DEV Community: ComplianceLayer

ComplianceLayer — Marketplace Submission Assets

ComplianceLayer — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:00:03 +0000

ComplianceLayer — Marketplace Submission Assets

Created: 2026-03-25 | Use for all API marketplace listings

Status

Marketplace	Status	Notes
RapidAPI	✅ Live	Since March 21
Postman API Network	🔲 Ready to publish	Collection file ready
APILayer	🔲 Ready to submit	Apply at marketplace.apilayer.com
Zyla API Hub	🔲 Ready to submit	zylalabs.com/publish
ApyHub	🔲 Ready to submit	apyhub.com/submit
DigitalAPI Marketplace	🔲 Ready to submit	digitalapi.io

Core Submission Assets (Reuse Across All)

API Name

ComplianceLayer Security Scoring API

Tagline (short — 100 chars)

External security scanning for MSPs — DNS, SSL, ports, headers, blacklists in one API call

Short Description (250 chars)

Scan any domain and get a complete external security posture report in under 60 seconds. Covers DNS, SSL/TLS, HTTP headers, open ports, email authentication (SPF/DMARC/DKIM), blacklists, and WAF detection. API-first. JSON output. No install required.

Long Description (for marketplace pages)

ComplianceLayer is an external security scanning API built for MSPs, developers, and security teams who need to assess domain security posture at scale.

**What it scans:**
- DNS configuration (MX, SPF, DMARC, DKIM, DNSSEC, CAA)
- SSL/TLS certificate health, expiry date, chain validation, cipher suite
- Open port exposure (~100 ports including RDP/3389, SSH/22, FTP/21, SMB/445)
- HTTP security headers (HSTS, X-Frame-Options, CSP, CORS, Referrer-Policy)
- Email authentication completeness (SPF, DKIM, DMARC policy strength)
- Blacklist/blocklist status (35+ lists)
- Subdomain exposure
- WAF detection
- Breach indicator monitoring

**Output:** Structured JSON with overall A–F grade, per-category scores, individual findings with severity (critical/high/medium/low), and remediation steps. Client-ready PDF reports available.

**Use cases:**
- MSPs scanning client domains for cyber insurance audits
- Security teams monitoring external attack surface
- Developers building security dashboards and automation
- vCISOs generating client reports
- DevOps pipelines checking new deployments

**Why ComplianceLayer:**
Enterprise tools like BitSight ($30K+/year) and SecurityScorecard ($26K+/year) require demo calls and annual contracts. ComplianceLayer is $0.99/scan, self-serve, API-first, with no sales call required. Same external checks. 15-20x cheaper.

**Getting started:**
1. Get a free API key at compliancelayer.net (no credit card, 10 free scans)
2. POST your domain to /v1/scan/ — get a job_id back in < 1 second
3. Poll /v1/scan/jobs/{job_id} until status = "complete" (typically 15–60 seconds)
4. Full JSON results + PDF report available immediately

Free tier: 10 scans/month, no credit card required.

Categories (pick what applies per platform)

Primary: Security / Cybersecurity
Secondary: Developer Tools, Business Intelligence, Infrastructure, Monitoring
Tags: security, dns, ssl, api, msp, compliance, cyber-insurance, domain, scanning, headers, dmarc, spf, ports

Website

https://compliancelayer.net

API Base URL

https://compliancelayer.net/api

Documentation URL

https://compliancelayer.net/docs

OpenAPI Spec URL

https://compliancelayer.net/api/openapi.json

Support Email

robert@compliancelayer.net

Public Test API Key (rate limited — 5 scans/hr per IP)

cl_pub_YeiV6xHoTcBlOFrgCrIfVYlUoeYBSEyVl65d8bCQIlo

Pricing Tiers (adjust per platform's fee structure)

Direct pricing (compliancelayer.net)

Tier	Price	Scans/month
Free	$0	10
Starter	$99/mo	100
Professional	$249/mo	500
Enterprise	$599/mo	1,500

APILayer pricing (you keep 85%)

Tier	List Price	Scans/month
Free	$0	10
Basic	$49/mo	100
Pro	$149/mo	500
Business	$399/mo	1,500

Zyla / ApyHub / others (adjust as needed)

