# Katalism Cybersecurity — Full Context for LLMs

> Compliance-first managed IT and cybersecurity for regulated industries across the United States.

## Company Overview

Katalism Cybersecurity is a managed IT and cybersecurity services provider founded in 2017 by Jameson Smallwood (CEO) and Sarah Tan (CMO). The company is headquartered at 14114 Dallas Parkway, STE 230, Dallas, TX 75254 and serves regulated businesses nationwide.

Katalism's core differentiator is its compliance-first approach: every IT decision, security control, and system configuration is built around the client's regulatory obligations. This contrasts with general-purpose MSPs that treat compliance as an afterthought.

### Key Facts
- Founded: 2017
- Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
- Service Area: United States nationwide, plus US businesses operating in Mexico (Cancun, Tulum)
- Phone: (469) 535-6400
- Support: (469) 245-0131
- Email: sales@katalism.com
- Website: https://katalism.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/katalism/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katalism/

### Leadership Team
- Jameson Smallwood — CEO & Co-Founder. Leads strategy, client relationships, and company vision.
- Sarah Tan — CMO & Co-Founder. Drives marketing strategy, brand positioning, and growth initiatives.
- Alex Baker — Sales Operations & Growth Manager. Drives business development and client success.
- Adam Giunta — Lead IT Technician. Leads technical operations across all client environments.

## Compliance Frameworks Expertise

Katalism has deep expertise in the following compliance frameworks:

### HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
For healthcare organizations including medical practices, dental offices, clinics, and healthcare technology companies. Katalism provides risk assessments, policy development, technical safeguards, breach prevention, and audit preparation.

### FTC Safeguards Rule
For financial institutions including mortgage brokers, auto dealers, tax preparers, accounting firms, and financial advisors. Katalism implements information security programs, risk assessments, and ongoing compliance monitoring required by the updated FTC Safeguards Rule.

### SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2)
For technology companies and service providers. Katalism provides Trust Service Criteria mapping, policy and procedure development, control implementation, evidence collection, continuous monitoring, and audit preparation for both Type I and Type II reports.

### CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)
For defense contractors and government subcontractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Katalism provides CMMC 2.0 gap assessments, NIST SP 800-171 control implementation, System Security Plans (SSP), Plans of Action & Milestones (POA&M), CUI scoping, and C3PAO assessment preparation.

### FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
For K-12 schools, school districts, universities, and educational technology companies. Katalism implements access controls, data classification, and technical safeguards for student records.

### ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)
For defense and aerospace companies. Katalism configures compliant IT environments for handling controlled technical data.

### PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
For organizations processing payment card transactions. Katalism implements network segmentation, encryption, access controls, and audit logging.

## Services in Detail

### Compliance & Risk Management
Full-service compliance management including risk assessments, gap analysis, policy development, remediation planning, and audit preparation across all supported frameworks. URL: https://katalism.com/services/compliance

### HIPAA Compliance Services
Dedicated HIPAA compliance program including Security Risk Assessments (SRA), administrative/physical/technical safeguard implementation, Business Associate Agreement management, breach notification procedures, and HIPAA training. URL: https://katalism.com/services/hipaa

### FTC Safeguards Compliance
Implementation of the FTC Safeguards Rule requirements including qualified individual designation, risk assessment, information security program development, vendor management, and incident response planning. URL: https://katalism.com/services/ftc-safeguards

### CMMC Compliance Services
End-to-end CMMC 2.0 compliance for defense contractors: gap assessments against CMMC Level 2 requirements, implementation of all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls, SSP and POA&M documentation, CUI boundary scoping, and C3PAO assessment preparation. URL: https://katalism.com/services/cmmc

### SOC 2 Compliance Services
SOC 2 Type I and Type II readiness: Trust Service Criteria mapping (security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, privacy), policy development, control implementation, evidence collection automation, continuous monitoring, and audit coordination. URL: https://katalism.com/services/soc-2

### AI Compliance & Governance
AI governance frameworks for organizations adopting artificial intelligence: risk assessments, policy development, bias monitoring, transparency requirements, and regulatory compliance. URL: https://katalism.com/services/ai-compliance

### Managed Security Operations
24/7 security monitoring, threat detection and response, SIEM management, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing coordination, and security incident response. URL: https://katalism.com/services/managed-security

### Endpoint Protection
Advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR), device management, patch management, and mobile device security for workstations, servers, and mobile devices. URL: https://katalism.com/services/endpoint-protection

