The B2B Growth-Stage Stack Petronella Technology Group Deploys for 10 to 100 Person B2B Firms
A documented, repeatable security stack engineered for the moment your enterprise customer hands you a SOC 2 deadline, your insurance broker hands you a 78-question control questionnaire, and your CFO hands you a budget. Six layers, 24+ controls insurers ask about, audit evidence packets, vendor questionnaire response service, MDR with 24-hour monitoring. From custom-quote pricing tailored to your size, your customer commitments, and your risk tolerance.
This page is the deliverable view: what we ship, the architecture pattern, the controls list, the evidence packets, and the SLAs. If you want the buyer-identity view (who small business B2B cybersecurity is for, the threat landscape you face, the regulatory triggers, and our local Triangle context), see small business cybersecurity solutions for B2B firms.
A productized stack, not a consulting engagement
Most cybersecurity firms sell hours. We sell an outcome: a defensible, audit-ready security posture for a 10 to 100 person B2B firm in 90 days, with a documented control list, an evidence repository, a written incident response plan, and a customer-facing attestation packet you can hand to your enterprise buyer or your insurance broker without rewriting it. The B2B Growth-Stage Stack is the productized version of that outcome. Six deployable layers. 24 to 39 control implementations depending on which framework your customer demands. One named project manager. One renewal cycle.
The B2B Growth-Stage Stack, layer by layer
Each layer is independently deployable, independently priced, and independently swappable if you already own a tool we would otherwise recommend. Most B2B clients deploy four to six of these layers in their first 90 days. The order is opinionated. We deploy in the order that closes the most insurance underwriting and customer questionnaire questions per dollar spent.
MFA Enforcement & Conditional Access
The single highest-impact control insurance underwriters care about, and the single most common B2B blind spot. We enforce MFA on every Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace mailbox, every VPN entry point, every SaaS admin console, and every privileged on-prem account. Conditional access policies block legacy authentication, restrict admin access to known device postures, and quarantine impossible-travel sign-ins.
- Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policy pack
- Phishing-resistant MFA for admin accounts (FIDO2 keys)
- Legacy auth block with break-glass exception process
- Privileged Identity Management (PIM) for admin role activation
EDR with 24-Hour Monitored Response
Antivirus is no longer sufficient. Cyber insurance underwriters now ask specifically for endpoint detection and response with monitored response, not just installed software. We deploy a tier-1 EDR agent on every workstation and server, with our managed detection and response (MDR) team providing 24-hour analyst coverage. Suspicious behaviors get triaged, contained, and reported with an escalation runbook your team rehearsed.
- EDR agent on 100% of in-scope endpoints
- 24-hour SOC analyst coverage with named escalation contacts
- Containment SLAs measured in minutes, not days
- Monthly tuning to reduce false positives
Email Security Gateway & BEC Protection
Business Email Compromise is the most expensive single threat to B2B firms and the most surgical to defend. We layer an advanced email security gateway on top of Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace native protections, deploy DMARC at p=reject, configure inbound impersonation rules for your CFO, controller, and AP team, and deploy banner warnings on first-time senders and external lookalike domains.
- Tier-1 advanced email security gateway in front of M365 / Google
- DMARC at p=reject with SPF and DKIM hardening
- Impersonation protection for finance and executive aliases
- Quarterly phishing simulation campaigns
Immutable Backups with Tested Restore
Insurance underwriters now ask whether backups are immutable (cannot be deleted by a logged-in attacker), whether they are tested, and whether the restore time has been measured. We deploy backups with object-lock immutability, run quarterly restore drills against representative workloads, and document the recovery time and recovery point objectives in language your insurance broker can put in the application.
- Immutable backup target (object-lock enforced)
- 3-2-1-1-0 architecture (3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite, 1 immutable, 0 errors)
- Quarterly restore drills with documented RTO / RPO
- Ransomware-resistant credential separation
Continuous Vulnerability Management
The control questionnaire asks: do you scan for vulnerabilities, do you patch critical findings within a defined window, and do you have evidence. We deploy continuous external attack-surface monitoring, internal authenticated vulnerability scanning, and a patch cadence aligned with severity. Findings are tracked in a remediation register your auditor can read.
- External attack surface monitoring (assets, certs, exposed services)
- Internal authenticated vulnerability scans (monthly)
- Critical-severity patch SLA (typically 7 to 14 days)
- Risk-accepted exception register with sign-off
Policy Library, Training, IR Plan & Evidence Repository
The control technology is half the deliverable. The other half is the paperwork your auditor, your insurance broker, and your enterprise customer's vendor risk team will actually look at. We build the written information security policy library (12 to 22 documents depending on framework), deploy security awareness training with phishing simulation, write your incident response plan, and stand up the evidence repository where every quarterly artifact lands automatically.
