Trusted Advisor outcomes in practice

Strengthening Cybersecurity for a Georgia Manufacturing Firm

Client profile: Mid-sized manufacturing company in North Georgia (50 employees) specializing in custom metal fabrication.

Challenge

After a competitor suffered a disruptive ransomware incident, leadership recognized their exposure. The organization relied on basic antivirus tools, had no dedicated security team, and lacked a clear understanding of vulnerabilities across user access, network paths, and vendor integrations.

Solution

PCTA served as the Trusted Advisor, beginning with a cybersecurity risk assessment and a compliance gap analysis aligned to common NIST-aligned practices. We reviewed documentation, established a practical security roadmap, supported MFA rollout planning, delivered employee training modules, and performed vendor risk review for key suppliers. We also coordinated penetration testing validation to confirm priorities without overextending budget.

Results

• Roadmap execution progress reached approximately 80% within four months
• Identified vulnerabilities reduced by an estimated 65% after remediation
• Improved readiness supported qualification for a major government contract

Note: Results are environment-dependent; we focus on defensible improvements and measurable progress.

Building Compliance Readiness for a Georgia Nonprofit

Client profile: Forsyth County nonprofit (25 staff) delivering community health services and managing donor databases with sensitive data.

Challenge

Budget constraints and limited internal expertise made compliance readiness difficult. An audit flagged gaps in data storage and incident response, creating risk to funding, donor confidence, and mission continuity.

Solution

PCTA performed a targeted compliance and regulatory readiness assessment, clarified applicable obligations, and hardened policies and procedures. We created user-friendly protocols, built an incident readiness plan, and facilitated tabletop exercises. Vendor risk advisory was applied to cloud providers to confirm appropriate controls within mission-driven constraints.

Results

• Audit outcomes improved with documented controls and clearer operational procedures
• Phishing susceptibility reduced by an estimated 50% after training and reinforcement
• Reduced risk of compliance penalties and donor erosion

Enhancing Incident Response for an E-commerce Retailer

Client profile: Atlanta metro online retailer (40 employees) processing thousands of monthly transactions in a PCI-aligned environment.

Challenge

Minor fraud attempts exposed a reactive response posture. Remote work increased endpoint and account risk, and the organization lacked structured playbooks, vendor visibility, and validation testing to confidently scale.

Solution

PCTA delivered Trusted Advisor services starting with a risk assessment and prioritization session. We developed incident readiness and response playbooks, coordinated external penetration testing validation, and performed vendor risk review for payment-related third parties. We also supported documentation updates aligned to PCI expectations.

Results

• Incident response time improved from days to hours with clear escalation and playbooks
• Improved monitoring and awareness enabled faster detection and containment of phishing attempts
• Security improvements supported customer confidence and scalable operations

Developing a Security Program for a Construction Company

Client profile: Forsyth County construction firm (45 employees) managing bids, blueprints, and subcontractor data across field and office teams.

Challenge

A subcontractor email compromise nearly triggered fraudulent payment routing, exposing gaps in email protection, file sharing, mobile usage, and contract-driven security expectations.

Solution

PCTA conducted a risk assessment and led security program development tailored to operations. We created policies and documentation, designed incident response processes with practical drills, advised on secure collaboration tools, and coordinated validation testing. Training was delivered in plain language to improve adoption for non-technical teams.

Results

• Email filtering and improved workflows helped stop suspicious payment diversion attempts
• Demonstrated security maturity supported qualification for larger bids
• Employee adoption improved through practical training and clear expectations