What a fractional CISO actually costs.
Most firms in this market hide their pricing behind a "contact us for a quote" form. We don't. Below are the real, published numbers for every TinBOX engagement — the same figures you'd get on a call, shown up front so you can decide whether to have that call at all.
The short answer: the Advisory Retainer — coordinated CISO, CIO, CTO and CPO leadership — starts at $4,500/mo. A standalone Technology Strategy Assessment is a fixed $9,000. For comparison, the typical loaded cost of one full-time CISO alone is $250,000+ per year.
Advisory Retainer — three tiers, by the hour
Tiers are defined by monthly hours across all four disciplines, not by which roles are involved. What changes as you move up is capacity, not coverage. Full detail on each tier is on the Advisory Retainer page.
Essentials
Starting at · Privacy added at Growth
Structured executive leadership across security, IT, and technology strategy for organizations below the thresholds that trigger formal privacy obligations.
Growth
Starting at · All four disciplines
Full four-discipline coverage with a monthly advisory session, compliance framework mapping, and a quarterly business review.
Full Stack
Starting at · All four disciplines
Continuous senior oversight, board-ready reporting each quarter, and standing 24×7 incident escalation access.
The assessment, M&A diligence, and board briefings
Not every engagement is ongoing. These are fixed or scoped separately from the retainer.
Technology Strategy Assessment
A 2–3 week review across infrastructure, security posture, and operations, with the full leadership team involved. Closes with a scored report and a live presentation. Most Advisory Retainer clients start here.
M&A Technology & Security Due Diligence
From a $5,000 Pre-LOI Technical Screening up to the $30,000+ Full Diligence Package covering technology and security due diligence in one coordinated engagement, led by a CTO and CISO.
Board Cyber Risk / IT Strategy Briefing
An independent quarterly briefing delivered directly to your board — either cyber risk or IT and digital strategy. Works alongside your existing internal CISO or CIO, not in place of them.
Incident Response Retainer
Layers onto an existing Advisory Retainer, locking in a priority hourly rate before an incident happens instead of negotiating one during it. Rate improves at higher retainer tiers.
Projects & Assessments — by category
Every project on the full catalog is scoped and priced to a specific outcome. Here's the range by category; individual engagement pricing is on the catalog page.
| Category | Typical range | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Technology Strategy | $6,500–$7,500+ | Digital Transformation Roadmap, AI Policy & Governance Framework, Data Strategy Assessment |
| IT Operations & Delivery | $5,000–$10,500 | ITSM Design, Vendor/SaaS Rationalization, MSP Contract Management, BC/DR Planning |
| Security, Privacy & Compliance | $4,000–$18,000+ | Security Risk Assessment, Privacy Program Build, SOC 2 / ISO 27001 Readiness, CMMC Readiness, HIPAA Assessment |
| Engineering & Cloud | $4,500–$8,000+ | Cloud Migration Planning, DevSecOps Assessment, Cloud Architecture Review, AI-Generated Code Quality Audit |
| Proposal & Bid Support | Scoped on request | Technical proposal review and compliance narrative support |
Pricing, answered directly
How much does a fractional CISO cost?
TinBOX's fractional CISO coverage starts at $4,500/mo as part of the Essentials Advisory Retainer tier, which includes 4 hours of vCISO time monthly alongside vCIO and vCTO coverage. Standalone security engagements, like a Security Risk Assessment, start at $7,500. A full-time CISO typically carries a loaded cost of $250,000 or more per year, so a fractional retainer is usually a fraction of that for organizations that don't yet need a full-time hire.
What is included in TinBOX's Advisory Retainer tiers?
The Advisory Retainer has three tiers, each defined by monthly hours rather than which roles are involved. Essentials ($4,500/mo, 10 hours) covers vCISO, vCIO, and vCTO; privacy (vCPO) is added once the client crosses regulatory thresholds. Growth ($8,500/mo, 23 hours) is the most common tier and includes all four disciplines plus a monthly advisory session and compliance framework mapping. Full Stack ($16,000/mo, 43 hours) adds board-ready reporting and 24x7 incident escalation access.
How much does a Technology Strategy Assessment cost?
TinBOX's Technology Strategy Assessment is a fixed fee of $9,000. It is a 2–3 week review across infrastructure, security posture, and operations, covering all four executive disciplines, and closes with a scored report and a live presentation. Most Advisory Retainer engagements begin with this assessment rather than a sales call.
What does M&A technology due diligence cost?
TinBOX's M&A due diligence engagements range from $5,000 for a Pre-LOI Technical Screening up to a Full Diligence Package starting at $30,000, which combines technology and security due diligence into one coordinated engagement led by a CTO and CISO. Individual buy-side services like Technology Due Diligence (from $18,000) and Security & Cyber Due Diligence (from $14,000) can also be scoped separately.
How much does a board cyber risk briefing cost?
TinBOX's Board Advisory briefings, covering either cyber risk or IT and digital strategy, are priced at $5,200 per quarter ($20,800 annualized), with a minimum term of 4 quarters to match board meeting cadence. Each quarter includes an independent assessment, a board-ready presentation delivered personally, and a written summary report.
Is a fractional CISO cheaper than hiring a full-time CISO?
Usually, yes, for companies not yet at the scale that justifies a full in-house executive. The typical loaded cost of one full-time CISO is $250,000 or more per year. TinBOX's Advisory Retainer, which covers CISO, CIO, CTO, and CPO leadership together rather than one role alone, starts at $4,500/mo ($54,000/yr) and scales up to $16,000/mo ($192,000/yr) for full four-discipline coverage at a deeper hourly commitment.
Still not sure which tier fits?
Most engagements start with the Technology Strategy Assessment, not a sales call. It's the fastest way to get a scoped, accurate number for your specific environment.
Book the Technology Strategy Assessment →