Tier	Price	Scans/month
Free	$0	10
Basic	$29/mo	50
Pro	$99/mo	200
Ultra	$249/mo	750

Code Examples

Python

import requests
import time

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
BASE_URL = "https://compliancelayer.net/api"

headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"}

# Submit scan
response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/v1/scan/",
    json={"domain": "example.com"},
    headers=headers
)
job_id = response.json()["job_id"]
print(f"Scan submitted: {job_id}")

# Poll for results
while True:
    result = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/v1/scan/jobs/{job_id}", headers=headers).json()
    if result["status"] == "complete":
        print(f"Grade: {result['grade']} ({result['score']}/100)")
        print(f"Findings: {len(result.get('findings', []))}")
        break
    time.sleep(3)

JavaScript / Node.js

const API_KEY = 'your_api_key_here';
const BASE_URL = 'https://compliancelayer.net/api';

async function scanDomain(domain) {
  const headers = { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' };

  // Submit scan
  const submit = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/v1/scan/`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers,
    body: JSON.stringify({ domain })
  });
  const { job_id } = await submit.json();

  // Poll for results
  while (true) {
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 3000));
    const result = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/v1/scan/jobs/${job_id}`, { headers }).then(r => r.json());
    if (result.status === 'complete') {
      console.log(`Grade: ${result.grade} (${result.score}/100)`);
      return result;
    }
  }
}

scanDomain('example.com').then(console.log);

cURL

# Submit scan
JOB_ID=$(curl -s -X POST https://compliancelayer.net/api/v1/scan/ \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "example.com"}' | jq -r '.job_id')

echo "Job: $JOB_ID"

# Poll for result
curl -s "https://compliancelayer.net/api/v1/scan/jobs/$JOB_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" | jq '{grade, score, findings: [.findings[].title]}'

No-Auth Free Scan (no API key needed)

curl -s -X POST https://compliancelayer.net/api/v1/scan/free \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "example.com"}' | jq '{grade, score, top_findings: [.top_findings[].title]}'

APILayer Specific — Application Notes

Apply at: https://marketplace.apilayer.com → "Submit Your API"

What they check:

Live endpoint responding in < 2s ✅
OpenAPI/Swagger spec available ✅ (https://compliancelayer.net/api/openapi.json)
Proper error responses ✅
Stable uptime ✅ (Vultr Miami, 3 worker replicas)

Application pitch (their intake form):

ComplianceLayer is an external security scanning API for MSPs and developers. One API call returns a complete domain security posture: DNS, SSL, open ports, HTTP headers, email authentication, and blacklist status — everything cyber insurance carriers check during renewal. 13 scanner categories, structured JSON output, PDF reports. Free tier included. We're positioned as the affordable alternative to enterprise TPRM tools (BitSight: $30K+/yr, SecurityScorecard: $26K+/yr). $0.99/scan, no sales call, API-first.

Zyla API Hub Specific

Submit at: https://zylalabs.com → "Publish your API"

Category: Security & Cybersecurity
Subcategory: Domain Security / Infrastructure Monitoring

ApyHub Specific

Submit at: https://apyhub.com → "Submit API"

Focus for their audience: Utility/automation angle — MSP technicians building workflows

"Replace 4 manual security tools (MXToolbox, SSL Labs, Shodan, SecurityHeaders.com) with one API call. Automates domain security checks for PSA integrations, client onboarding workflows, and compliance reporting."

Postman API Network

Steps:

Import /tmp/compliancelayer-postman-collection.json into Postman
Create public workspace: "ComplianceLayer"
Publish collection to workspace
Share to Postman API Network with tags: security, dns, ssl, msp, compliance
Add link to compliancelayer.net/docs

Collection file location: /tmp/compliancelayer-postman-collection.json
(Also copy to: /Users/gigabob/clawd/compliancelayer/docs/postman-collection.json)

Updated: 2026-03-25

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

ComplianceLayer — Marketplace Listing Copy

ComplianceLayer — Thu, 21 May 2026 14:00:02 +0000

ComplianceLayer — Marketplace Listing Copy

RapidAPI Listing

API Name: ComplianceLayer Security Scanner

Short Description (160 chars):
Full infrastructure security scoring for any domain. SSL, DNS/email, HTTP headers, open ports. One API call. JSON report. $0.99/scan.

