Cybersecurity strategy for Australian organisations — led by a Fractional CIO, not a report writer.
One of three capabilities inside our Fractional CIO practice. Risk-led strategy, architecture, Essential Eight uplift and incident readiness from an operator who has run security programmes inside enterprise IT.
Sydney operating base · On-site across NSW · Remote across Australia
What you get out of it
- A defensible cybersecurity strategy your board will actually understand
- A prioritised roadmap mapped to Essential Eight, ISO 27001 and CPS 234
- A risk register that survives an audit and a due-diligence request
- Practical incident response readiness — not a shelf-ware plan
- A vendor-neutral view on your existing stack: keep, replace, retire
- Ongoing advisory that stays with you between the big projects
How we work with you
Cyber strategy on a page
A board-ready one-pager tying every control we recommend back to a business risk, an owner and a measurable outcome.
Essential Eight maturity uplift
Baseline your current maturity level, target the right level for your risk appetite, and sequence the uplift work so nothing stalls.
ISO 27001 readiness
Gap analysis against Annex A, an SoA you can defend, and the ISMS artefacts an assessor expects — without the theatre.
Third-party risk (TPRM)
A right-sized vendor risk framework. Tiered questionnaires, evidence requirements, contract clauses and review cadence.
Incident response readiness
A runbook that names who calls whom at 2am, tabletop exercises against realistic scenarios, and OAIC breach-notification workflow.
CISO advisory retainer
A senior voice in your board pack, executive team and technology decisions — fractional, monthly, without the enterprise salary line.
Why FORTE/CYBERx Advisory
Not another consulting firm. Former enterprise CIOs bringing operator-grade cyber and AI leadership to Australian SMEs.
One accountable CIO, not a panel
Cyber strategy, compliance and AI sit with one operator who has led technology inside banking, healthcare, higher education and government.
AI-ready, not AI-hyped
ISO 42001 practitioners. We secure the enterprise for AI before spinning up flashy tools. Frameworks first, tooling second.
Three capabilities, one programme
Cybersecurity strategy, ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 compliance, and AI consulting delivered as one plan with shared evidence and a single audit cycle.
Local, but not small
Sydney-based, delivering across NSW. On-site when it matters, remote-first when it does not.
Platform-augmented delivery
Every engagement includes FORTE/CYBERx platform access. Our consultants use it live in your board meetings — you keep using it after we leave.
Ready to scope this engagement?
Share the decision or constraint. A senior operator replies within one business day — no sales pod, no scripted discovery.
Pressure-test the decision in the Platform.
Run two full decision analyses free, compare practical paths and create a Decision Record and Tactical Plan.
Frequently asked
How is this different from a big-four cybersecurity practice?+
We’re former enterprise CIOs, not report-writers. You get the same operator who scoped the work in the room with your board — no offshore delivery pod, no slide-heavy final report, no upsell into implementation you didn’t ask for.
Do you cover Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle?+
Yes. Sydney is our operating base. We deliver on-site across Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and the Hunter, with remote delivery across Australia. On-site attendance is included where it materially strengthens discovery and executive workshops.
Do you resell products?+
No. We hold vendor relationships across the major security stacks (Microsoft, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Rapid7, Cisco, MDR partners) but we don’t take margins on product. Our advice is what it says.
Can you help us pass a client due-diligence questionnaire?+
Yes — this is one of the most common reasons SMEs engage us. We build a reusable evidence pack you can send in an afternoon, then work backwards to close any gaps a serious buyer will find.
How do you price cybersecurity advisory work?+
Fixed-scope engagements for defined work (strategy, ISO readiness, incident readiness) and monthly retainers for ongoing CISO advisory. Pricing is consultative — we scope after a discovery call.
What does an engagement include from the platform?+
Every consulting engagement includes FORTE/CYBERx platform access for your team. We use it live in your workshops to generate options, run scenarios and produce board-ready artefacts you keep.
Talk to a senior advisor
Tell us the decision, constraint or opportunity. A senior operator responds within one business day.