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

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

Book Your 15-Min Chat

No Scare Tactics

We do not believe in fear-based marketing like inflated breach 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 that want 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 security leadership.

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

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

What Working With Us Looks Like

Structured, efficient, and built for busy teams.

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

1. Discover

We meet with leadership and IT to understand how your business operates, how technology supports it, and where security responsibilities currently sit.

2. Review

We examine your core security practices, supporting documentation, and staff habits to evaluate how your current environment is being managed.

3. Deliver

We present the findings, explain what they mean, and walk you through the report so leadership and IT both leave with a clear understanding of the results.

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 and widely recognized 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 in the middle: cybersecurity clearly mattered, but nobody had the time, ownership, or focus to lead it well.

I started Smoky Mountains Cybersecurity to give business owners grounded, experienced guidance built for the realities of small business operations.

Along the way, I wrote Cybersecurity for People Who Don’t Have Time, a practical guide for small business decision-makers who need useful answers without having to become security experts themselves. If you’d like a copy, it’s available here.

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.

Z

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.
u

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?

Discover the 12 most critical security measures a small business can implement to block common attacks like ransomware, email account compromise, and data theft.

Get your free, no-jargon checklist now.