Recently, Kaseya hosted its first-ever Compliance Summit at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. This premier event is the only major compliance event designed specifically to address the growing complexity of compliance for small businesses. By bringing together small business decision-makers, industry thought leaders and other IT professionals, the Kaseya Compliance Summit 2025 provided a fresh perspective on compliance best practices and actionable insights on the impact of evolving regulatory frameworks on small businesses.

Navigating the convergence of compliance and cybersecurity

The event launched with a bustling networking luncheon, setting the stage for an agenda packed with in-depth discussions and expert-led presentations. The conference hall quickly filled to capacity as attendees prepared to engage with high-caliber speakers sharing their expertise on compliance, cybersecurity and risk management.

Kaseya Vice Chairman Fred Voccola kicked off the event with an energetic keynote address, contextualizing the current compliance landscape for small businesses. He highlighted the accelerated pace of technological evolution and its implications for security and regulatory requirements. Voccola also outlined key regulatory, economic and security trends shaping the security and compliance world in 2025. He offered small business leaders insights into the unique opportunities for growth that may be ahead of them and provided strategic recommendations for putting their organizations in the best position to profit.

Takeaways from key sessions

Demystifying FedRAMP: A Strategic Imperative for SMBs

FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government framework that ensures cloud services meet strict security standards. Compliance with this standard is crucial for small businesses looking to work with federal agencies. However, the program has a long list of complex requirements, making the prospect daunting. This session, featuring David Fairburn, a foundational architect of FedRAMP, provided attendees with expert insights from the man who helped build it from the ground up, including:

• The history and development of the FedRAMP framework.
• FedRAMP’s role in facilitating small business engagement with U.S. federal agencies.
• Why businesses should take an approach focused on a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) to navigate their way to FedRAMP compliance.
• Leveraging the framework to expand business opportunities even if a company is not going for federal contracts.
• The benefits of making FedRAMP readiness a goal for every business.

Attendees left the session with a holistic understanding of FedRAMP and how they can leverage the program to grow their businesses.

StateRAMP compliance: A stepping stone to federal contracts

In our second session of the day, attendees also enjoyed a deep dive into the inner workings of State Risk and Authorization Management Program (StateRAMP). StateRAMP is a cybersecurity compliance framework that standardizes security requirements for cloud service providers working with U.S. state and local governments, based on the FedRAMP model. Tony Bai, a StateRAMP Steering Committee member, walked attendees through the program from its origins to today, including:

• Why StateRAMP was created.
• The alignment between StateRAMP and FedRAMP.
• How StateRAMP certification provides a strategic pathway toward FedRAMP alignment.
• A comprehensive comparison of the two frameworks, including their requirements, benefits and challenges.
• The unexpected advantages that small businesses gain through achieving StateRAMP compliance.
• Actionable strategies for businesses to streamline their compliance journeys.

This session provided perspective into StateRAMP that attendees couldn’t access anywhere else. It was specifically designed to give small businesses a tailor-made look at what the program can help them achieve.

SOC 2 compliance for SMBs: Achieving security without financial strain

SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a cybersecurity compliance framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that assesses how service providers securely manage customer data based on five trust service criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy. Jake Nix, CPA, Director of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, led the third session of the day, providing small business decision-makers clarity as to why SOC2 compliance is key for businesses handling sensitive client data. Attendees learned:

• Cost-effective approaches to achieving SOC 2 compliance.
• The competitive advantages that businesses can gain through SOC2 compliance.
• How SOC2’s requirements compare with the key elements of other compliance frameworks.
• Why it is smart for businesses to make early investments in structured processes and skilled personnel to foster compliance.
• How building a strong foundation for SOC2 compliance can minimize long-term operational disruptions.

This informative session delivered a wealth of information about compliance from a new perspective, helping attendees gain clarity into the complex SOC2 framework and why it is worth pursuing for small businesses.