- Written ISMS policy library mapped to your target framework
- Security awareness training enrollment for 100% of staff
- Documented and tabletop-tested incident response plan
- Evidence repository (encrypted, versioned, customer-shareable)
The 24+ controls insurers and enterprise buyers actually ask about
This is the cross-walk we use. Every B2B Growth-Stage Stack engagement closes out with attestation evidence for at least these 24 controls. They are the controls insurers ask about during renewal underwriting AND the controls enterprise customers ask about in SIG Lite, SIG Core, and CAIQ. One artifact, two audiences.
| # | Control | What insurers and customers ask | Stack layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MFA on email | Is MFA enforced on all mailboxes including shared and admin? | Layer 1 |
| 2 | MFA on remote access | VPN, RDP, jump hosts, all gated by MFA? | Layer 1 |
| 3 | MFA on privileged accounts | Phishing-resistant MFA for admin roles? | Layer 1 |
| 4 | Privileged access management | Just-in-time admin role activation? | Layer 1 |
| 5 | EDR deployment | EDR on 100% of in-scope endpoints? | Layer 2 |
| 6 | EDR monitoring | 24-hour analyst coverage, not just installed software? | Layer 2 |
| 7 | Email security gateway | Tier-1 EOP-replacement or layered gateway? | Layer 3 |
| 8 | DMARC enforcement | DMARC at p=reject with SPF and DKIM aligned? | Layer 3 |
| 9 | Phishing simulation | Quarterly campaigns with click-rate trend? | Layer 3 / 6 |
| 10 | Immutable backups | Object-lock or equivalent immutability? | Layer 4 |
| 11 | Tested restore | Restore drill within last 12 months? | Layer 4 |
| 12 | Offsite backup | Geographically separated copy? | Layer 4 |
| 13 | Vulnerability scanning | Authenticated scans on a defined cadence? | Layer 5 |
| 14 | Patch cadence | Critical patches within 7 to 14 days? | Layer 5 |
| 15 | External attack surface | Continuous monitoring of internet-exposed assets? | Layer 5 |
| 16 | Written ISMS policies | Information security policy library, current and approved? | Layer 6 |
| 17 | Acceptable use policy | Signed by 100% of workforce annually? | Layer 6 |
| 18 | Security awareness training | Annual training completion at 100%? | Layer 6 |
| 19 | Incident response plan | Documented and tabletop-tested in last 12 months? | Layer 6 |
| 20 | Vendor risk program | Sub-processor inventory, due diligence, monitoring? | Layer 6 |
| 21 | Access review cadence | Quarterly user-access review with sign-off? | Layer 1 / 6 |
| 22 | Encryption in transit | TLS 1.2+ everywhere, certificate hygiene? | Layer 5 |
| 23 | Encryption at rest | Disk encryption on endpoints, server volumes, backups? | Layer 2 / 4 |
| 24 | Logging and monitoring | Centralized log retention with correlation? | Layer 2 / 6 |
A reusable answer library for the questionnaire your enterprise customer just sent
The first SIG Lite is painful. The second is annoying. The third is a fully solved problem if you have a maintained answer library. We build that library as a deliverable. Your B2B Growth-Stage Stack engagement includes:
SIG Lite, SIG Core, and CAIQ pre-answered. We answer every question once, in your voice, with the evidence reference attached. When the next customer sends a questionnaire, the response is a copy-paste plus a sanity-check pass, not a 40-hour fire drill.
Bespoke spreadsheet handler. Most enterprise customers send a custom spreadsheet, not a standard SIG. We map every bespoke question we see to our master answer library so the next custom spreadsheet is a 4-hour mapping exercise instead of a week.
Sub-processor inventory. Your customer's vendor risk team will ask for a list of every SaaS tool that touches their data. We maintain that inventory with data classifications, location, and last-reviewed dates.
Penetration test summary deliverable. Many customers ask for a "current pen test summary." We coordinate the annual pen test with a third-party firm, and we produce the customer-shareable summary letter (with sensitive details redacted) that satisfies the request without leaking attack paths.
Annual attestation packet. SOC 2 if you have it. NIST CSF mapping if you do not. Insurance carrier control attestation. Combined into one PDF you can email when a procurement person asks "what do you have?"
Three readiness tracks. Pick the one your enterprise customer is asking for.
SOC 2 is the most common ask, but not the only one. We run three pre-built readiness tracks layered on top of the Stack. Pick whichever your customer or your industry demands.
SOC 2 Type I → Type II Readiness
The default for B2B SaaS, technology services, and B2B professional services selling into Fortune 1000 customers.
- Trust Services Criteria gap assessment
- Policy library (Security + Availability + Confidentiality)
- Control implementation across all 6 stack layers
- Evidence collection automation
- Pre-audit readiness review
- CPA firm coordination (Type I in 60-120 days, Type II in 6-12 months)
HIPAA-Light for B2B Service Providers
For B2B firms whose customers are healthcare providers and who are designated as Business Associates.
- HIPAA Security Rule gap assessment
- Business Associate Agreement (BAA) review
- ePHI inventory and data flow mapping
- HIPAA-aligned policy library
- Annual risk analysis documentation
- Cross-references to our healthcare cybersecurity practice
CMMC-Light Subcontract Readiness
For B2B firms whose master subcontract from a defense prime carries DFARS or CMMC flow-down clauses.
