Cybersecurity Compliance Guides

FTC Safeguards Rule Compliance Guide

Everything financial institutions, CPAs, tax preparers, and auto dealers need to know about the FTC Safeguards Rule — requirements, penalties, timelines, and how to comply with autonomous scanning.

NIST CSF 2.0 for Small Business: Complete Guide

The complete guide to NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 for small and mid-size businesses — all 6 functions explained, why NIST matters even if it is not mandatory, and how Cyber Defense Agent maps directly to the framework.

SEC Cybersecurity Rule for RIAs: Complete Guide

The complete guide to SEC cybersecurity requirements for registered investment advisors — rule requirements, examination preparation, policy development, incident response, and how to build a defensible compliance program.

NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law Guide

Everything insurance agencies, brokers, and producers need to know about the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law — requirements, state adoption, risk assessments, and how to build a compliant information security program.

CMMC 2.0 Compliance Guide for Government Contractors

Everything government contractors and defense suppliers need to know about CMMC 2.0 — levels, requirements, assessment process, timelines, and how to prepare for certification.

SOC 2 Compliance Guide for SaaS Companies

Everything SaaS companies need to know about SOC 2 compliance — trust service criteria, Type I vs Type II audits, timeline, costs, auditor selection, and how to build a compliant security program.

CIS Controls Implementation Guide for SMBs

A practical guide to implementing CIS Controls v8 for small and mid-size businesses — focusing on Implementation Group 1, prioritized controls, and how Cyber Defense Agent maps to the CIS framework.

How to Complete a Cyber Insurance Security Questionnaire

Cyber insurance questionnaires are getting longer and harder. Here's how to answer them with real evidence instead of hopeful self-attestation.

How to Lower Your Cyber Insurance Premium

Cyber insurance premiums have doubled since 2020. Here are the proven controls that carriers reward with lower rates.

Cyber Insurance Requirements in 2026

What cyber insurance carriers require for approval in 2026. The controls, evidence, and documentation you need.

Cyber Insurance Application Denied — What to Do

Your cyber insurance application was denied. Here's exactly why it happened and how to get approved in 30-60 days.

How to File and Manage a Cyber Insurance Claim

When a cyber incident strikes, knowing how to file and manage your insurance claim can mean the difference between full recovery and financial disaster.

Understanding Ransomware Coverage in Cyber Insurance

Ransomware drives more cyber insurance claims than any other attack type. Understanding exactly what your policy covers — and excludes — is critical before an attack occurs.

Common Cyber Insurance Exclusions and How to Avoid Them

Your cyber insurance policy has exclusions that could leave you unprotected when you need coverage most. Here is what to watch for and how to close the gaps.

MFA Enforcement: The Complete Guide

96% of cyber insurers require enforced MFA. Here's how to implement it across your entire organization — not just enable it, but enforce it.

EDR for Small Businesses: Complete Guide

Traditional antivirus is dead. Here's why every SMB needs EDR, which solutions to consider, and how it affects your cyber insurance.

Incident Response Plan Template for SMBs

Every compliance framework and cyber insurer requires an incident response plan. Here's a practical template built for SMBs, not Fortune 500s.

Email Authentication: SPF, DKIM & DMARC Complete Guide

Business email compromise (BEC) is the #1 cause of financial loss from cybercrime. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are the three protocols that stop it. Cyber Defense Agent scans all three — here's how they work.

Building a Patch Management Policy

Unpatched vulnerabilities are the #2 attack vector behind stolen credentials. A patch management policy with clear SLAs keeps you protected and compliant.

The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy for SMBs

Backups are your last line of defense against ransomware. The 3-2-1 strategy — 3 copies, 2 media types, 1 offsite — ensures you can recover when everything else fails.

Privileged Access Management for SMBs

Admin accounts are the keys to your kingdom. Privileged access management ensures only the right people have elevated access, only when they need it, with full accountability.

Building a Security Awareness Training Program

Your employees are your first line of defense — and your biggest vulnerability. A structured security awareness training program with phishing simulations reduces successful attacks by up to 75%.