Cybersecurity clauses in contracts: Mitigating legal and compliance risks

Many businesses grapple with the presence of cybersecurity compliance requirements in contracts they may encounter, even if those contracts don’t come from a government agency. Sifting through a contract and interpreting all the legalese isn’t an easy job. In his afternoon session, top attorney Jeff Chiow of Greenberg Traurig, an expert identified as a “Next Generation” Government Contracts Lawyer by Legal500, demystified cybersecurity clauses in contracts that small businesses may encounter. He provided legal perspective on:

• The basics of cybersecurity clauses in business contracts.
• The financial and operational risks of non-compliance.
• Why it is vital that small business decision-makers seek legal counsel before signing a contract.
• The problems that can ensue from not being on the same page as a client in terms of cybersecurity.
• Real-life scenarios where businesses had ended up in hot water because they failed to meet their cybersecurity-related contractual obligations.
• Why it is critical for small businesses to ensure that all cybersecurity requirements are spelled out in a contract.

Chiow emphasized the importance of understanding the specific cybersecurity obligations outlined in agreements and why it is a smart idea for businesses to make a proactive plan to manage potential risks.

Expert panel: The business value of compliance

Attendees enjoyed a high-impact panel discussion expertly moderated by Jon DePerro, Kaseya’s Vice President of FedRAMP & Compliance Solutions. The session featured an all-star lineup of industry leaders, including Rusty Goodwin, a renowned cyber insurance expert, Will Nobles, CEO of Vector Choice, and Eric Levitas, VP of Business Development for ControlCase.

Together, these experts explored the critical role of compliance in shaping business success and strengthening cybersecurity postures. The discussion provided actionable strategies and real-world examples, focusing on:

• How organizations that adhere to rigorous security and compliance frameworks can lower risk and qualify for better cyber insurance rates.
• The ways businesses can leverage compliance expertise as a competitive advantage to win more deals.
• The business benefits of streamlining compliance processes using tools like automation.
• How businesses profit from reducing manual workloads, improving alignment with compliance standards and bolstering security while maximizing efficiency and profitability.

By the end of the session, attendees walked away with practical insights on how to turn compliance into a business enabler and leverage it to drive long-term growth.

The future of compliance: Automation and innovation

Kaseya’s General Manager of Compliance, Max Pruger, wrapped up the summit with an insightful exploration of how automation is transforming compliance management and how small businesses can leverage it. Pruger highlighted the increasing complexity of regulatory requirements and the challenges IT professionals face in maintaining compliance efficiently using old-fashioned techniques. He then went on to showcase the comprehensive risk management capabilities of Kaseya Compliance Manager GRC, providing a hands-on, step-by-step demonstration of how its automated features make it easy for small businesses to:

• Conduct comprehensive compliance assessments in under 10 minutes.
• Rapidly evaluate their security posture without time-consuming manual processes.
• Monitor adherence to over 1,800 security benchmarks.
• Gain real-time visibility into their compliance status to ensure continuous alignment with industry standards.
• Customize compliance workflows to align with various regulatory standards.
• Adapt compliance strategies to meet the unique needs of different frameworks, from HIPAA and NIST to GDPR and CMMC.

Pruger highlighted a key advantage of adopting an innovative solution like Compliance Manager GRC — automation removes guesswork, bolsters audit preparedness, reduces human error and helps businesses stay ahead of regulatory changes without overburdening their resources.

A must-attend event for IT and compliance professionals

The day wrapped up with a networking cocktail reception, capping off a day of expert-led sessions exclusively devoted to addressing the needs of small businesses. Attendees left the Kaseya Compliance Summit with practical insights into complex and confusing topics like managing compliance, FedRAMP, StateRAMP, SOC 2 and contract security clauses. With a focus on automation’s role in streamlining operations and simplifying compliance challenges, the summit underscored how tools like Compliance Manager GRC are transforming compliance management. Make sure that you’re on the right path to achieve and maintain compliance with our checklist Stay Ahead in 2025: Your 10-Step Guide to Compliance Success.