Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Modern endpoint protection with behavioral detection on every laptop, desktop, and server. We watch for ransomware behavior in real time and isolate compromised devices automatically.
Cybersecurity Services for California Small Business
Most small business cybersecurity gets sold by people who have never had to defend a real network. Ghosxt is run by a cleared DoD IT engineer who has. We bring government-grade cybersecurity controls to California small businesses, sized and priced for the operating profile of each client. We do cybersecurity for Salinas businesses and across Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, and San Benito County.
Rated 5.0 across 24 Google reviews — trusted by 30+ businesses from Silicon Valley to the Salinas Valley and beyond.
Transparent managed IT pricing is published upfront, so you know the range before booking.
Why most small businesses get their cybersecurity wrong
Almost every small business breach we have ever opened up came down to the same handful of things: a missing MFA on email, backups nobody had ever tested, a shared password file, an unpatched workstation, or no plan for the day something went wrong. None of these are exotic. None of them require six-figure tools to fix. But fixing them properly takes someone who has actually done it before, on networks where the wrong move costs a clearance.
That is the experience we bring. Ghosxt is built around the cybersecurity discipline that comes from years inside Department of Defense IT environments, applied to the small businesses that have the most to lose and the smallest budgets to defend with. We do not sell fear. We do not sell shelfware. We build the controls that keep you off the breach list and out of your insurance carrier's claims pile.
Read more about the cybersecurity mistakes I see in almost every small business for the specifics, or skip to what we actually do below.
What our cybersecurity services include
Every Ghosxt managed plan includes a complete cybersecurity stack. Standalone audits and one-time engagements are also available.
Multi-Factor Authentication and Identity
MFA on every account that touches your data. Conditional access policies. Privileged identity management for admins. The single highest-leverage control most small businesses are missing.
Email Security and Anti-Phishing
Inbound filtering, impersonation protection, attachment sandboxing, and DMARC, SPF, and DKIM configured properly. Email is where the majority of attacks start. We close that door first.
Immutable Backup and Disaster Recovery
Backups that ransomware cannot encrypt. Tested restores on a schedule. Documented recovery time objectives so when something does go wrong, you already know how long it takes to get back up.
Vulnerability Management and Patching
Inventory of every device on your network. Continuous vulnerability scanning. Patches deployed on a schedule, with critical CVEs fast-tracked. No more "is that machine still running Windows 10?" surprises.
Security Awareness Training
Short, practical training for your team that does not feel like compliance theater. Simulated phishing campaigns to measure improvement. The human layer is your largest attack surface and the hardest to fix without it.
Network Security and Firewalls
Properly segmented networks, modern firewall rules, secure remote access, guest Wi-Fi isolated from production, and continuous monitoring of inbound and outbound traffic.
Cloud Security (Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS)
Hardened tenants, conditional access, secure score monitoring, and the security baselines most setups skip. We have done dozens of M365 migrations and the security gap between a fresh tenant and a hardened one is enormous.
Vendor and Supply Chain Security
Reviewing the cybersecurity posture of the third parties you depend on. Many of the breaches that cost small businesses the most started in a vendor's network, not their own.
Incident Response and Recovery
Written incident response plan tailored to your business. Tabletop exercises so your team practices before they need it. Real response when an incident happens, including evidence preservation, recovery, and post-incident reporting.
Compliance frameworks we support
If your industry, your customers, or your contracts require a specific compliance framework, we can map your current state to the framework, identify the gaps, and implement the missing controls. We are equally comfortable with government, healthcare, retail, and SaaS-focused frameworks.
- CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171 (DoD subcontractors)
- C-TPAT cybersecurity (importers, carriers, 3PLs)
- HIPAA (healthcare and dental practices)
- PCI-DSS (retail, restaurants, hospitality)
- SOC 2 readiness (SaaS and B2B)
- CIS Controls v8 (general baseline)
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- CCPA and CPRA (California privacy)
How we approach cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is not a product you can install and walk away from. It is an ongoing process. Our approach has four phases, and we run them in a continuous loop.
1. Assess
We start with a free assessment of your current state. Devices, accounts, network, backups, policies. We document what we find and rank it by risk. You get a written report whether or not you become a client.
