Find experienced Chief Information Security Officers in Germany matched in minutes from 15,000 CVs with the power of AI
Interim security leadership, ISO 27001 programs, cloud and identity risk, incident response, and board-ready security reporting. Get fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers.
About the role
Security leadership
A Chief Information Security Officer sets the security direction and turns risk into clear action. The work covers policy, governance, stakeholder alignment, and decisions that protect business continuity without slowing delivery.
- Define security strategy and priorities
- Build governance, policies, and controls
- Align IT, legal, compliance, and leadership
- Report risk in board-ready language
Typical deliverables
Companies bring in a CISO to lead programs that need structure and momentum. That can mean launching a security roadmap, preparing for an audit, improving incident response, or resetting ownership after growth, cloud migration, or a security event.
- Security roadmap and target operating model
- Risk register and control plan
- Incident response playbooks and crisis routines
- Executive reporting and decision papers
Core skills
Strong Chief Information Security Officers combine technical depth with calm leadership. They understand IAM, endpoint security, network defense, cloud controls, data protection, and vendor risk, but they also know how to speak to finance, product, and the board.
They are good at prioritizing trade-offs, setting standards, and getting teams to follow them. Experience with ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIS2, privacy requirements, and security awareness work is often central, especially in regulated environments.
Tools and focus areas
The day-to-day stack depends on the company, but common areas include SIEM, EDR, IAM, vulnerability management, GRC tools, and cloud security platforms. A freelance CISO may also support third-party assessments, security architecture reviews, and internal policy refreshes.
In Germany, companies often look for support that fits local compliance needs, multilingual teams, and close work with works councils, auditors, or headquarters abroad. Remote work is common, but on-site sessions can help with workshops, incident drills, and executive alignment.
When freelance makes sense
A freelance CISO is a strong choice when the role is needed now, but not yet as a full-time hire. This is common after funding, during transformation, before a certification project, after a breach, or while replacing a permanent security leader.
- You need interim security leadership
- You are building a security program from scratch
- You need help for an audit, review, or remediation plan
- You want senior advice without a long hiring process
What strong people bring
The best Chief Information Security Officers are decisive, practical, and hard to shake under pressure. They do not only write policies. They make security work across real teams, real deadlines, and real constraints.
Look for clear judgment, clean communication, and the ability to translate technical issues into business risk. Good freelancers also leave behind usable documents, defined owners, and a plan that can keep moving after they step back.
Meet FRATCH Chief Information Security Officers
Flamur Abdyli
Fractional Chief Information Security Officer
Last position:
Fractional Chief Information Security Officer at VR Smart Guide GmbH
- Enhance and develop the Information Security Management System (ISMS) in compliance with ISO 27001 and TISAX standards by continuously updating and refining the ISMS to align with evolving global standards.
- Ensure that security practices and policies are integrated into all business processes to achieve and maintain certifications.
- Lead the effort to identify, evaluate and mitigate risks across the organization, setting benchmarks for security measures.
- Oversee and refine security processes, with an emphasis on incident management and rapid response by developing and enforcing policies for rapid detection, investigation and remediation of security incidents.
- Train and lead the incident response team to handle breaches effectively, minimizing impact and ensuring swift recovery.
- Implement continuous monitoring solutions to detect and respond to threats in real time.
- Conduct comprehensive security assessments for internal and external IT projects, ensuring adherence to GDPR, DORA and other relevant standards.
- Oversee security evaluations for all IT projects to ensure they comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
- Integrate security measures from the planning phase through deployment to ensure all projects uphold the organization’s security standards.
- Collaborate with project teams to address findings and ensure that security risks are managed effectively.
- Serve as the principal security advisor to the IT department and senior management, offering insights on potential security challenges.
- Facilitate a culture of security awareness throughout the organization through training and regular communication.
- Lead security initiatives that align with the organization’s long-term strategic goals.
- Establish and oversee a robust third-party risk management framework to mitigate external security threats by regularly assessing third-party security practices and compliance and developing contingency plans and mitigation strategies.
- Provide regular updates and security briefings to the executive leadership and relevant committees, highlighting recent security incidents, responses, lessons learned and recommending strategic improvements.
Peter Weileder
Program and Project Manager / Internal Auditor / CISO
Last position:
ISO 27001 Auditor for health insurance archive system at Health insurance company
The replacement of the existing archive system (document management system – DMS) on a host-based platform is well advanced.
The internal audit is meant to ensure the company's quality standards.