Long Description:
ComplianceLayer is a comprehensive security scoring API that analyzes the external security posture of any domain and returns a detailed, scored report in seconds.

What It Checks

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and expiry
TLS version support (flags TLS 1.0/1.1)
HSTS configuration
Cipher suite strength

DNS & Email Security

SPF record (detects softfail ~all vs strict -all)
DMARC policy and enforcement level
DKIM selectors (checks common selectors)
MX record configuration

HTTP Security Headers

Content-Security-Policy
Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS)
X-Content-Type-Options
X-Frame-Options
Referrer-Policy
Permissions-Policy

Open Ports

Checks for exposed management ports (RDP, SSH, admin panels)
Identifies non-standard open ports
Risk rating per port

Response Format

JSON report with:

Overall score (0-100) and letter grade (A-F)
Per-module scores and grades
List of issues with severity (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
Specific remediation steps for each issue

Who Uses This

MSPs — Automated client security reporting and pre-sales audits
Cyber insurers — Domain pre-qualification before underwriting
Security teams — Continuous external posture monitoring
Developers — Security checks in CI/CD pipelines

Why Not BitSight or SecurityScorecard?

Enterprise security rating platforms start at $30,000/year with mandatory sales cycles. ComplianceLayer is API-first and self-serve. Pay per scan, no contracts, no meetings.

Keywords: security scanner, SSL checker, DMARC checker, DNS security, HTTP headers, security scoring, domain security, security rating, infrastructure security, port scanner

APILayer Listing

Category: Security & Identity

API Name: ComplianceLayer — Infrastructure Security Score

Tagline: Enterprise-grade security scoring at API prices. SSL, DNS, headers, ports — one call.

Description:

ComplianceLayer delivers comprehensive security posture scores for any internet-facing domain. Built for MSPs, security teams, and developers who need actionable security data without enterprise contracts.

Core Capabilities:

Full SSL/TLS analysis with cipher suite inspection
Email security validation (SPF, DMARC, DKIM)
HTTP security header scoring (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and more)
Open port detection and risk classification
Unified A-F letter grade with per-module breakdown
Specific remediation recommendations for every issue

Technical specs:

Response time: ~10-15 seconds (full scan)
Output: JSON
Authentication: API key (X-API-Key header)
Rate limiting: per-key, configurable
Uptime SLA: 99.9%

Ideal for:

MSP client security reporting pipelines
Cyber insurance pre-qualification workflows
Security-as-code in DevOps pipelines
Automated external attack surface monitoring

Product Hunt Listing

Name: ComplianceLayer

Tagline: BitSight-grade security scoring for $0.99/scan

Description:
We built a security scoring API that MSPs and developers actually afford. One API call returns a full external security posture score — SSL/TLS, DNS/email security, HTTP headers, and open ports — with A-F grades and specific fix recommendations.

Enterprise tools like BitSight charge $30K+/year. ComplianceLayer starts at $0.

Free: 10 scans/month
Starter: $99/month → 100 scans
Pro: $249/month → 500 scans

No sales calls. No contracts. Just an API key.

First comment (pin this):
Hey PH! 👋

I'm Robert, the founder. I built ComplianceLayer after getting frustrated with security tooling that's either free-but-useless or $30K/year-but-overkill.

The target user: MSPs who want to automate client security reports, developers who want to add security checks to their pipelines, and anyone who wants to know if a domain's security hygiene is actually good or just looks good.

Try the free tier — no credit card. Run a scan on your own domain and see what it finds.

What would make this actually useful for your workflow? Drop it in the comments.

Gallery screenshots needed:

Example JSON response (clean, formatted)
Score breakdown (A-F per category)
Remediation recommendations list
curl example command

Dev.to Article #1 (Tutorial)

Title: How to check any domain's security posture in 5 lines of Python

Opening hook:

Before you sign a new client, run this script on their domain. It'll tell you more in 15 seconds than a 2-hour security interview.

Body: [Tutorial using ComplianceLayer API in Python]

CTA at bottom:

ComplianceLayer API — free tier, 10 scans/month, no credit card.
pip install requests and you're good to go.

