Call
A short conversation on what buyers, insurers, or the board are asking.
Fractional CISO · GRC & Assessments
Security leadership sized for growing companies — not enterprise theater.
Eldritch Security helps SMBs and mid-market teams with fractional CISO support, compliance programs, and risk assessments. DFW-based. Remote-ready.
15+ years cybersecurity leadership
MBA & M.S. (Cybersecurity & Information Assurance)
CISSP · CISA · CEH · CHFI
Financial services & healthcare
NIST CSF · SOC 2 · PCI DSS · HIPAA
DFW-based · Remote-ready
Not an MSP.
We don’t sell managed IT, helpdesk, or 24/7 monitoring — so you’re not dependent on us for day-to-day subscriptions to keep the lights on. Assessments and GRC stay independent: we don’t audit our own stack or tool sales. You keep your IT or MSP for operations; we cover the security leadership layer.
Why Growing Companies Call
Seven Reasons Leadership Needs a Named Security Owner
Enterprise customers are asking harder questions.
Security questionnaires and vendor reviews now expect a named owner and evidence — not “we take security seriously.” Fractional vCISO coverage gives you that owner without a full-time hire.
Cyber insurance got stricter.
Applications and renewals dig into controls, MFA, backups, and response plans. Assessments and GRC work turn those into an honest readiness picture instead of last-minute scrambling.
Ransomware hits SMBs hardest as a share of breaches.
Verizon’s 2025 DBIR found ransomware present in 88% of SMB breaches vs 39% at large enterprises. Leadership needs a prioritized roadmap, not a tool catalog.
Breach cost can threaten the business.
Verizon’s 2026 Breach Impact Study notes SMB claim impacts can reach ~7% of annual revenue in extreme cases (median nearer ~$38K; extremes matter). Assessments clarify what to fix first.
You need to build a security program, not just buy tools.
Policies, owners, evidence, and a funded roadmap turn ad-hoc fixes into a program buyers and insurers can trust. We help you develop that program at your stage — without enterprise theater.
High Level Security Leadership.
Boards, buyers, and insurers want senior strategy and clear communication — not a full-time CISO hire before you’re ready. Fractional coverage fills that leadership seat.
Cookie-cutter frameworks waste budget.
Enterprise firms often drop a generic control set. We size programs to your stage, buyers, and risk appetite.
Process
How We Engage
Short path from first call to a working cadence — no long sales theater.
Written Scope
Clear deliverables and boundaries in writing — not an open-ended hourly dump.
Kickoff
Access, stakeholders, and priorities set so work starts in days, not months.
Cadence
Retainer or project rhythm for board updates, questionnaires, and roadmap follow-through.
Comparison
Boutique Consulting vs Enterprise-Focused Firms
What changes when the firm is built for SMBs and mid-market — not Fortune 500 retainers.
| Eldritch (Boutique) | Enterprise-Focused Firms | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Scoped to SMB / mid-market budgets — no Big Firm minimums or $300K FTE default. | High retainers; junior leverage under a partner brand. |
| Attention | Direct access to the person doing the work. | Account manager plus rotated analysts. |
| Personalization | Roadmaps and programs sized to your buyers and stage. | Cookie-cutter frameworks and playbooks. |
| Speed | Kickoff in days; written scope after a short call. | Long sales cycles and heavy SOW process. |
| Fit | SMBs and growth companies (healthcare, financial services, professional services). | Large enterprises with mature security orgs. |
| What We Don’t Sell | Not an MSP and not 24/7 SOC theater on the advisory side. | Often bundles monitoring, tools, and bench hours. |
When you need an SOC or MSP, we’ll say so — and stay in the advisory lane.
Services
How We Help
Fractional vCISO
Named security leadership without a full-time hire.
Learn More →GRC & Assessments
Programs, evidence, maturity picture, and a practical roadmap.
Learn More →Engagement Shapes
How Work Is Packaged
Retainer
Ongoing fractional CISO or GRC cadence: roadmap ownership, board/buyer communication, and steady program progress.
Assessment / Project
Fixed-scope maturity or gap work with a prioritized roadmap leadership can fund.
Advisory
Targeted help on questionnaires, insurance readiness, or a specific decision — without a full retainer.
Pricing Philosophy
Engagements are scoped after discovery — not Big Firm minimums or a default full-time hire. You get a written scope with clear deliverables. We stay in the advisory lane; when you need an MSP or SOC, we’ll say so.
About
Led by Stephen Zawolik
Board-ready risk reporting, GRC, and assessments for healthcare, financial services, and professional services.
Insights
Operator Notes for Growing Companies
Short, blunt, SMB-focused — not a content mill.
MSP Incentives vs Security
Many MSPs optimize for ticket speed and uptime SLAs. Information security controls often lose to efficiency and margin. Growing companies need named security ownership (fractional CISO / GRC) — not only a break-fix stack.
Break-Fix vs Growth-Ready
Technology strategy built only for break-fix keeps you dependent on the support queue. Programs designed for growth and stability — roadmap, evidence, risk priorities — compound. Firefighting doesn’t.
Questionnaires and Insurance Expect a Named Owner
Enterprise buyers and cyber insurers increasingly want a named security owner and evidence — not “we take security seriously.” If that ownership is missing, fractional vCISO coverage fills the gap, or start a conversation.
FAQ
Quick Answers
Are you an MSP?
No. Fractional CISO and GRC consulting only — not managed IT, helpdesk, or 24/7 monitoring.
How does cost work?
Scoped after a short discovery call. Retainers and projects get a written scope — not Big Firm minimums or open-ended hourly dumps.
Who does the work?
You work with the principal — direct access to the person doing the work, not a rotated junior bench under a partner brand.
How soon can we start?
Short call, then a written scope. Kickoff is typically measured in days, not months.
Do you certify us (SOC 2 / HIPAA)?
We prepare programs and evidence so you can face audits and buyers with confidence. An independent auditor certifies — we stay on the advisory side.
Where do you work?
DFW-based. Offering both remote and onsite engagements.
Can you work alongside our MSP or IT team?
Yes. Ops keeps the lights on; we own strategy, risk priorities, and stakeholder communication.
Statistics cited on this site: Verizon DBIR 2025 (ransomware in 88% of SMB breaches vs 39% at large enterprises); Verizon Breach Impact Study 2026 (~7% of annual revenue in extreme SMB claim cases; median nearer ~$38K); Huntress Cyber Insurance Trends 2025 (56% of companies with fewer than 50 employees carry cyber insurance).
Community / Home & SOHO
Home Network Security for Neighbors, Not Just Boards
Cyber risk to SOHO and individual households is rising — scams, insecure ISP routers, always-on devices — while most security firms only chase enterprises. Eldritch addresses that gap with practical UniFi gateway installs for neighbors who want a hardened home network without enterprise theater.
Explore Home Network →Questions from Your Board, Buyers, or Auditors?
Tell us what you need. We’ll respond with a clear next step.