GDPR
ISO 27001 ff.
BSI
DORA
Patient data regulations
Host / Cloud / S3 / Container / highly scalable / Nuxeo
Budget: 50,000
Team: 1
Ekrem Tunclar
Trainee Auditor ISO27001
Last position:
Trainee Auditor ISO27001 at GUT Certifizierungsgesellschaft für Managementsysteme mbH
- Clients: SMEs and public organizations
Simone Amoroso
Head of Technology & CISO
Last position:
Head of Technology & CISO at AI Quality and Testing Hub
- Lead developer of Prof. Valmed, the first LLM-powered medical device (utilising RAG on a medical corpus of 2.5M+ documents) to receive a CE certification.
- Designed and implemented cloud-native MLOps infrastructure for ENBW’s energy trading analytics division, enabling scalable deployment and monitoring of predictive models.
- Architected end-to-end testing and validation frameworks for AI/ML systems, ensuring quality, compliance, and robustness in critical and regulated applications.
- Conducted professional training on AI testing, EU regulatory frameworks, and quality assurance for production AI systems.
Kevin Engelhardt
CISO as a Service
Last position:
CISO as a Service at Joint Venture International Insurance
- Leading security operations and governance, ensuring continuous ISO 27001 conformity
- Enabling the secure integration of SaaS and AI tools across the organisation
- Driving AI strategy and governance to ensure responsible and compliant adoption
Robert Fox
Senior / Executive Interim CIO / CTO & CISO
Last position:
Technology & Security Executive
Transformational leadership at the intersection of business strategy and technology innovation
Managed technology transformations with budgets up to €150M (OPEX & CAPEX)
Led multinational teams of 50-150 professionals across various industries
Directed enterprise-wide security programs and digital transformation initiatives
Orchestrated successful M&A integrations, carve-outs and crisis management
Executed large-scale transition programs for global organizations
Security excellence: advanced implementation of ISO27001, NIS2, TISAX, DORA, ISMS frameworks, among others
Digital innovation: cloud transformation, AI security integration, IoT/Industry 4.0
Infrastructure expertise: enterprise architecture, network security, data center optimization
Program management: PMI, PRINCE2, ITIL, ITSM methodologies
Risk management: cyber resilience, compliance, business continuity
Strategic vision: translating complex technical challenges into business opportunities
Change leadership: guiding organizations through digital evolution and security transformation
Crisis management: rapid response and recovery in high-pressure situations
Stakeholder engagement: building consensus across the C-suite, boards and global teams
Innovative mindset: quick adaptation to emerging technologies and market demands
Global perspective: extensive international experience and multicultural sensitivity
Talent development: mentoring and building high-performance technical teams
Knowledge transfer: effective communication of complex concepts at all levels
Solution focus: pragmatic problem solving with strategic long-term vision
Relationship building: strong stakeholder management and executive presence
Bilingual: English (native), German (business level)
Strategic thinking combined with meticulous attention to detail
Results-driven with a service-oriented approach
Analytical mindset with creative problem-solving skills
Diplomatic leadership style enriched by strategic humor
Industry experience: financial services, banking & insurance, energy & utilities, automotive & engineering, healthcare & life sciences, technology & telecommunications
Ralf Lembke
Chief Information Security Officer
Last position:
Chief Information Security Officer at Stadtwerke Krefeld Holding AG
- Building an information security management system for the entire group
- Supporting 2 KRITIS subsidiaries
Volker Jung
Interim CISO (Germany, Austria, US, APAC), Auditor
Last position:
Interim CISO (Germany, Austria, US, APAC), Auditor at Vetter Pharma-Fertigung GmbH & Co. KG
- Planned and initiated BIA/BCM assessment to identify risk mitigation measures and process optimization, and provide risk transparency to the general management
- Evaluated KRITIS/NIS-2 status and implemented requirements
- Created comprehensive digital roadmap and ISO 27001/NIS-2/Data Privacy KRITIS roadmap
- Enhanced crisis management process and documentation
- Integrated information security clauses into customer and supplier contracts to ensure compliance with internal and regulatory requirements
- Ensured organizational readiness for audits by the Landesbehörde für Aufsicht (LBA) and supported audit processes
- Improved asset management processes and classification of sensitive data to strengthen overall security
- Planned and ordered regular penetration tests (internal, external) to identify vulnerabilities and improve security measures
- Performed compliance checks against EU CER requirements and reporting
- Created management status and risk reports to ensure transparent communication of risks and security posture
- Managed registration with the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and provided ongoing status updates
- Conducted risk assessment of supply chain, enhanced evaluation and reporting processes
- Improved IT/OT network segmentation to enhance security and reduce potential audit risks
- Strengthened cyber resilience by proactive measures and enhanced security frameworks and KPI reporting
- Onboarded SIEM/SOC/EDR to improve cybersecurity monitoring and response
- Planned and conducted awareness trainings for employees, administrators, and management
