Plain-English Security for Small Business

You don't need an IT team. You need a checklist.

Small businesses are the most frequently breached organizations in the world — not because they're careless, but because nobody has ever sat down and methodically closed the doors. This guide does that. In 30 days. Without jargon, without a big budget, and without an IT department.

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40+ Pages · Plain English · Instant Download
Cybersecurity Without
an IT Department
A practical security guide for small business owners who just want to know they're protected
The 5 things that cause 80% of small business breaches — and how to fix them
Passwords, MFA, email security, and network hardening — step by step
A 30-day week-by-week action plan your team can actually follow
What to do in the first hour if something goes wrong
Security tools that work — all under $50/month
$27
One-time purchase · Instant PDF download
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🔒 Secure checkout · Instant delivery
See It In Action

90 seconds. You'll know if this is for you.

What's Inside

Six sections. Thirty days. Done.

No filler. No jargon. No recommendations that require an IT team to implement. Just the steps a cybersecurity professional would walk you through — in the order that matters.

Section 1
Know What You're Protecting
Data inventory, breach cost reality check, and the four threats most likely to hit your business — in plain English.
Section 2
Lock the Front Door
Passwords, MFA, email security, and device hardening. The controls that stop 80% of attacks — step by step.
Section 3
Protect Your Network
Your router is probably a liability. Wi-Fi segmentation, VPN for remote work, and the four things to fix today.
Section 4
Your People Are the Perimeter
Phishing awareness without a training budget, a one-page employee security acknowledgment, and what to say on day one.
Section 5
When Something Goes Wrong
How to know if you've been breached, what to do in the first hour, and who to call in what order.
Section 6
Your 30-Day Quick-Start
Four weekly sprints. Concrete daily tasks. At the end of 30 days your business will have better security than most small businesses in your industry.
Get the Guide — $27 →
Instant PDF download · No subscription · Yours to keep
Also Available

Cybersecurity professionals know being hacked isn't a matter of "if" — it's "when."

Prevention is essential. But even well-protected businesses get hit. When it happens, the decisions you make in the first 72 hours determine how bad it gets. This guide tells you exactly what to do — and in what order — before panic sets in.

Emergency Response Guide
You've Been Breached
What to Do in the First 72 Hours
5-phase response protocol — Hour 1 through Hour 72
Who to call and in what order — including what NOT to say
3 attorney-ready email swipe files — customer, vendor, employee
Breach response call sheet — fill it out before you need it
Companion Checklist
72-Hour Response Checklist
Print it. Put it in your desk. Open it when things go wrong.
Phase-by-phase action checklist — nothing missed under pressure
Fillable fields for policy numbers, contacts, and incident details
Designed to work when you're panicking — one checkbox at a time
Included with the guide — both delivered as instant downloads
Guide + Checklist Bundle
$27
One-time purchase · Instant PDF download
Get the Bundle — $27 →
Nearly 30 Years of Experience
CISSP · CISA · GSLC Certified
Fortune 500 to Main Street
US Marine Corps Veteran
Published · Conference Speaker
The Problem
Large enterprises have armies of security professionals. Small businesses have a Google search.
Compliance frameworks are written for lawyers and regulators, not business owners
A full-time CISO costs $250,000–$400,000 annually — well beyond most SMB budgets
The majority of confirmed data breaches involve small businesses — they are not too small to be targets
Failed audits, unmanaged vendor risk, and missing documentation cost far more than prevention
The Solution
The same clarity a CISO would give you — in a format you can act on today.
Plain-English guides that translate regulatory complexity into actionable steps
Ready-to-use policy templates, checklists, and questionnaires you implement immediately
On-demand virtual CISO services when your needs exceed a guide
Written by someone who has actually sat in the audit room — not a template generator
The Next Level

The $27 guide closes the doors. The Playbook builds the program.

If a client, auditor, or regulator has asked you about HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, GLBA, or CMMC — the checklist guide is your foundation. The Compliance Playbook is what comes next: 167 pages of framework-specific controls, policy templates, and the exact evidence an auditor will ask to see.

Level 1
Cybersecurity Without an IT Department
Passwords, MFA, network hardening, phishing defense, incident response. The 30-day checklist that protects any small business.
$27
Level 2 — Compliance Ready
The Small Business Compliance Playbook
9 regulatory frameworks. Policy templates. Vendor questionnaire. Audit evidence guide. 90-day compliance roadmap. Everything an auditor will ask for.
$497 $297 introductory
HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, GLBA, CMMC & 3 more frameworks
4 audit-ready policy templates — drop in your name and go
Vendor security questionnaire & third-party risk scorecard
90-day compliance roadmap with daily action items
Audit evidence folder structure — know exactly what to show an auditor
167 pages across 9 frameworks — everything in one place
Get the Compliance Playbook — $297 →
Instant PDF download · One-time purchase · 7-day money-back guarantee
Who Wrote This

Written by someone who has actually sat in the audit room.