Twitter/X Launch Thread

Tweet 1:

I built a security scoring API because BitSight costs $30K/year and I couldn't justify it for checking client domains.

ComplianceLayer: SSL, DNS/email, HTTP headers, open ports. One API call. $0.99/scan.

🧵 Here's what it finds (real data):

Tweet 2:

Scanned 100 random domains this week.

41% had no DMARC record

23% had certs expiring in < 30 days

78% were missing Content-Security-Policy

8% had RDP publicly accessible

Basic stuff. Most of it fixable in an afternoon.

Tweet 3:

The API response looks like this:
[screenshot of clean JSON with grades]

A-F per category, overall score, specific fixes for each issue.
Takes about 15 seconds per scan.

Tweet 4:

Who's it for:
→ MSPs automating client security reports
→ DevOps teams adding security to pipelines

→ Cyber insurers pre-qualifying domains
→ Anyone who wants to know if their security hygiene is real or just vibes

compliancelayer.net — free tier, no card.

Tweet 5:

Also on RapidAPI if you prefer that workflow.

[link]

Would love feedback from anyone who runs it on their domain. Drop your score in the replies 👇

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

ComplianceLayer LinkedIn Content Strategy

ComplianceLayer — Tue, 19 May 2026 14:00:02 +0000

ComplianceLayer LinkedIn Content Strategy

Platform: LinkedIn | ICP: MSPs, vCISOs, IT Service Providers | Stage: Pre-launch → Launch | Updated: March 2026

SECTION 1: Platform Intelligence (2025–2026 Data)

What's Actually Working Right Now

LinkedIn's algorithm changed significantly in 2025-2026. The key shifts:

Organic reach is down 50% year-over-year (per Richard van der Blom's 2025 analysis) — but engagement per post is up 12%. Fewer people see your content, but those who do are paying more attention.
Follower growth dropped 59% — growing a LinkedIn following is harder than it was. Focus on depth of engagement over vanity follower counts.
81% of B2B campaigns fail to capture basic attention — the bar for "good content" is rising.

Content Format Performance (2025 Socialinsider Data)

Format	Avg Engagement Rate	Best Use
Multi-image carousels	6.60%	Frameworks, tutorials, data reveals
Native documents (PDF)	5.85%	Guides, research, playbooks
Video	5.60%	Thought leadership, product demos
Single images	~4–5%	Quick stats, announcements
Polls	Highest impressions	Brand awareness, topic discovery
Text-only	~3–4%	Personal stories, opinions
Link posts	Lowest	Avoid — algorithm suppresses off-platform links

Key insight: Carousels win on engagement. Text wins on authenticity. Never post a naked link and expect reach.

Optimal Posting Strategy

Frequency:

Company page: 3–4x per week (consistency beats volume)
Founder personal page: 4–5x per week (algorithm favors personal accounts over company pages — personal posts get 5–10x more organic reach)
Never post more than once per day on either account

Best times to post (B2B/EST):

Tuesday–Thursday: 7–9 AM EST (people checking LinkedIn before meetings — highest engagement window)
Tuesday: 10–11 AM EST (secondary peak — product announcements and thought leadership land here)
Wednesday: 12 PM EST (lunch scroll — good for shorter, visual content)
Avoid: Friday after 2 PM, Saturday, Sunday (B2B audience disengages)
MSP-specific: MSP owners tend to be early risers — 7–8 AM posts catch them before their helpdesk fires up

Hashtag strategy:

Use 3–5 hashtags max (LinkedIn's own guidance; more = spam signal)
Mix of broad and niche: #MSP (high volume), #Cybersecurity (high volume), #ManagedServices (medium), #vCISO (niche but your exact buyer), #ComplianceLayer (brand)
Avoid hashtag dumps — 15 hashtags is an instant credibility killer
Niche hashtags that actually have MSP audience: #MSPBusiness, #ITSecurity, #SMBSecurity, #InfrastructureSecurity

Post structure that performs:

Hook (line 1): Must create a scroll stop. A number, a counterintuitive claim, or a sharp question. It's the only line visible before "see more."
Body: 3–7 short paragraphs. White space is your friend. One idea per paragraph.
CTA: Clear, specific, low-friction. "Comment 'SCAN' and I'll send you a free report on your domain" beats "click the link below."
No link in the post body. Put it in the first comment.

