Security operations leadership, on demand.
A part-time SOC Director to lead your security operations — whether in-house, outsourced to an MSSP or MDR provider, or somewhere in between. Clear strategy, measurable detection coverage and a team ready for the incident that matters.
A SOC is only as good as the leadership behind it.
Tools, analysts and outsourced services don’t add up to effective security operations on their own. Someone needs to decide what to detect, measure whether it works, hold providers to account and make sure the team is ready when it counts.
A Fractional SOC Director provides that leadership for the time you need it — grounded in how attackers actually operate, from experience across offensive security, threat intelligence and security operations.
When a Fractional SOC Director makes sense.
In-house SOC without a leader
An analyst team that needs direction, structure and a senior voice.
Outsourced to an MSSP or MDR
You need someone on your side to define requirements and hold the provider to account.
Building or re-shaping a SOC
Designing, building or transforming security operations — or changing provider.
Proving it works
Leadership and regulators want evidence your detection and response actually work.
Leadership across security operations.
SOC strategy & operating model
In-house, outsourced or hybrid — the right model, structure, processes and coverage for your risk.
MSSP & MDR oversight
Requirements, selection, contracts, service levels and ongoing performance management.
Detection engineering
A threat-informed, version-controlled detection programme, tested against real attacker behaviour.
Detection coverage
Coverage mapped to MITRE ATT&CK and prioritised against the threats most relevant to you.
Metrics & reporting
Meaningful measures — detection coverage, time to detect and respond, alert quality — reported to leadership.
Incident response readiness
Playbooks, escalation, exercises and leadership when a serious incident happens.
Tooling & platforms
Vendor-neutral advice on SIEM, XDR and automation, making the most of what you already have.
Team & hiring
Structure, shift models, development and recruitment for your security operations team.
Responsible AI in the SOC
Using AI to accelerate analysis and engineering — with human review and approval built in.
From threat to tested detection.
Where you run your own detection content, we bring a detection-as-code approach: detections treated like software — prioritised, version-controlled, tested and continuously improved.
Prioritise
Focus on the attacker behaviour most relevant to you.
Engineer
Build detections as reviewed, version-controlled code.
Validate
Test detections against emulated attacker behaviour.
Deploy
Release into your existing SIEM or XDR with controls.
Improve
Measure, tune and extend coverage over time.
From assessment to measurable improvement.
Days 1–30 · Assess
Current-state review of people, process, technology, providers and detection coverage.
Days 31–60 · Plan
Operating model, priorities, metrics and a roadmap agreed with leadership.
Days 61–90 · Improve
Quick wins delivered, reporting live and provider or team improvements under way.
Measure what proves your SOC works.
Detection coverage
How much of the relevant attacker behaviour you can actually detect.
Time to detect & respond
How quickly real threats are identified, contained and resolved.
Alert quality
False positive rates and the share of alerts that lead to action.
Validated detections
Detections proven to work through testing, not just assumed.
Flexible ways to engage.
Every engagement is shaped around what you need now — and can change as you grow.
Fractional
A set number of days each month, giving you continuity of senior leadership at a fraction of a full-time cost.
Interim
Full-time or near full-time cover between permanent hires, during a transformation or after a departure.
Project-based
A defined outcome — a regulatory readiness programme, a strategy, a capability build — with a clear end point.
Fractional SOC Director questions.
What is a Fractional SOC Director?
A part-time leader for your security operations — setting strategy, defining the operating model, improving detection and response, managing providers and reporting to leadership — without a full-time hire.
We outsource to an MSSP or MDR. Do we still need SOC leadership?
Yes. Outsourcing the work doesn’t outsource the accountability. A SOC Director defines what you need, measures whether the provider delivers it and makes sure the service reflects your risks.
Which SIEM and XDR platforms do you work with?
Our advice is vendor-neutral. We commonly work with Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, Splunk and Elastic Security, subject to your environment.
Can you help us choose or change provider?
Yes. We can define requirements, run a selection, support contract negotiation and manage the transition.
How do you use AI in security operations?
AI can speed up analysis, drafting and tuning. We build in governance so engineers verify AI output and authorised people approve changes to production.
How many days a month is typical?
It depends on the size and maturity of your operations. Many engagements start with more time during the first 90 days, then settle into a regular monthly rhythm.
Need security operations leadership?
Tell us about your SOC, team or provider and what you need it to achieve.