which risks matter most, where investment belongs, how vendors should be governed, and what executives or the Board need to know.
When a Fractional CISO or CTO Makes Sense
A fractional executive model can be a strong fit when the organization has capable technical staff but lacks consistent senior leadership across technology, cybersecurity, data, AI, and risk. Common reasons organizations engage InformaStorm include:
- Board or customer scrutiny is increasing
- Security and technology priorities are not aligned
- AI adoption is moving faster than governance
- SOC 2, HIPAA, customer, insurer, or regulatory expectations are growing
- Technology vendors and costs have become difficult to govern
- The organization needs stronger executive reporting and prioritization
- A full-time CISO, CTO, or CIO is not justified yet
- An existing IT leader needs executive-level support for strategy, risk, and governance
What a Fractional CISO Can Own
Depending on scope, fractional CISO leadership may include:
- Cybersecurity strategy and roadmap
- Enterprise and cyber risk reporting
- Board and executive reporting
- Security-program prioritization
- SOC 2 and compliance readiness
- Third-party and vendor risk
- Resilience and incident-readiness oversight
- Cyber-insurance preparation
- Security policy and governance
- Coordination with IT, MSPs, legal, privacy, audit, and business leaders
What a Fractional CTO or vCIO Can Own
Fractional CTO/vCIO leadership may include:
- Technology strategy and roadmap
- Architecture and platform decisions
- AI and automation strategy (see AI Governance)
- Data governance and technology operating model
- Vendor and licensing strategy
- Technology-cost optimization
- IT organization and staffing design
- Prioritization of major technology investments
- Executive communication and decision support
- Oversight of MSPs and key technology providers
How This Differs From an MSP
An MSP typically operates and supports technology. InformaStorm provides executive leadership around strategy, risk, governance, priorities, accountability, and business value.
Your MSP or internal IT team may manage systems, tickets, networks, endpoints, cloud platforms, or daily operations. InformaStorm helps leadership decide whether those services are aligned to the business, whether risks are understood, whether investments are justified, and whether executives and the Board are receiving the right information.
Led by Solomon Smith
Fractional CISO and CTO engagements are led directly by Solomon Smith, Founder & CEO of InformaStorm. Solomon brings executive experience across cybersecurity, technology, enterprise risk, privacy, data, and governance, with a business-first approach to technology leadership. About InformaStorm
Best Fit
InformaStorm is best suited for mid-size organizations that already have an internal IT team, MSP, or technical leaders but need stronger executive-level leadership and accountability across cybersecurity, technology, data, AI, governance, and risk.
How Engagements Work
Engagements are tailored to the organization's needs and may begin with a focused assessment, roadmap, or executive advisory engagement before moving into an ongoing fractional role. A typical model may include:
- Establish priorities, risk, and current-state understanding
- Define a practical roadmap
- Clarify ownership and decision rights
- Establish executive and Board reporting
- Govern vendors, programs, and major decisions
- Maintain a recurring operating cadence with leadership
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fractional CISO?
A fractional CISO provides senior cybersecurity leadership on a part-time or retained basis. The role typically includes risk prioritization, security strategy, executive and Board reporting, governance, vendor oversight, and coordination with internal IT or external providers.
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO provides executive technology leadership without a full-time hire. The role can include technology strategy, architecture, AI adoption, data governance, vendor management, cost optimization, operating-model design, and investment prioritization.
How is a fractional CISO or CTO different from an MSP?
An MSP generally operates and supports technology. A fractional executive provides leadership, strategy, governance, risk ownership, prioritization, and executive accountability. The two roles can work together.
When should a company hire a fractional CISO or CTO?
Common triggers include increasing customer or Board scrutiny, growing regulatory expectations, major technology change, AI adoption, security-program gaps, vendor sprawl, rising technology costs, or a need for executive leadership that does not justify a full-time role.
Can a fractional CISO or CTO work with our existing IT team?
Yes. The model is designed to strengthen existing teams and providers, not replace them. InformaStorm can help clarify priorities, roles, escalation, reporting, and accountability across internal and external technology resources.
Do you work with Boards and executives?
Yes. Executive and Board communication is a core part of the model, including translating technical issues into business risk, investment choices, and decisions leadership can act on.
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