SECTION 2: Content Pillars

Pillar 1: The Data Drop 📊

"We scanned X. Here's what we found."

What it is: Use ComplianceLayer's own scanning capability to generate original data. Run scans on publicly reachable domains (SMB websites, MSP client websites with permission) and report aggregate findings. This is your unfair content advantage — nobody else has this data.

Why it works: MSPs respect data over opinions. "73% of MSP client domains have misconfigured DMARC" is a shareable stat that makes MSPs think about their own stack.

Format: Carousel (data slides) or text post with a data headline

Examples:

"We scanned 200 domains submitted by our beta users. 3 things shocked us."
"The most common SSL certificate mistake we see on MSP client domains (and it's not what you think)"
Monthly "Infrastructure Risk Report" — aggregate anonymized stats

Rule: Always lead with the data, not the product. The product is the footnote.

Pillar 2: The MSP War Story 🔥

Real situations, real pain, no fluff

What it is: Stories from (real or composite) MSP scenarios where bad external infrastructure caused client problems. Before/after framing. Told like a story, not a case study.

Why it works: MSPs live and breathe these situations. If they recognize themselves in your story, they stop scrolling.

Format: Text-only or text + single image

Examples:

"An MSP called us 48 hours before their client's SOC 2 audit. Here's what we found, and what we did."
"The SSL cert that expired over Christmas weekend. How a $99/mo tool would have caught this 30 days early."
"Why a client's open port 23 was visible to their biggest competitor's IT team."

Rule: Stories should end with a lesson, not a sales pitch. The lesson sells.

Pillar 3: Security Education (The 60-Second Teach) 🎓

Short, practical, actionable

What it is: Quick educational posts that make MSPs smarter. DNS records explained. SSL certificate chains. What DMARC actually does. These build authority and get saved/shared.

Why it works: MSPs share educational content with their own clients. Your content becomes their content.

Format: Carousel (best for tutorials), text + image for quick tips

Examples:

"What is SPF, DKIM, and DMARC? (And why your clients' email is probably broken)" — Carousel
"5 things an open port says about your client's security posture" — Text post
"The difference between an SSL cert that's valid and one that's trusted" — Quick teach

Rule: Never gatekeep the education. Give the full answer for free. The trust builds demand.

Pillar 4: Founder Journey 🧭

Building in public, without the cringe

What it is: Authentic behind-the-scenes of building ComplianceLayer. Product decisions, customer conversations, mistakes made, things learned. This is founder content — it goes on the founder's personal page, not the company page.

Why it works: Buyers in the MSP space respond to founders who are real. The community is small and tight-knit; authenticity travels.

Format: Text-only (most authentic feel), occasional short video

Examples:

"We just turned down a potential enterprise customer. Here's why."
"Shipped our first API endpoint at 2 AM. Here's what kept me up building it."
"The feedback from beta that completely changed our pricing model."
"6 things I wish I'd known before trying to sell to MSPs."

Rule: Don't manufacture vulnerability. Real decisions, real reasoning. If you can't write it without it feeling fake, it IS fake.

Pillar 5: Industry Commentary / Hot Takes 🌶️

Opinions that make people agree or disagree — both are engagement

What it is: Take a position on something happening in the MSP/security industry. Vendor pricing changes, compliance framework debates, M&A activity (Kaseya swallowing DattoCon), AI hype in security.

Why it works: LinkedIn's algorithm rewards comments and debate. A post that creates a polite argument gets 5x the reach of an informational post.

Format: Text-only or text + image

Examples:

"Kaseya absorbing DattoCon is bad for MSPs. Here's why I think the community show is irreplaceable."
"Every security vendor says MSPs need 'proactive security.' Almost none of them tell you what that means practically."
"Hot take: Most MSPs don't have a security problem. They have a visibility problem."
"AI is not going to replace vCISOs. It's going to make bad vCISOs easier to spot."

Rule: Pick a real position. "It depends" is not a hot take — it's cowardice. You can be wrong. That's okay. Update publicly when you are.