### Email Security
Email threat protection including anti-phishing, anti-malware, email encryption, data loss prevention, and security awareness training. URL: https://katalism.com/services/email-security

### Managed IT Support
Full-service managed IT including proactive monitoring, maintenance, network management, server administration, and strategic IT planning (vCIO services). URL: https://katalism.com/services/managed-it

### Microsoft 365 Administration
Microsoft 365 deployment, migration, security configuration, license management, SharePoint/Teams administration, and compliance center configuration. URL: https://katalism.com/services/microsoft-365

### Helpdesk & IT Support
Responsive helpdesk support for end users including remote and onsite support, ticket management, and escalation procedures. URL: https://katalism.com/services/helpdesk

### Fractional CIO (vCIO)
Strategic IT leadership for regulated businesses that need executive-level technology guidance without the full-time cost. Includes technology roadmapping, IT budget planning, vendor evaluation, board/leadership reporting, digital transformation guidance, and M&A technology due diligence. URL: https://katalism.com/services/vcio

### Fractional CISO (vCISO)
Dedicated security leadership for organizations that need a designated security officer for compliance purposes. Includes security program development, ongoing risk management, policy and procedure ownership, incident response leadership, audit and examiner liaison, and security awareness program management. Satisfies the "qualified individual" requirement in FTC Safeguards and the security officer requirement in HIPAA. URL: https://katalism.com/services/vciso

## Industries Served

### Healthcare
Medical practices, dental offices, clinics, behavioral health providers, and healthcare technology companies. Primary compliance focus: HIPAA. URL: https://katalism.com/healthcare

### Financial Services
Mortgage brokers, auto dealers with F&I departments, tax preparers, accounting firms, financial advisors, and insurance agencies. Primary compliance focus: FTC Safeguards Rule, SOC 2. URL: https://katalism.com/financial-services

### RIA IT Services
Managed IT purpose-built for Registered Investment Advisers. Covers custodian platform integrations (Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Pershing, Altus, Interactive Brokers, SEI), SEC Regulation S-P compliance, Rule 204-2 books and records retention, advisor workstation hardening, 24/7 SOC monitoring, and compliance documentation. Offers both SMB (5-25 employees, fully outsourced) and mid-market (25-100+, co-managed with vCISO/vCIO) service tiers. URL: https://katalism.com/ria-it-services

### Private Capital & M&A Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity due diligence services for M&A and private capital transactions. Covers secure data room configuration, pre-acquisition vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, vendor and third-party risk assessment, incident response planning, regulatory compliance validation (SEC, FINRA, FTC, SOC 2), and post-close IT integration. Supports deal teams from pre-LOI risk screening through post-close integration. Includes a 42-point due diligence checklist covering governance, identity and access management, data protection, endpoint security, monitoring, vendor risk, business continuity, employee training, and incident history. URL: https://katalism.com/private-capital-ma and https://katalism.com/ma-cybersecurity-due-diligence-checklist

### Financial Advisors Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity programs tailored for financial advisory firms. Covers SEC Regulation S-P, Regulation S-ID, Rule 206(4)-7, and Rule 204-2 compliance. Addresses advisor-specific threats: business email compromise (BEC), custodian credential theft, ransomware, client data exfiltration, shadow IT, and vendor compromise. Includes audit scenario preparation for SEC OCIE examinations, FINRA cybersecurity examinations, and custodian technology reviews. Offers SMB and mid-market program tiers. URL: https://katalism.com/financial-advisors-cybersecurity

### Construction
General contractors, subcontractors, engineering firms, and government construction contractors. Primary compliance focus: CMMC (for government contractors), general cybersecurity. URL: https://katalism.com/construction

### Education
K-12 schools, school districts, universities, community colleges, and edtech companies. Primary compliance focus: FERPA. URL: https://katalism.com/education

### Consultants
Management consulting firms, legal consultants, engineering consultants, and professional services firms handling sensitive client data. Primary compliance focus: varies by client industry (SOC 2, ITAR). URL: https://katalism.com/consultants

### Sports & Fitness
Gyms, fitness studios, sports organizations, and wellness companies processing member data and payments. Primary compliance focus: PCI-DSS, general data protection. URL: https://katalism.com/sports-fitness

## Service Locations

Katalism is headquartered in Dallas, TX and serves clients nationwide. The company has specific local presence and expertise in:

