Where small business tech starts.
Security, compliance, IT operations, and AI workflows for businesses without a CIO. Practical, transparent, and built on decades of senior expertise.
We work with the kind of business that doesn't have an IT department.
Professional services
law, accounting, consulting
Healthcare-adjacent
dental, chiropractic, therapy, veterinary
Retail and e-commerce
Trades and contractors
Restaurants and hospitality
Nonprofits
501(c)(3) organizations
Outdoor recreation and guide services
our specialty
We started in the outdoor recreation industry — guides, outfitters, gyms, ski schools. If you're in that world, you'll find we speak your language. If you're not, you'll still find someone who explains things in English.
What keeps small businesses up at night.
- Card processing fraud and PCI exposure
- Customer data and PII risk
- Phishing and email account takeover
- Ransomware shutting down operations during the busiest week of the year
You don't need a SOC team. You need someone who's seen this before.
What AI can do once you're protected.
- The same five questions answered fifty times a week — automated and handled
- Customer follow-up that actually happens, every time
- Document and contract summarization in seconds instead of hours
- Quote generation, scheduling, and reorder intelligence running in the background
AI agents aren't science fiction anymore. They're practical infrastructure your competitors are about to figure out.
Four practices. One trusted partner.
Whether you need to lock down your systems, pass a compliance audit, fix your day-to-day IT, or put AI to work — we handle all four under one roof.
Cybersecurity
Practical protection for the systems your business runs on.
Learn moreComplianceCompliance
PCI, privacy, vendor risk — handled without the consultant-speak.
Learn moreIT OpsIT Operations
The day-to-day technology backbone of your business, professionally managed.
Learn moreAIAI Workflows
Intelligent automation for the work your team does over and over.
Learn morePractical protection for the systems your business runs on.
Most small businesses don't get hacked because they're targeted — they get hit because basic protections weren't in place. We focus on the high-impact fundamentals that prevent 90% of real-world attacks, not theatre.
Cyber Hygiene Setup
One-time engagement, $1,500–2,500
MFA across email and platforms, password manager rollout, backup verification, initial staff phishing training, basic vulnerability scan. Delivered in 2–3 weeks.
Essentials Plan
Monthly retainer, $500–800/mo
Ongoing cyber hygiene checks, quarterly phishing simulations, patch monitoring, backup verification, email and on-call support. No long-term contracts.
Incident Support
Hourly, as-needed
When something goes wrong: ransomware, business email compromise, suspicious activity. We help you contain the damage, recover operations, and document for insurance and law enforcement.
Pass the audit. Protect the data. Document what you do.
Small businesses face the same compliance pressures as big ones — PCI for card processing, state privacy laws, vendor questionnaires from larger customers, insurance carrier requirements. We translate the requirements into practical work that fits your business, and we leave you with documentation that holds up.
PCI DSS Scoping & Implementation
Project, $2,500–5,000
Card processing scope assessment, gap analysis against PCI requirements, remediation guidance, written policies, attestation documentation. Standard for any business taking credit cards.
Privacy & Data Handling Review
Project, $2,500–4,500
Colorado Privacy Act, customer PII handling, waiver and consent flows, vendor data-sharing review. Includes written data handling policy and staff guidance.
Vendor Risk Assessment
Per assessment, $750–1,500
When a larger customer or partner sends you a security questionnaire, we complete it accurately and defensibly. Includes review of your vendor stack for risk you didn't know you had.
Your technology backbone, professionally managed.
Most small businesses have IT that grew organically — a mix of Google Workspace, a booking platform, a POS system, and whoever's son set up the WiFi. We bring order to it: proper administration, predictable support, and documentation that doesn't live in the owner's head.
Workspace Administration
Monthly retainer, $400–900/mo
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace administration, user lifecycle (onboarding, offboarding, role changes), email security, file organization, calendar management, mobile device management. Includes the cybersecurity baseline.
Platform Setup & Integration
Project-based, $1,500–5,000
Booking platforms (FareHarbor, Checkfront, Smartwaiver), practice management software, retail POS, e-commerce, payment processing, accounting integration. We set it up, configure it correctly, and train your staff.
Backup, Continuity & DR Planning
Project + retainer
Business-continuity planning, automated backups, tested recovery procedures, vendor management, business insurance alignment. Because the question isn't whether systems fail — it's how fast you're back up.
Intelligent automation for the work your team does over and over.
AI is genuinely useful right now for a specific kind of work: the repetitive, language-heavy, decision-light tasks that consume your team’s time without producing differentiation. We help you find those tasks, automate them safely, and measure the results.
AI Workflow Assessment
One-time, $1,500–3,000
We audit your existing workflows, identify 3–5 strong candidates for AI automation, estimate ROI, and deliver a written roadmap. No commitment to build — you take the assessment and run with whoever you choose.
Workflow Implementation
Per project, $3,000–15,000
Design and build a specific AI agent or automation. Integrate with the tools you already use (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, your booking platform, your CRM). Train your staff. Document the system. Hand it off cleanly.
Managed AI Operations
Monthly retainer, $500–2,000/mo
Once agents are in production, they need monitoring, tuning, and cost control. We watch them, fix what breaks, and add new workflows as we identify opportunities. Includes AI-specific security: prompt injection defense, data handling, access controls.
Senior expertise. Plain English. Small business focus.
We work with small businesses every day.
Our practice is built around the owner-operator. We know how you actually run your business and what you actually need.
Senior backstop when it matters.
Headwaters Cyber operates under Alpine Cyber Solutions LLC — a Denver-based consulting firm with decades of senior security and IT leadership behind it. You get the practical work without sacrificing the experience standing behind it.
Security and AI under one roof.
Most AI consultants ship insecure systems because they don't know what to look for. We secure what we build. That matters when your customer data is going through it.
Plain English. Transparent pricing.
You will never receive a quote that requires translation. Ranges are listed publicly because we don't believe in surprise.
Practical, not theater.
We focus on the work that actually reduces risk and produces results. If something looks like compliance theater, we'll tell you.
How we work.
- 01
Free 30-minute call.
We learn about your business, your concerns, and your goals.
- 02
Written assessment and quote.
Plain English, fixed scope, transparent pricing. No surprises.
- 03
You decide on scope.
No pressure, no upsell theater. Engage on what you actually need.
- 04
Work delivered.
Most engagements run remotely. On-site when it genuinely helps.
No long-term contracts. Pause, scale up, or scale down anytime.
Practical technology, built on real experience.
Headwaters Cyber is a small-business practice of Alpine Cyber Solutions LLC, founded to bring senior-grade security, compliance, IT, and AI expertise to the businesses that need it most — but that have been priced out of traditional consulting.
We started in the outdoor recreation industry: rafting outfitters, climbing gyms, guide services, ski schools. The work and the trust extended naturally to the businesses around us — the dental practice, the law firm down the block, the family-run retailer. Today we serve small businesses across the Front Range and remote, in any industry.
The practice is built around two principles: senior expertise stays senior, and small business work gets the focus it deserves. Both matter. Neither compromises the other.
Credentials
Our consultants hold the relevant industry credentials: CompTIA Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, Network+, A+, ISC2 SSCP, ITIL 4, and Project+. Educational background includes a Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance. Practical experience includes IT operations in government environments (Criminal Justice Information Services compliant) and managed services for outdoor recreation operators.
Let's talk about what you need.
Whether you need a security check, a compliance project, IT support, AI workflows, or just want to talk through a problem — reach out. The first call is free, runs about 30 minutes, and there’s no pressure to engage.