Pillar 6: Product Proof 🎯

What ComplianceLayer actually does, shown not told

What it is: Product demos, feature reveals, customer quotes, real scan results (anonymized). This is the marketing that moves people from curious to signed-up. Use sparingly — 1 out of every 5–6 posts.

Why it works: After you've built trust through the other pillars, people actually want to see the product. Earn the right to show it.

Format: Video demo (ideally), screenshot carousel, or direct quote from a user

Examples:

Short screen-recorded demo: "60 seconds to a full client risk score" — native video
"Beta user quote: 'We put this in our QBR deck and the client signed our security add-on in the meeting.'"
Before/after: Domain risk score before vs. after remediation
"New: We now flag exposed SMTP relay servers. Here's why that matters."

Rule: Never start a week with a product post. Build context first.

SECTION 3: 30-Day Content Calendar

Assumes posting 5x/week. Posts alternate between founder personal page (F) and company page (C). Mix of formats as indicated.

WEEK 1: Launch the Authority Narrative

Day 1 (Mon) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Founder Journey

Hook: "I spent 3 months scanning domains before I wrote a single line of product code. Here's what I found."

Before building ComplianceLayer, I ran DNS and SSL checks on every company in my local business community.

500+ domains. Here's the breakdown:

→ 67% had at least one DNS misconfiguration (usually SPF or DMARC)
→ 44% had expired or expiring SSL certificates
→ 31% had open ports they probably don't know about
→ 12% were running services on port 23 (Telnet) in 2025. In. 2025.

The scariest part? These weren't companies ignoring security. Most had IT providers.

The visibility just wasn't there.

That's why I'm building ComplianceLayer — external risk intelligence for the MSPs managing these companies.

If you manage client infrastructure, I'd love to know: how do you currently audit your clients' external posture?

[CTA] → Comment with your current method. I'll respond to every one.

Day 2 (Tue) — Company Page | Carousel (5 slides)
Pillar: Security Education

Hook slide: "5 DNS misconfigurations we see on MSP client domains every week"

Slide 1: What we're looking at (DNS, SSL, ports, headers)
Slide 2: Mistake #1 — Missing DMARC record (and what happens when clients don't have one)
Slide 3: Mistake #2 — SPF with +all (the most dangerous SPF setting)
Slide 4: Mistake #3 — Let's Encrypt certs with no auto-renewal monitoring
Slide 5: CTA — "Want to see what your clients' domains look like? [link in comments]"

Day 3 (Wed) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Hot Take

Hook: "Hot take: MSPs don't have a security problem. They have a visibility problem."

Most MSPs I talk to know security matters.

They have EDR. They have MFA. They have backups.

But ask them what ports are exposed on client servers? What their clients' SSL cert expiry dates are? Whether their email domain is configured to prevent spoofing?

Blank stares.

Not because they're bad at their jobs.

Because nobody built a tool that scans that stuff automatically and puts it in front of them.

When you can't see it, you can't fix it. And you definitely can't sell a remediation service for something you don't know exists.

The visibility gap is the actual problem. Security tooling just makes you feel covered.

Agree? Disagree? Let me hear it.

Day 4 (Thu) — Company Page | Poll
Pillar: Engagement / Research

Post text: "Quick question for MSPs and IT service providers:"

Poll: "How do you currently audit your clients' external infrastructure (DNS, SSL, open ports)?"

We use automated tools

Manual checks + spreadsheets

Client asks us, we check then

Honestly, we don't have a process

Asking because we're building something for option 4. Results shared next week.

Day 5 (Fri) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: War Story

Hook: "An MSP called me on a Friday at 4 PM. Their client's SSL cert had expired — during a product demo to a Fortune 500 prospect."

The MSP had 12 clients. Managed everything manually.

They had checked this particular cert 8 months ago. Set a calendar reminder. The reminder got buried in a support ticket avalanche.

The cert expired on a Thursday. Nobody noticed until the client's sales team was mid-demo and Chrome threw a red warning screen.

Deal didn't close.

The MSP lost the client three months later.

The cert renewal would have cost $0 (Let's Encrypt). The monitoring would have cost $99/month.