Zero Trust Architecture for Small Businesses

Zero trust is not a product you buy — it is a security strategy. "Never trust, always verify" applies to every user, device, and network connection. Here is how SMBs can implement it practically.

Building a Vulnerability Management Program

Vulnerabilities you do not know about are vulnerabilities you cannot fix. Cyber Defense Agent provides continuous external vulnerability scanning — but a complete program requires internal scanning, remediation workflows, and defined SLAs.

Vendor Risk Management Guide

Your vendors have access to your data, your network, and your clients. A single vendor breach can become your breach. Cyber Defense Agent enables continuous monitoring of vendor domains to track their external security posture.

The Complete Guide to Vendor Security Questionnaires

Enterprise customers and partners require security questionnaires before doing business. Here's how to answer them accurately, efficiently, and with the evidence that closes deals.

SIG Questionnaire Guide: SIG Lite vs SIG Full

The Standardized Information Gathering (SIG) questionnaire is the industry standard for third-party risk assessments. Learn the 18 risk domains, how to prepare, and how to map your CDA scan data to SIG responses.

SOC 2 Vendor Assessment Questionnaire Guide

SOC 2 is the gold standard for vendor trust. Whether you are pursuing your own SOC 2 or responding to SOC 2-based vendor assessments, here's what assessors look for and how to prepare.

How to Automate Security Questionnaire Responses

Security questionnaires consume 40+ hours each and pull your best people away from revenue-generating work. Here's how automation cuts completion time by 80% while improving answer quality.

Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) Guide

Supply chain attacks increased 742% over three years. If your vendors are compromised, you are compromised. Here's how to build a practical TPRM program that protects your business and satisfies compliance requirements.

Law Firm Cybersecurity Guide: ABA Ethics, Client Data & Malpractice

ABA Model Rule 1.6 mandates reasonable measures to protect client data. This guide covers ethics obligations, malpractice insurance cyber requirements, and the technical controls every law firm needs.

CPA Cybersecurity Compliance: FTC Safeguards, IRS Pub 4557 & AICPA Standards

CPA firms face overlapping cybersecurity mandates from the FTC, IRS, and AICPA. This guide maps every requirement and shows how to satisfy them with a single compliance program.

Insurance Agency Data Security: NAIC Model Law & Carrier Compliance

Insurance agencies handle some of the most sensitive personal data in any industry. This guide covers NAIC Model Law compliance, state DOI requirements, and carrier appointment security standards.

RIA Cybersecurity Compliance: SEC Rules, Examinations & Custodian Requirements

SEC-registered investment advisors face escalating cybersecurity expectations. This guide covers the SEC cybersecurity rule, OCIE examination readiness, and custodian requirements for RIAs.

Government Contractor CMMC Guide: CMMC 2.0, NIST 800-171 & DFARS

CMMC 2.0 is now required in DoD contracts. This guide covers NIST 800-171 implementation, DFARS compliance, CUI protection, and the path to CMMC certification.

SaaS Security Compliance Guide: SOC 2, Enterprise Requirements & Continuous Compliance

Enterprise buyers demand SOC 2, penetration test reports, and security questionnaire responses before signing. This guide covers the compliance journey for SaaS companies from startup to scale.

Dental Practice Cybersecurity Guide: HIPAA, Patient Data & Practice Management Security

Dental practices are high-value targets for cybercriminals because they hold patient health records, insurance information, and payment data. This guide covers HIPAA compliance, practice management security, and ransomware defense for dental offices.

Medical Practice Cybersecurity Guide: HIPAA Security Rule, EHR & Medical Device Security

Medical practices are the most targeted sector for cyberattacks. This guide covers HIPAA Security Rule compliance, EHR system hardening, medical device security, and breach prevention for physician practices.

Manufacturing Cybersecurity Guide: OT/IT Convergence, NIST & Supply Chain Security

Manufacturing is the most targeted industry for cyberattacks globally. This guide covers OT/IT convergence security, the NIST Manufacturing Profile, and supply chain risk management for manufacturers.