Cybersecurity guides
Costs, comparisons and checklists for companies without a security department. Every number is cited to its source, and we say who that source is.
How much do managed IT services cost in Houston?
What Houston providers charge per user in 2026, what each tier includes, hurricane-season must-haves, and our own measurement of Houston business email.
Identity theft: what to do right now
Someone used your name or opened a card in it: the steps in order, from the first call to a clean credit report, with every official link.
How to freeze your credit at all six bureaus
Not just Equifax, Experian and TransUnion: Innovis, ChexSystems and NCTUE too. Free, no effect on your score, with every link and phone number.
Is identity theft protection worth it?
When paying is worth it and when free steps are enough, with Aura and LifeLock 2026 prices and what identity theft insurance really pays.
Aura vs LifeLock: prices, coverage and which to choose
Both compared with prices from their own sites: credit bureaus, stolen-funds limits, data removal, family plans and who each suits.
Ransomware recovery: what to do first and which service to call
The first hour, who to call, free decryptors, whether to pay, and how to pick a recovery service that won't quietly pay the attackers.
How to remove your personal information from the internet
Free opt-outs, California's DROP, Google's removal tool, and DeleteMe vs Incogni with 2026 prices.
California DROP: how to delete your data from every data broker at once
Step by step through California's free DROP: verify residency, build your profile, track each broker, and what DROP can't delete.
What to do after a data breach exposes your information
Steps for each type of data exposed: Social Security number, password, card, bank account, license, health and kids' information.
SOC 2 certification cost: Type 1 vs Type 2, line by line
What a first SOC 2 really costs in 2026: the CPA audit, readiness, software, pen test and your own team's time, with the ranges that hold up and how to cut them.
Vanta competitors: what buyers actually pay for each one
Drata, Secureframe, Sprinto, Thoropass and Hyperproof against Vanta, with the median prices real buyers paid and who each one fits.
Vanta pricing: what buyers actually pay
Median $20,000 a year across 375 purchases: price by company size, the add-ons and audit that cost extra, and how buyers negotiate it down.
Vanta vs Drata: real prices and which to choose
611 real purchases compared: median price, ranges by size, frameworks, discounts, and which one fits a first SOC 2 or a scaling company.
Drata alternatives: real prices and who each one fits
Vanta, Secureframe, Sprinto, Thoropass and Hyperproof against Drata, with median prices paid and why companies switch.
Drata pricing: what companies really pay
Median $24,934 a year across 236 purchases: costs by company size, add-ons and audit fees, renewal increases and how to negotiate.
Secureframe vs Vanta: prices, plans and which to choose
Same median price, different strengths: multi-framework costs, CMMC, reviews and free trial, with real buyer data.
KnowBe4 pricing: per-user cost and what buyers really pay
List price per user by seat count turned into yearly cost, what 684 buyers really paid, add-ons, and the renewal increase to watch.
KnowBe4 alternatives: prices compared, including free ones
Huntress, Hoxhunt, Proofpoint, Microsoft's built-in training and free Gophish, with 2026 prices and who each one fits.
Cybersecurity for small business: the 10 controls that matter
The short list that stops most attacks on a small company, what each control costs per user, and the free government guides behind it.
23 NYCRR 500: the NYDFS cybersecurity regulation in plain English
Who Part 500 covers, the limited exemption, MFA and asset inventory since November 2025, the 72-hour notice and the April 15 filing.
CCPA cybersecurity audit requirements: who, what and when
Which businesses need California's annual cybersecurity audit, the 2028–2030 deadlines by revenue, and what the auditor checks.
HIPAA compliance for dental offices: a practical checklist
Risk analysis, safeguards, business associate agreements, patient access and breach notices for a dental practice, with HHS's free tools.
FTC Safeguards Rule checklist, and how the WISP fits in
The ten elements of the rule, the under-5,000-customer exemption, the 30-day breach notice, and IRS Publications 5708 and 4557 for tax preparers.