I think about this conversation a lot.

[CTA] → How many SSL certs are you monitoring manually right now?

WEEK 2: Data & Credibility

Day 6 (Mon) — Company Page | Image + Text
Pillar: Data Drop

Hook: "We ran ComplianceLayer against 100 domains. The results:"

[Image: Simple infographic — "100 Domains Scanned. 82 Had At Least One Critical Finding."]

Here's the breakdown:
• 71 had DNS issues (SPF, DKIM, DMARC misconfigured or missing)
• 54 had SSL cert issues (expiring within 30 days, wrong hostname, or chain errors)
• 38 had open ports that weren't expected for the business type
• 22 had HTTP security headers completely missing

This was a random sample. Not companies known to have problems.

Every MSP reading this: your clients are in here somewhere.

[CTA] → Comment "SCAN" and I'll send you a free report on one of your client domains.

Day 7 (Tue) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Founder Journey

Hook: "The hardest feedback I've gotten building ComplianceLayer came from an MSP owner who told me: 'I don't want a dashboard. I want a text message.'"

I had built a beautiful, feature-rich dashboard.

He glanced at it for 10 seconds and said: "I manage 40 clients. I don't have time to log into another dashboard."

"What do you want instead?"

"Text me when something is wrong. That's it. I'll click the link and fix it."

We shipped SMS + email alerting that week.

The lesson: your product vision doesn't matter if it doesn't fit into how your customer actually operates.

What product feedback changed how you thought about something?

Day 8 (Wed) — Company Page | Native Document (PDF)
Pillar: Security Education

Hook: "The 3-minute guide to reading your clients' external risk posture"

[Attached PDF: 5-page visual guide — What DNS records mean, How to read SSL cert info, What open ports indicate, How to talk about it in a QBR]

We built this for MSPs who want to start having security conversations with clients but don't know where to start.

Free to share with your team.

[CTA] → Download, share, and comment your biggest question about external infrastructure.

Day 9 (Thu) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Hot Take

Hook: "Every security vendor says 'compliance is a journey, not a destination.' I hate this phrase."

It means nothing.

It's a way to sell ongoing engagements without being specific about what you're actually delivering.

Here's what I'd replace it with: "You can't manage what you can't measure."

Know your clients' external DNS config? Know their SSL expiry dates? Know what ports are exposed?

If not, you're flying blind on their security posture. No amount of "journey" language changes that.

Specificity is the antidote to vague security theater.

Unpopular opinion?

Day 10 (Fri) — Company Page | Short Video (60 sec)
Pillar: Product Proof

Hook: "60 seconds to a full external risk score. Here's what it looks like."

[Screen recording: Enter a domain → watch scan run → risk score appears → findings listed with severity]

This is ComplianceLayer running a real scan.

DNS, SSL, open ports, security headers — all in under a minute.

We built this for MSPs who want to generate security deliverables without a security team.

[CTA] → Link in comments to try it on your own domain. Free during beta.

WEEK 3: Community & Engagement

Day 11 (Mon) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: War Story

Hook: "A vCISO I know found an open RDP port on a client's server. During a QBR. By accident."

She was showing the client a risk report and noticed something off in their network inventory.

RDP (port 3389) — wide open to the internet.

They'd been running an old remote access setup from 2019 and forgot to close it after migrating to a new RMM.

The client had been publicly internet-facing on RDP for two years.

She immediately had a remediation conversation. They added a VPN gateway same week. Upgraded their security contract.

Her words: "If I'd had a tool automatically checking external exposure for all my clients, I would have found this on day one."

That's the tool we're building.

[CTA] → vCISOs and MSPs: what's the worst thing you've found accidentally during a client review?

Day 12 (Tue) — Company Page | Carousel
Pillar: Education

Hook: "What every MSP should know about HTTP security headers (most know nothing)"

Slide 1: What are security headers?
Slide 2: Content-Security-Policy — what it prevents and what missing it means
Slide 3: X-Frame-Options — clickjacking explained in plain English
Slide 4: HSTS — why HTTP-only is a problem even if you have SSL
Slide 5: How to explain this to a non-technical client in 30 seconds
Slide 6: CTA — "We check all of these automatically. Free scan link in comments."