Most small businesses can't afford a CISO on staff. This guide exists to change that — delivering the clarity a seasoned security executive would provide, without the consulting fees.
Nearly 30 years in information security, spanning network engineering, security operations, incident response, regulatory compliance, and executive leadership
Deputy CISO experience at a 50-state mortgage lender managing $30 billion in loan volume, protecting 750,000+ customers
CISSP · CISA · GIAC Security Leadership (GSLC) certified. Published author and conference speaker on cybersecurity topics
Virtual CISO to seven organizations simultaneously — from initial gap assessment through audit completion across NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, GLBA, and CMMC
United States Marine Corps veteran
Virtual CISO Services

When a guide isn't enough — we're here.

For organizations with significant compliance obligations, approaching an audit, or recovering from a security incident, we provide fractional CISO-level engagement at a fraction of a full-time hire.

Compliance Program Development
Building the policies, procedures, controls, and documentation that satisfy your specific regulatory obligations — from the ground up or from wherever you currently stand. Delivered as a structured engagement with defined milestones and evidence packages you own outright.
Audit Readiness
Preparation for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and CMMC audits — from initial gap assessment through evidence package completion and auditor coordination. We have sat across the table from auditors for nearly 30 years. We know what they're looking for.
Ongoing Virtual CISO
Fractional CISO engagement providing security leadership, board-ready reporting, risk management, and compliance program oversight on a schedule that fits your organization's needs and budget. No long-term employment contracts. No overhead.
Incident Response & Recovery
Expert guidance when something goes wrong — from initial triage through forensic investigation coordination, regulatory notification, remediation, and post-incident program improvement. Available for immediate engagement when timing is critical.
Schedule a Discovery Call →

30 minutes · No pressure · No sales pitch

Pricing

Start with the guide.
Scale to advisory when you're ready.

Cybersecurity Without an IT Department
Plain-English security for business owners without an IT team
$47 $27
PDF download · Instant delivery
✓ Plain-English cybersecurity for non-technical owners
✓ The 10 controls that matter most for SMBs
✓ Quick-start security checklist
Get the Guide →
Most Popular
The Compliance Playbook
CISO-level compliance guidance for small business
$497 $297
167-page PDF · Instant delivery · Introductory pricing
✓ All 9 sections + 5 appendices
✓ 9 regulatory frameworks with checklists
✓ 4 complete policy templates
✓ Vendor security questionnaire
✓ 90-day compliance roadmap
✓ Compliance readiness scorecard
Get the Playbook →
You've Been Breached
72-hour incident response guide + companion checklist
$47 $27
Guide + Checklist PDF bundle · Instant delivery
✓ 5-phase response protocol — Hour 1 through Hour 72
✓ Who to call and in what order
✓ 3 attorney-ready email swipe files
✓ Printable 72-hour response checklist
✓ Breach response call sheet
Get the Response Bundle →
Virtual CISO Services
On-demand executive security leadership
Custom
Scoped to your needs · No long-term contracts
✓ Compliance program development
✓ SOC 2 / HIPAA / CMMC audit readiness
✓ Ongoing fractional CISO engagement
✓ Incident response support
✓ Board-ready security reporting
Schedule a Call →
Questions

Frequently Asked

No. The guide was written specifically for business owners and operations managers without a security background. Every technical concept is explained in plain English, and the checklists tell you exactly what to do — not just what to understand. If you can run a business, you can use this guide.
The guide covers HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA, GLBA and the FTC Safeguards Rule, and CMMC — in detail, with specific checklists for each. It also addresses state-level privacy regulations and includes a quick-reference comparison chart of all frameworks side by side.
No, and we say so clearly in the guide. This is practical compliance guidance based on nearly 30 years of real-world implementation experience. For situations involving active enforcement actions, regulatory investigations, or significant legal exposure, you should work with qualified legal counsel. The guide will help you understand what questions to ask them.
Most free compliance guides describe what frameworks require. This guide explains what auditors actually look for — which is different. It includes the policy templates, vendor questionnaire, evidence folder structure, and 90-day action roadmap that turn compliance knowledge into a functioning program. It was written by someone who has been in the audit room, not someone who has read about it.
INeedACISO provides virtual CISO services for organizations that need ongoing engagement, are approaching a significant audit, or have experienced a security incident. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call through the contact form — no pressure, no sales pitch, just a candid conversation about where you stand and what it would take to get where you need to be.
Yes. If you purchase the guide and find it isn't what you needed, contact us within 7 days of purchase for a full refund — no questions asked. We stand behind the quality of the content.

Three ways to protect your business — starting at $27.

Prevention. Response. Compliance. Every small business needs all three. Start wherever you are.

Prevention Guide — $27 → Breach Response Bundle — $27 → Compliance Playbook — $297 →
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