2. Plan
We translate the assessment into a prioritized roadmap. Quick wins this week, foundational improvements this quarter, and longer-term work this year. No 50-page strategy decks. A real plan you can actually execute.
3. Implement
We deploy the controls, configure them properly, and document everything. We do not hand you a tool and call it security. We integrate the tools into your daily operations and train your team where it matters.
4. Monitor and Improve
Once the foundation is in place, we monitor 24/7, respond to alerts, run quarterly reviews, and adjust as your business and the threat landscape change. Cybersecurity that does not evolve becomes outdated within months.
Industries we secure
We work with a wide range of California small businesses. The threats look different across industries, and the controls have to be tuned to the business, not pulled off a shelf.
- Logistics, trucking, and 3PL (often paired with C-TPAT)
- Manufacturing and machine shops
- Healthcare and dental (HIPAA-regulated)
- Legal firms and professional services
- Tech startups and SaaS (SOC 2 readiness)
- Agriculture, food processing, and distribution
- Retail and hospitality (PCI-regulated)
- Real estate and property management
- Construction and trades
- Nonprofit and civic (often through Ghosxt Cares)
Pricing
Cybersecurity is included in every Ghosxt managed IT tier. There is no separate cybersecurity invoice and no surprise add-ons.
- Tiny Team Managed Security: $600/mo flat for 1 to 4 users
- Core Managed IT: $125 per user per month
- Secure Growth: $175 per user per month
- Compliance & Continuity: $250 per user per month
Standalone cybersecurity audits and one-time engagements are also available, priced based on scope. See full pricing details for what is included in each tier.
Service areas
We serve California small business across the central coast and beyond. On-site response in our local service area is typically same-day or next-day. Remote response is immediate.
Cybersecurity in your city
Free cybersecurity assessment
30 minutes, no sales script, no obligation. We look at your current state and give you a written list of what to fix, in order, with the why on each one. Whether or not you become a client, you walk away with a real plan.
Book your free assessmentCybersecurity FAQs
What does small business cybersecurity actually include?
At a minimum: endpoint protection on every device, multi-factor authentication on every account, immutable and tested backups, email security and anti-phishing, security awareness training, vulnerability management with regular patching, and a written incident response plan. Most small business breaches happen because one or more of these are missing or misconfigured.
How much do cybersecurity services cost for a small business in California?
Cybersecurity is built into every Ghosxt managed IT tier. Tiny Team Managed Security is $600/mo flat for 1 to 4 users. Per-user tiers are Core Managed IT ($125), Secure Growth ($175), and Compliance & Continuity ($250). Standalone security audits and one-time assessments are also available. See our pricing page for what is included in each tier.
Are you qualified to handle sensitive cybersecurity work?
Yes. Ghosxt is run by a cleared DoD IT engineer with CompTIA CySA+, Security+, Network+, A+, Cloud+, ITIL 4, Linux Essentials, and Microsoft AZ-104 credentials. We design controls to government-grade standards and bring that rigor to small business.
Do you handle compliance frameworks like HIPAA, CMMC, or PCI?
Yes. We support CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171 for DoD subcontractors, HIPAA for healthcare practices, PCI-DSS for retail and hospitality, C-TPAT cybersecurity for importers and carriers, and SOC 2 readiness for SaaS companies. We map your current state to the framework, document the gaps, and implement the controls.
What happens if we get hit by ransomware or a breach?
Clients on a managed plan get immediate incident response: containment, forensic preservation where possible, recovery from immutable backups, and a written post-incident report. Non-clients can engage us for emergency response on a project basis. The faster you call, the more options we have.
Do you do one-time security audits without a long-term contract?
Yes. A standalone cybersecurity audit produces a written report of your current state, prioritized findings, and a remediation plan. No commitment to ongoing service. Many clients use the audit to make a case to the rest of the leadership team for managed cybersecurity.
How fast can you respond to a security incident?
Remote response is immediate during business hours and within minutes after-hours for critical issues. On-site response in our local service area is typically same-day. The faster you reach us, the more options we have, so do not wait to "see if it gets worse" before calling.
Will you work with our existing IT team or vendor?
Yes. We frequently come in as a cybersecurity-focused partner alongside an existing IT generalist or in-house team. We can also lead the cybersecurity work and coordinate with whoever owns the rest of the stack.