Your IT Keeps You Running. We Keep You Secure.

Your IT team acts as your General Practitioner, keeping your systems healthy.

We’re the Specialists who diagnose your cybersecurity gaps they don’t have time for.

Book Your 15-Min Chat

No Scare Tactics

Most cybersecurity marketing is built on flashy dashboards, worst-case stats, and imaginary ROI math. But that’s not how small businesses actually experience incidents.

We focus on what’s measurable and actionable: recovery time, access control, incident response, and audit/insurance evidence packs—so you can focus on running your business and not worrying about a breach.

Services At A Glance

Two Ways to Secure Your Business

The Health Check

Security Foundations Assessment

Best For: Businesses that want to know where they stand.

We audit your organization against industry standards (CIS Controls) to identify your true risk level. We assess:

Human Resilience Phishing awareness, training tools, and reporting workflows.
Incident Response & Disaster Recovery Backup integrity, restore testing, and cloud recovery.
Endpoint Protection EDR/antivirus config, device encryption, and patch management.
Network Protection Zero Trust architecture, firewall rules, and network segmentation.
Access Controls Cloud configuration (M365/Google), privileged access, and offboarding.
Physical Security Hardware inventory, environmental controls, and site security.

The Deliverable: A prioritized remediation Roadmap, including an Executive Summary and cost/benefit analysis for you and a technical deep dive for your IT team.

Timeline: 8 Weeks (one-time)

The Partner

Virtual CISO (vCISO) Retainer

Best for: Businesses that want to stay secure year-round

Security isn’t a one-time fix. We act as your Chief Information Security Officer and manage your complete cybersecurity program so you don’t have to. We manage:

Governance Updating policies (WISP, IRP) and employee handbooks.
Compliance Gathering evidence for cyber insurance or audits.
Oversight Monthly strategy meetings with IT to track remediation progress.
Vendor Vetting Reviewing new software/vendors before you sign.

The Deliverable: Ongoing risk management and security program ownership.

Timeline: Monthly ongoing

Our Process

We don’t believe in cookie-cutter security. Our process is designed to uncover your unique risks and deliver a clear, manageable path to fixing them.

 

See what you’ll get from working with us.

Download a sample Executive Summary

1. Discover

We don’t just run a scan and leave. We conduct leadership interviews and staff surveys to find the operational risks that automated tools miss, like weak workflows or gaps in training. We look for the root cause, not just the symptoms.

2. Prioritize

You don’t need a 100-page list of problems; you need a plan. We filter our findings based on your risk tolerance and budget, ranking fixes by impact, effort, and cost. You’ll know exactly what to fix first, what can wait, and why.

3. Execute & Support

Security isn’t a “set it and forget it” product. As your partner, we stay in the loop to guide your IT team through the remediation, ensuring the work is done right and the protection actually sticks.

Time Required From You

Assessment

Just two 1-hour chats with leadership, two short worksheets, and a 10-minute staff survey.

The Handoff

A 60-minute strategy session to review your Roadmap.

Ongoing

Simple monthly check-ins to track progress.

Why Us?

Why Smoky Mountains Cybersecurity?

  • 10+ years helping small and midsized businesses navigate operational constraints like limited budgets and remote teams.
  • Guidance in plain English, written for non-technical leadership.
  • Collaboration with your IT/MSP focusing on leadership gaps they aren’t equipped to fill.
  • All recommendations aligned to industry standard CIS controls and NIST framework.

We Wrote the Book on Small Business Cybersecurity.

Literally.

I’m Seth Bagdanov, founder of Smoky Mountains Cybersecurity, and the author of Cybersecurity for People Who Don’t Have Time.

I spent over a decade in the trenches of IT, managing everything from small family operations in California to global service firms. I know firsthand that small businesses need practical solutions that fit their budget and workflows. I built SMC to be the security partner I wish I’d had: clear, realistic, and on your side.

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 using the tools and team you already have.

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Signals You’re Ready For Us:

  • 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 clear roadmap to meet them without overspending.
  • You have existing IT support (MSP or internal team) but they’re swamped with “keeping the lights on” and you need specialized expertise in cybersecurity.
  • You’ve had a close call, or watched a competitor get hit, and want to get serious about prevention before it’s too late.
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We May Not Be the Right Fit If…

  • You’re seeking general IT support (software issues, hardware repairs, helpdesk services). We specialize in security strategy, not day-to-day IT support.
  • You want the Magic Bullet of a “comprehensive cybersecurity program” where you never have to think about security again.
  • You’re not ready to invest in security policies, employee training, and process improvements alongside technology.
  • You need a rubber-stamp audit to satisfy an insurance form and have no intention of actually fixing the findings.
  • You are looking for ammunition to fire your current IT team. We partner with your IT; not fight against them.

Let’s see if we’re a fit.

You need a plan, not a sales pitch. In this 15-minute chat, we’ll cover:

  • Your Current Setup: We’ll discuss your team’s bandwidth and where you feel more exposed right now.
  • Your Deadlines: We’ll review any specific pressure you’re facing from insurance renewals or compliance audits.
  • The Deliverables: We’ll walk through a Sample Assessment Report so you can see exactly what you get before you spend a dime.

 

Not Ready to Talk Yet?

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