- Scope determination (CMMC Level 1 vs Level 2 vs out-of-scope)
- NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment
- System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM)
- SPRS score calculation and submission support
- CUI handling controls (if Level 2 in scope)
- Cross-references to our CMMC compliance practice
Six evidence packets your auditor, your broker, and your buyer can read
Most security programs collapse at the moment evidence is requested because nobody owns the artifact. Our deliverable is the artifact set. Each packet is versioned, encrypted, and shareable through a customer-facing portal so your sales team can hand it over without a fire drill.
One PDF, broker-ready, mapping the 24+ insurer-relevant controls to deployed evidence. Updated at every renewal.
SIG Lite, SIG Core, and CAIQ pre-answered with evidence references. Bespoke spreadsheet template-mapped.
Customer-shareable summary of the annual third-party pen test. Sensitive findings redacted, scope and methodology detailed.
Pre-audit readiness assessment OR, if you are between Type II observation windows, a bridge letter that customers will accept.
Every SaaS or third-party data processor, with data classification, region, last review date, and contractual safeguards.
Documented IR plan with named roles, escalation tree, and the most recent tabletop exercise after-action report.
What we commit to in writing
These are the operating commitments that go into your master service agreement. Real numbers. Real escalation paths. Real penalties for misses.
What the stack assumes and where it plugs in
Identity foundation. Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) or Google Workspace as the identity provider. We can also wrap Okta or JumpCloud if you have already standardized there. SCIM provisioning for downstream SaaS where supported.
Endpoint posture. Windows 10/11, macOS, and major Linux distributions in scope. Mobile (iOS / Android) brought into MDM as part of Layer 1 if you carry corporate-issued devices or if BYOD is in scope.
Email tenant. Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3/E5, OR Google Workspace Business Plus. We layer email security on top, we do not replace your tenant.
Cloud workloads. Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud are all in-scope. We harden landing zones to CIS benchmarks, deploy CSPM (cloud security posture management) for continuous drift detection, and route logs into your SIEM.
Office and collaboration tools. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox Business, Box. We treat each as a sub-processor and configure DLP and audit logging.
Line-of-business SaaS. Salesforce, HubSpot, QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Xero, ADP, Gusto, Rippling. Each gets MFA enforced, admin-role review, and inclusion in the sub-processor inventory.
Existing tools. If you already own a tier-1 EDR, an email security gateway, a backup solution, or a vulnerability scanner, we will assess fit and either retain it (with our team operating it) or recommend replacement only if the gap is material. We are tool-agnostic by design.
Minimal viable enterprise-ready security for a 35-person B2B firm
Here is the most common shape of a B2B Growth-Stage Stack deployment. It is what we would draw on a whiteboard during your discovery call.
Identity perimeter. Microsoft Entra ID with Conditional Access, MFA enforced everywhere, FIDO2 keys for the 4 to 8 admin accounts, PIM for just-in-time role activation. Legacy auth blocked. Impossible-travel sign-ins quarantined.
Endpoint perimeter. EDR agent on 100% of Windows / macOS / Linux endpoints. Disk encryption (BitLocker / FileVault). MDM enrollment for mobile devices. Centralized log forwarding to SIEM. Our SOC monitors 24 hours.
Email perimeter. M365 with advanced email security gateway in front. DMARC at p=reject. Banner warnings on first-time external senders. Impersonation rules for finance and exec aliases. Quarterly phishing simulation.
Backup perimeter. Immutable backup target offsite (object-lock enforced). 3-2-1-1-0 architecture. Quarterly restore drill against a representative VM and a representative SaaS export. Documented RTO and RPO.
Vulnerability perimeter. External attack surface monitoring on every public-facing asset. Internal authenticated vulnerability scans monthly. Patch cadence: critical 7 days, high 14 days, medium 30 days, low risk-accepted.
Governance layer. 12 to 22 written policies. Annual security awareness training enrolled at 100%. Incident response plan with named on-call rotation. Evidence repository with quarterly artifact landings. Annual third-party penetration test. Annual tabletop exercise with after-action report.
The reference architecture scales linearly with headcount, not cost. A 75-person firm runs the same stack with 2x the EDR licenses and 1.3x the SOC tuning effort, not 2x the bill.
Selling into healthcare? See our healthcare and ePHI hosting solution stack. Selling into defense or aerospace primes? See our federal contractor and CUI enclave architecture. Need the underlying detection stack? See our managed detection and response service. Want the buyer-identity discussion instead of the deliverable view? Return to small business B2B cybersecurity buyer page.
What B2B firms ask before deploying the Stack
How long does a full Stack deployment take for a 35-person B2B firm?
Do you replace our existing tools or layer on top?
How is pricing structured?
What if our enterprise customer demands SOC 2 Type II in 90 days?
Do you provide the actual SOC 2 audit, or just readiness?
Will the stack satisfy our cyber insurance underwriting?
What happens if we have an incident during the engagement?
Can the stack be operated against compliance frameworks beyond SOC 2 and HIPAA?
Ready to deploy the B2B Growth-Stage Stack?
Book your free 15-minute assessment. We will scope your environment, your customer commitments, your insurance posture, and your target framework, and return a fixed 90-day deployment plan with custom-quote pricing within 5 business days.