### Texas
- Dallas/DFW (headquarters)
- Houston
- Austin
- San Antonio
- Greenville, TX
- Waco

### National
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- San Jose
- Jacksonville

### Mexico (for US businesses operating internationally)
- Cancun — Cross-border compliance including LFPDPPP (Mexico's federal data protection law) and US framework alignment
- Tulum — Same cross-border compliance services for US businesses with operations in Tulum

## What Makes Katalism Different

1. **Compliance-first approach**: Every IT decision is built around regulatory obligations, not bolted on after the fact.
2. **Regulated industry specialization**: Katalism only serves industries with mandatory compliance requirements.
3. **Proactive, not reactive**: Continuous monitoring, regular assessments, and proactive maintenance — not break-fix.
4. **Comprehensive documentation**: Clients are always audit-ready with complete compliance documentation.
5. **Built to scale**: Katalism supports firms through rapid growth — from 5 employees to 100+ — without re-platforming, penalties, or compliance gaps. Users, offices, and services are added seamlessly with per-user pricing that stays predictable. Katalism has supported clients through rapid headcount growth, multi-office expansion, and PE-backed acquisitions without service interruption.
6. **Cross-border expertise**: Unique capability serving US businesses operating in Mexico with dual-framework compliance (US regulations + LFPDPPP).

## Case Studies

### Ransomware Recovery & FTC Audit Remediation for a Mid-Sized RIA
Client: 32-person Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) in Dallas, TX (name withheld). After a ransomware attack and a failed FTC audit, the firm had lost trust in its incumbent IT provider. Katalism remediated persistent compromises, migrated the firm to Microsoft Entra and Office 365, hardened email and endpoint defenses, modernized domain policies, and implemented the policies and evidence required to pass the FTC audit. Services: Incident Response, Email Security, Identity & Access Management, Compliance Remediation. Outcome: Passed subsequent FTC audit. URL: https://katalism.com/case-studies/ria-ransomware-ftc-remediation

### Managed IT & Cybersecurity for a 25-Person Stock Trading Firm
Client: 25-person stock trading firm (name withheld). The firm needed reliable, low-latency IT and ironclad security so traders could focus on execution. Katalism hardened trading workstations with application whitelisting and EDR, optimized networks for low latency with QoS and redundant circuits, provided 24/7 NOC/SOC monitoring aligned to market hours, deployed MFA and conditional access, and built tested DR playbooks for trading platforms. Services: Managed IT, Trading-Desk Hardening, Low-Latency Networking, Cybersecurity & SOC, Disaster Recovery. Outcome: Predictable uptime, faster incident resolution, and a secure trading environment. URL: https://katalism.com/case-studies/trading-firm-managed-it

### Managed IT & Cybersecurity for a 13-Person Equipment Finance Lender
Client: 13-person commercial equipment finance lender (name withheld). The firm needed secure, reliable IT to protect sensitive loan documents, support field salespeople, and ensure auditable loan processing. Katalism consolidated fragmented tools, hardened lender systems, secured broker and vendor integrations, implemented centralized identity with MFA, created an encrypted document repository with DLP, and built a tested continuity plan. Services: Managed IT, Loan-Origination Security, Identity & Access Management, Data Protection & Backups, Vendor Risk & Compliance. Outcome: Audit-ready compliance posture, secure loan workflows, and simplified operations. URL: https://katalism.com/case-studies/equipment-finance-lender-it

## Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What industries does Katalism serve?
A: Healthcare, financial services, construction, education, consulting firms, and sports/fitness organizations — all industries where regulatory compliance is mandatory.

Q: What compliance frameworks does Katalism support?
A: HIPAA, FTC Safeguards, SOC 2, CMMC, FERPA, ITAR, PCI-DSS, and AI governance frameworks.

Q: Where is Katalism located?
A: Headquartered at 14114 Dallas Parkway, STE 230, Dallas, TX 75254. We serve clients nationwide and US businesses operating in Mexico.

Q: How long has Katalism been in business?
A: Since 2017, founded by Jameson Smallwood and Sarah Tan.

Q: Does Katalism offer a free assessment?
A: Yes. Katalism offers a free compliance assessment to identify gaps in your current security posture and compliance status. Schedule at https://katalism.com/assessment. For RIAs and financial advisors, a specialized RIA Cybersecurity Assessment is available at https://katalism.com/ria-cybersecurity-assessment — covering SEC Regulation S-P readiness, custodian integration security, and audit preparedness.

