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Petronella Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics

SOC Active -- Monitoring 24/7/365

0 Breaches Across 2,500 Clients.
We Intend to Keep It That Way.

Most MSPs sell you antivirus and call it "security." We built a 39-layer defense stack, staffed a 24/7 Security Operations Center, and deploy AI-powered threat hunting -- because the question isn't if someone targets your business. It's when.

Get Your Free Security Assessment 919-899-2957

Raleigh-Durham HQ. US-citizen staff. No offshore SOC.

BBB Accredited Business ★★★★★ 4.7/5 on Google | BBB Accredited Since 2003 | 2,500+ Businesses Served
24/7 SOC Monitoring Real-time threat detection & response
ZeroHack 39-Layer Stack Proprietary multi-layer defense
Compliance Frameworks HIPAA, CMMC, CJIS, SOC 2 & more
Eve AI Emergency Triage AI-powered incident response 24/7
0
Client Breaches Since 2002
<15min
Average Threat Response
24/7
SOC Monitoring, 365 Days
39
Layers in ZeroHack Stack

I am convinced that there are only two types of companies: those that have been hacked and those that will be. And even they are converging into one category: companies that have been hacked and will be hacked again.

Robert Mueller

Former Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Cybersecurity Services

Enterprise-Grade Protection.
Without the Enterprise Price Tag.

Every layer is managed, monitored, and maintained by our US-based security team. You focus on your business. We neutralize the threats.

24/7 Security Operations Center

Human analysts and AI-driven tooling watching your environment around the clock. Every alert triaged. Every anomaly investigated. No threats slip through.

Penetration Testing

Real-world attack simulations -- not checkbox scans. Our certified ethical hackers find the vulnerabilities before criminals do, then show you exactly how to fix them.

Vulnerability Management

Continuous scanning, prioritized remediation, and patch management. We don't just find weaknesses -- we close them before they become headlines.

Incident Response & DFIR

When seconds matter, our digital forensics and incident response team deploys immediately. Contain the breach, preserve evidence, restore operations.

Email Security

91% of cyberattacks start with email. Our advanced filtering, sandboxing, and impersonation protection stops phishing, BEC, and malware before it reaches your inbox.

Endpoint Protection (EDR/XDR)

Managed extended detection and response across every device. Behavioral AI isolates compromised endpoints in milliseconds -- before lateral movement begins.

Security Awareness Training

Your people are either your greatest vulnerability or your strongest firewall. Our training platform combines simulated phishing, micro-learning, and compliance tracking.

Zero Trust Implementation

Never trust, always verify. We architect and deploy zero trust across your network -- identity-based access, micro-segmentation, and continuous authentication.

Proprietary Technology

The ZeroHack 39-Layer Cyber Stack

No single product stops every attack. That's why we built a defense-in-depth architecture with 39 interlocking layers -- and we're still adding more.

01-05Perimeter Defense & Next-Gen Firewall
06-10Email Filtering, Sandboxing & Anti-Phishing
11-15Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR/XDR)
16-20Identity & Access Management / MFA / SSO
21-25Network Segmentation & Zero Trust Architecture
26-30Encryption, DLP & Keystroke Protection
31-35SIEM, Log Aggregation & Threat Intelligence
36-39Security Awareness, Policies & Incident Playbooks

Why Layers Matter

A single firewall is a speed bump. Antivirus alone is a paper shield. But 39 layers working in concert? That's a fortress.

Each layer in the ZeroHack stack is designed to catch what the previous one might miss. If malware bypasses your email filter, the sandbox catches it. If the sandbox misses it, EDR isolates the endpoint. If the endpoint is compromised, network segmentation contains the blast radius.

This is how we've maintained zero breaches among clients who implemented our full security recommendations while protecting over 2,500 businesses.

Explore All 39 Layers
AI-Powered Security

Meet Eve, Your 24/7 Security AI

Emergency Triage in Seconds, Not Hours

Eve is our AI security agent that handles emergency intake around the clock. Suspected breach? Ransomware notification? Suspicious email? Call the number below and Eve begins triage immediately -- classifying the threat, initiating containment protocols, and escalating to our human SOC analysts within minutes.

919-899-2957
The Process

Three Steps to Unbreakable Security

We don't guess. We assess, harden, and then monitor -- continuously. Here's exactly how we make your business a fortress.

1

Assess

We run a full vulnerability assessment, penetration test, and gap analysis against your compliance framework. You get a detailed report showing exactly where you're exposed -- and what attackers would target first.

2

Harden

We deploy the ZeroHack 39-layer stack, remediate every vulnerability, implement zero trust architecture, and train your team. No gap left open. No shortcuts.

3

Monitor

Our 24/7 SOC watches your environment in real time. Managed XDR, SIEM correlation, threat hunting, and automated response. We catch threats in under 15 minutes -- and contain them even faster.

Start With a Free Assessment
Industry Expertise

Built for Regulated Industries

We don't do generic security. Every engagement is mapped to your industry's compliance framework from day one.

