Your IT is a General Practitioner.
We’re the Cybersecurity Specialist.

For small businesses that have IT support but need dedicated security leadership.

Book Your 15-Min Chat

No Scare Tactics

We don’t believe in fear-based marketing like inflated statistics, imaginary ROI math, or meaningless flashy dashboards.

Small businesses deserve honest guidance and security decisions that make sense in the real world.

Services At A Glance

Two Ways to Work With Us

The Health Check

Best for businesses needing a clear picture of their current cybersecurity posture.

A one-time cybersecurity assessment built to show leadership where the business stands today.

What you get:

  • Leadership and IT discovery sessions
  • Review of core security controls
  • Staff security questionnaire
  • Executive summary of key findings
  • Technical findings for IT
  • Prioritized remediation roadmap

The Partner

Best for businesses that need ongoing, long-term security leadership.

A monthly security leadership retainer for organizations that need continued oversight after the initial assessment (vCISO services).

Includes:

  • Recurring strategy and review meetings
  • Remediation tracking and follow-up
  • Policy and governance support
  • Compliance and cyber insurance readiness guidance
  • Vendor and software risk review
  • Ongoing security program oversight

Built for Busy Teams

What Working With Us Looks Like

We keep the process structured and manageable so you can get the information you need without dragging your team through a months-long engagement.

1. Discover

We meet with leadership and IT to understand your operations and current responsibilities.

2. Review

We examine core practices, documentation, and staff habits.

3. Deliver

We present findings clearly, ensuring both leadership and IT have a roadmap for the future.

Your Time Commitment:

Two 1-hour leadership conversations, a few short worksheets, a 5-minute staff survey, and a 60-minute findings review.

Why Us?

Why Smoky Mountains Cybersecurity?

We are built for small and midsized businesses that need serious cybersecurity guidance without enterprise-level complexity or MSP-style checkbox security.

10+ Years Working with SMB Clients

We understand the real-world constraints small businesses operate under, including lean teams, limited budgets, and day-to-day operational pressure.

Clear Communication for Leadership

We write for business owners and decision-makers, not just technical staff. That means clear explanations, practical recommendations, and less time spent translating IT language.

Built to Work Alongside Your IT Team or MSP

We do not replace your existing IT support. We fill the cybersecurity leadership and risk management role that usually gets pushed aside when internal teams are focused on day-to-day operations.

Aligned to Industry Security Standards

Our recommendations are grounded in the CIS Controls, giving you a practical framework for improving security without overengineering the process.

We Wrote the Book on Small Business Cybersecurity.

Literally.

I’m Seth Bagdanov, founder of Smoky Mountains Cybersecurity. After more than a decade in IT, I saw how often small businesses got stuck: cybersecurity clearly mattered, but nobody had the time or focus to lead it.

I started this firm to provide grounded, experienced guidance built for the realities of small business operations.

My book, Cybersecurity for People Who Don’t Have Time, is a practical guide for small business decision-makers who need answers without having to become technical experts.

Who We’re For

Is Smoky Mountains Cybersecurity Right For You?

We are specialized partners, not general IT providers. Our focus is helping non-technical leaders turn cybersecurity from an overwhelming problem into a competitive business advantage.

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We’re Probably a Great Fit If:

  • You’re a growing business (25-400 employees) who depends on digital systems and needs security guidance, not just another tool.
  • You’re facing compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, WISP, cyber insurance) and need a roadmap that doesn’t involve overspending.
  • You have an IT team or MSP but they’re stretched thin with day-to-day operations and don’t have bandwidth for risk management or policy work.
  • You’ve had a close call, or watched a peer get hit, and want to get serious about prevention before it’s too late.
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We’re Probably Not Be the Right Fit If…

  • You need general IT support like helpdesk services or hardware upgrades.
  • You’re looking for a “Magic Bullet” tool or product that handles security automatically, with no process changes required.
  • You want a rubber-stamp audit to satisfy an insurance form. We’re going to find real problems and we expect them to be taken seriously.
  • You want ammunition to replace your current IT team. We’re here to work alongside them, not undermine them.

You need a plan, not a sales pitch.

Let’s have a 15-minute chat to cover:

  • Where you feel most exposed right now and what your team’s bandwidth looks like
  • Any deadlines you’re working against (insurance renewals, audits, compliance requirements)
  • What a finished assessment actually looks like. We’ll walk through a real sample report like the one we’ll complete for you.

 

Not Ready to Talk Yet?

Get practical steps to protect against the most common small business threats. No tech-speak or sales pitch.