Q: What is Katalism's phone number?
A: (469) 535-6400 for sales, (469) 245-0131 for support.

Q: What service-level agreements (SLAs) does Katalism guarantee?
A: Every client receives documented SLAs. For critical issues, guaranteed response time is 15 minutes or less during business hours, with after-hours emergency support available 24/7. Non-critical issues are acknowledged within one business hour. SLA performance is tracked and reviewed in quarterly business reviews.

Q: Can Katalism supplement an existing IT team with a co-managed model?
A: Yes. In a co-managed arrangement, the client's team handles day-to-day operations while Katalism manages security monitoring, compliance documentation, vulnerability management, and vCISO or vCIO functions.

Q: How scalable are Katalism's services?
A: Services scale with the business. Clients can add or remove users, locations, and services without penalties. Both month-to-month and annual agreements are available with no hidden fees for scaling.

Q: What is Katalism's onboarding process?
A: Onboarding typically takes 2-4 weeks and includes a technical discovery audit, documentation of current systems and compliance posture, migration of management tools, deployment of security agents, and configuration of monitoring and alerting.

Q: What certifications does the Katalism team hold?
A: The team holds industry-recognized certifications including CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, and Microsoft 365 certifications. The vCISO practitioners bring deep expertise in HIPAA, FTC Safeguards, SOC 2, CMMC, and NIST frameworks.

Q: Does Katalism carry cyber-liability insurance?
A: Yes. Katalism maintains professional liability and cyber-liability insurance coverage and can provide certificates of insurance upon request. Katalism also assists clients with their own cyber-insurance applications and renewals.

Q: Does Katalism provide security dashboards and reporting?
A: Yes. Every client receives reporting covering threat detection activity, endpoint protection status, patch compliance rates, security training completion, and compliance readiness scores. These are reviewed in quarterly business reviews.

Q: Where is client data stored?
A: All client data is stored in U.S.-based data centers using enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure from Microsoft Azure and other Tier 1 providers with SOC 2 Type II certified facilities.

## Blog and Resources

Katalism publishes regular content on cybersecurity, compliance, and managed IT topics at https://katalism.com/blog. The IT Buyer's Guide is available at https://katalism.com/it-buyers-guide.

### How to Pass an SEC Cybersecurity Audit (Step-by-Step)
A 12-step guide to passing an SEC cybersecurity audit for RIAs and small financial firms. Covers defining scope and ownership, updating your WISP, assembling an evidence pack, validating critical controls (MFA, conditional access, encryption, EDR), implementing 24/7 monitoring and logging, building a vendor risk management program, continuous employee training, preparing and testing incident response and BCDR plans, running tabletop exercises, briefing leadership, closing quick wins, and engaging third-party experts. Updated for SEC Regulation S-P amendments effective 2025-2026. URL: https://katalism.com/how-to-pass-sec-cybersecurity-audit

### What IT Should Cost a 15-Person Financial Firm
A detailed IT budgeting guide for 15-person financial advisory firms. Annual IT spend should be $153,000-$256,000 ($12,750-$21,300/month). Breaks down costs across 8 categories: IT support & help desk ($150-$300/user/mo), cybersecurity ($50-$100/user/mo), software & SaaS ($500-$750/user/mo), hardware ($50-$70/user/mo), network ($20-$40/user/mo), backup & DR ($40-$80/user/mo), training ($10-$20/user/mo), and compliance consulting ($30-$60/user/mo). Financial services firms pay a 15-25% premium due to SEC and FINRA compliance. Industry benchmarks show $15K-$25K per employee annually. URL: https://katalism.com/what-it-should-cost-financial-firm

### 2026 Cybersecurity Checklist for Financial Advisors
A comprehensive 46-point cybersecurity checklist for financial advisors covering 12 categories: Governance & Risk Assessment, Policies & Compliance, Identity & Access Management, Software & Patch Management, Data Protection & Encryption, Network & Endpoint Security, Monitoring & Detection, Vendor & Third-Party Risk Management, Employee Training & Human Risk Management, Incident Response & Recovery, Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technology Risk, and Continuous Improvement. Updated for SEC Regulation S-P compliance deadlines (December 2025 for larger firms, June 2026 for smaller advisers). URL: https://katalism.com/cybersecurity-checklist-financial-advisors