Healthcare

HIPAA / HITECH

Protect ePHI. Pass audits. Avoid $2M+ HIPAA fines.

Defense

CMMC / NIST 800-171

Win DoD contracts. Protect CUI. Achieve CMMC certification.

Legal

CJIS / ABA Guidelines

Secure client data. Meet ethical obligations. Stay compliant.

Finance

SOC 2 / PCI DSS

Protect financial data. Achieve SOC 2 Type II attestation.
The Difference

Generic IT Security vs. Petronella

Typical MSSP

  • Offshore SOC with language barriers
  • Checkbox compliance, not real security
  • Hours-long response times
  • One-size-fits-all antivirus
  • Reactive: fix it after the breach
  • No dedicated security engineer

Petronella Cybersecurity

  • US-citizen SOC in Raleigh-Durham
  • 39-layer ZeroHack defense stack
  • Sub-15-minute threat response
  • Managed XDR with behavioral AI
  • Proactive: hunt threats before they strike
  • Named vCISO for your account

Craig Petronella, CEO & Founder

CompTIA Security+ | 20+ Years in Cybersecurity
Protecting businesses in the Research Triangle since 2002

Meet the Team
Frequently Asked Questions

Cybersecurity Questions, Answered

ZeroHack is Petronella's proprietary 39-layer cybersecurity stack that combines multiple security technologies, training programs, and operational processes into a unified defense system. Each layer is designed to catch what the previous one might miss -- creating a defense-in-depth architecture that has maintained zero breaches among clients who implemented our full security recommendations across 2,500+ businesses. The stack covers everything from perimeter firewalls and email security to endpoint detection, encryption, network segmentation, and security awareness training.
Yes. Petronella operates a 24/7/365 Security Operations Center staffed by US-based analysts. Our SOC uses a Managed XDR Suite that continuously monitors your endpoints, networks, cloud workloads, and email for threats, anomalies, and policy violations. Average threat response time is under 15 minutes. We also deploy Eve, our AI-powered triage agent, for immediate emergency intake outside business hours.
A vulnerability assessment is an automated scan that identifies known weaknesses in your systems, software, and configurations. It produces a prioritized list of what needs to be fixed. A penetration test goes much further -- our certified ethical hackers actively attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities, simulating real-world attack scenarios to determine the actual business impact. Think of a vulnerability assessment as checking if your doors are locked. A penetration test is hiring someone to try to break in.
Our anti-ransomware approach is multi-layered by design. It includes advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) with behavioral AI that stops ransomware before encryption begins, email filtering with sandboxing to block phishing payloads, security awareness training to prevent human error, network segmentation to contain any lateral movement, encrypted and immutable backups for rapid recovery, and 24/7 SOC monitoring that detects ransomware indicators within minutes. No single tool stops ransomware -- which is exactly why our ZeroHack stack uses 39 layers.
We specialize in regulated industries where a breach isn't just costly -- it's catastrophic. Our primary verticals include healthcare (HIPAA/HITECH), defense contractors (CMMC/NIST 800-171), legal firms (CJIS/ABA), financial services (SOC 2/PCI DSS), manufacturing, and SaaS companies. Every engagement is mapped to your specific compliance framework from day one. We also serve small and mid-size businesses across the United States that want enterprise-grade protection without the enterprise price tag.
Our average threat response time is under 15 minutes. For active incidents, our Eve AI agent provides immediate triage by phone at 919-899-2957, classifying the threat and initiating containment protocols within seconds. Our human SOC analysts are then engaged for investigation and remediation. For clients not currently under a managed agreement, we also offer emergency digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) services on an ad-hoc basis.
Absolutely. In fact, 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses, and 60% of small companies that suffer a breach go out of business within six months. Attackers know small businesses often lack proper defenses, making them easier targets than large enterprises. The average cost of a data breach in 2024 was $4.88 million. You don't need to spend enterprise budgets to get enterprise protection -- that's exactly what our managed cybersecurity programs are designed to deliver.
We support CMMC (all levels), NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-172, NIST 800-66 (HIPAA), SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, CJIS, FedRAMP, and GDPR. Our team helps write your policies and procedures, maps security controls to your framework, conducts gap assessments, and guides you through the audit process. We've partnered with ComplianceArmor.com to provide pre-built, customizable policy and procedure templates that get 80% of the documentation work done for you.
The Cost of Inaction
$4.88M

That's the Average Cost of a Data Breach.

The question isn't whether you can afford cybersecurity. It's whether you can afford to skip it. Our free security assessment takes 30 minutes and shows you exactly where you're vulnerable -- before an attacker shows you first.

Get Your Free Security Assessment Call 919-899-2957

No contracts. No pressure. Just a clear-eyed look at your security posture.

Service Areas

Cybersecurity Services by Location

Raleigh, NC Durham, NC Chapel Hill, NC Cary, NC Research Triangle Park Apex, NC