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Compliance & Risk Management

Compliance Is Not Optional — It's Your Legal Shield

The FTC Safeguards Rule, PCI-DSS, and state data protection laws now apply to most small businesses. One violation can trigger fines, lawsuits, and loss of customer trust. Bellator makes compliance achievable.

$46K
Avg. FTC Fine per Violation

Per-day penalties for non-compliance with the Safeguards Rule

92%
SMBs Not Compliant

Of small businesses fail basic cybersecurity compliance standards

$150K
Max PCI-DSS Fine

Per month per merchant for non-compliance after breach

30 Days
To Compliance

Our typical timeline to bring SMBs into baseline compliance

Frameworks We Support

We translate complex regulatory requirements into practical security controls you can actually implement.

FTC Safeguards Rule

Required for financial service businesses — auto dealers, accountants, mortgage brokers. Covers data security program requirements, written policies, and annual audits.

PCI-DSS Compliance

If you accept credit cards, PCI-DSS applies. We handle vulnerability scanning, network segmentation, access controls, and the annual self-assessment questionnaire.

NIST CSF Alignment

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is the gold standard for SMB security programs. We build your controls around Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover functions.

State Privacy Laws

CCPA, VCDPA, CTDPA, and 15+ other state laws require data mapping, privacy notices, and breach response procedures. We keep you current.

Employee Training

Compliance requires documented security awareness training. We provide policy templates, training content, and completion tracking.

Risk Assessments & Audits

Annual written risk assessments required by most frameworks. We conduct, document, and remediate findings to keep your compliance program current.

Our Compliance Process

1

Gap Assessment

We evaluate your current security controls against applicable frameworks and identify specific gaps that need remediation.

2

Remediation Plan

Prioritized remediation roadmap with timelines and responsibilities. We tackle the highest-risk items first.

3

Implementation

Our team deploys the technical controls — EDR, MFA, encryption, logging — and creates the written policies and procedures.

4

Ongoing Monitoring

Compliance is not a one-time project. We monitor controls, update policies annually, and re-assess after material changes.

Compliance FAQs

The Safeguards Rule applies to "financial institutions" under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act — which includes tax preparers, auto dealers, mortgage brokers, and any business that handles consumer financial data. Schedule a call and we can confirm whether it applies to you.

If a breach occurs while you're non-compliant, card brands can fine your acquiring bank up to $500K per incident, and those fines are passed directly to you. You also lose chargeback protections and may lose your ability to accept card payments.

For most SMBs, baseline compliance (FTC Safeguards or PCI-DSS SAQ-A) takes 30-60 days with our help. Complex environments or larger teams may require 90 days. The process is iterative — you don't have to be perfect on day one.

Protect Your Business from Cyber Threats

Schedule a free cyber risk assessment. Our experts will evaluate your security posture and recommend enterprise-grade solutions sized for your business.

Protect your business from cyber threats

Affordable, enterprise-grade cybersecurity built for small businesses. No IT team required.

Small Business Cybersecurity Compliance | FTC Safeguards & NIST | Bellator | Bellator Cyber Guard