- Enhanced incident reporting processes to ensure timely and accurate reporting of cybersecurity events
- Created AI policy in cooperation with the Legal department to secure use and governance of Artificial Intelligence within the organization
- Scoped and implemented ISO 27001:2022 requirements as part of the Information Security Management System
- Served as interim InfoSec team lead
- Introduced information security to global KAM and Sales organization
- Improved admission and access management including privileged access
- Conducted internal audits in collaboration with internal audit department
Christian Gebhardt
Deputy Chief Information Security Officer
Last position:
Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Gothaer Solutions GmbH
- Deputy lead of the 10-member information security management team in a highly regulated environment (DORA, VAIT, BAIT)
- Direct reporting lines to the CIO of the Gothaer Group and the management board of Gothaer Solutions
- Regular member of the Group Risk Committee and the Compliance Committee
- Managing and coordinating information security processes within the company and with IT service providers
- Leading task forces for handling information security incidents
- Contributing to IT emergency and business continuity management
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Chief Information Security Officers statistics
Typical experience
14 years
Average project duration
2.9 years
Certifications per freelancer
9
Top business areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Audit
Top industries
Information Technology, Energy, Insurance
Most common languages
English, German, Spanish
Bachelor's degree or higher
80%
Master's degree or higher
60%
Doctorate
20%
Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Chief Information Security Officers & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions? See our quick guide to FRATCH
A Chief Information Security Officer sets the security agenda, manages risk, and guides the company through governance, policies, and incident readiness. In freelance form, the role often focuses on interim leadership, program setup, audit preparation, or recovery after a security issue. The work is usually hands-on at the strategy level, not just advisory.
A freelance CISO makes sense when you need senior security leadership now, but not yet on a permanent basis. This is common during growth, restructuring, cloud migration, or after a breach, when the company needs direction before a full hire is in place. It also helps when the scope is temporary, such as an ISO 27001 project or a security reset.
A strong Chief Information Security Officer combines governance, technical understanding, and leadership. Core strengths include risk management, incident response, IAM, cloud security, vendor risk, and the ability to brief executives clearly. In many companies, familiarity with ISO 27001, SOC 2, privacy requirements, and security awareness programs is also important.
Not exactly. A CISO owns the security direction, risk decisions, and executive alignment, while a security manager may run parts of the program and a security architect focuses more on technical design. In some smaller companies, one person may cover several of these areas, but the responsibilities are still different.
Start with scope, authority, and timing. Ask which risks the Chief Information Security Officer will own, which teams they need access to, and what decisions they can make without delay. It also helps to clarify whether the main goal is governance, remediation, audit readiness, or incident support.
Both models work, and the right setup depends on the project. Many CISO tasks can be handled remotely, including policy work, reporting, and planning, but workshops, incident drills, and leadership alignment often benefit from on-site time in Germany. Companies with local audit or works council touchpoints may also prefer a hybrid setup.
Look for evidence that the person can reduce risk and create structure, not just talk about security. A strong Chief Information Security Officer shows clear decision-making, practical plans, and documents that others can actually use. References, crisis experience, and examples of working with boards, auditors, and technical teams are useful signals.
Typical deliverables include a security roadmap, policy set, risk register, incident response playbooks, and executive reporting. Depending on the assignment, the CISO may also support audit remediation, supplier assessments, or security operating model design. The key is that the work leaves the company with clearer ownership and a usable plan.
The average hourly rate for Chief Information Security Officers in Germany is 146 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 1,169 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Chief Information Security Officers in Germany, 80% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 60% hold at least a Master's degree, and 20% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as Chief Information Security Officers in Germany have 14 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.9 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Chief Information Security Officers in Germany are English (100%), German (89%), and Spanish (11%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Chief Information Security Officers in Germany are Information Technology (89%), Energy (78%), and Insurance (56%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Chief Information Security Officers in Germany are Information Technology (100%), Project Management (89%), and Audit (56%).
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