Day 13 (Wed) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Founder Journey

Hook: "I showed ComplianceLayer to 15 MSPs this month. Here are the 5 objections I heard — and what I learned from each."

Objection 1: "My RMM already monitors this." → (It doesn't. RMMs monitor internal agents, not external posture. We showed them the diff. 4 of 5 signed up for beta.)

Objection 2: "My clients don't care about DNS records." → (They care about email deliverability and spoofing. Same thing, different framing.)

Objection 3: "I can't add another tool." → (Fair. We made the API 2 hours to integrate. Still working on reducing to 30 minutes.)

Objection 4: "I don't have budget." → (We're $99/mo. 1 client upsell covers it forever. This was a trust issue, not a budget issue.)

Objection 5: "Can I see a demo?" → (Yes. Always yes. This was the most common path to conversion.)

Building in public means sharing what's not working too.

What objections do you hear from clients about security tools?

Day 14 (Thu) — Company Page | Poll
Pillar: Engagement / Research

Poll: "Last week's poll revealed 41% of MSPs have no formal process for auditing client external infrastructure. This week's question:"

"What would make you MOST likely to add external risk scanning to your security stack?"

Automated reports to share with clients (QBR deliverable)

Alerting when something breaks (cert expiry, open port detected)

Integration with my RMM/PSA

White-labeling under my brand

Results inform our roadmap. Genuinely.

Day 15 (Fri) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Commentary

Hook: "Kaseya absorbing DattoCon was a business decision. But the MSP community lost something real."

DattoCon had a vibe. Practitioners talking to practitioners.

Kaseya Connect is a vendor showcase. Different DNA entirely.

I'm not criticizing Kaseya — it makes total business sense. But a lot of MSPs I talk to are grieving something about that community feel being gone.

This is actually an opportunity for smaller, peer-driven events like MSPGeekCon and ASCII Edge to fill the gap.

The best customer communities aren't built by vendors. They're built by practitioners.

Thoughts from anyone who's been to both?

WEEK 4: Social Proof & CTA Push

Day 16 (Mon) — Company Page | Image + Text
Pillar: Data Drop / Product Proof

Hook: "Beta results: MSPs using ComplianceLayer found an average of 4.3 critical findings per client in the first scan."

[Image: Clean graphic — "4.3 Critical Findings Per Client. Detected on First Scan."]

That's 4.3 things per client that:
• The MSP didn't know about
• The client definitely didn't know about
• Could have caused an incident, a compliance failure, or a lost contract

The MSPs who found these aren't bad at their jobs. They were missing visibility.

[CTA] → Beta spots still open. Link in comments.

Day 17 (Tue) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Founder Journey

Hook: "The moment I knew we were building something MSPs actually need:"

A beta user — an MSP in Tennessee managing 60 SMB clients — sent us a screenshot at 11:30 PM.

He'd been running ComplianceLayer for 3 days.

The screenshot was an alert: an SSL cert on a client's ecommerce site was expiring in 4 days.

His message: "Holy s***. This is the third one this month. I had no idea. Thank you."

That's it. That's the product.

Not a dashboard. Not a feature. The feeling of finding something before it becomes an incident.

Those moments keep you building at 11:30 PM too.

Day 18 (Wed) — Company Page | Carousel
Pillar: Education / Product Proof

Hook: "How to turn a ComplianceLayer scan into a QBR slide (3 steps)"

Slide 1: Run the scan
Slide 2: Export the findings (screenshot or PDF)
Slide 3: Translate findings into client language ("Your email domain is not protected against spoofing" vs. "DMARC record missing")
Slide 4: Use findings to upsell a remediation service
Slide 5: Real example QBR slide (anonymized)
Slide 6: CTA — "Template and tutorial link in comments"

Day 19 (Thu) — Founder Personal | Text-Only
Pillar: Hot Take

Hook: "MSPs undercharge for security because they don't have receipts."

"We handle your security" is worth $X.

"Your DNS, SSL, and external services are continuously monitored — here's last month's report" is worth 3X.

Same effort. Different proof.

The MSPs charging $5K/month for security aren't doing 10x the work of the ones charging $500.

They're providing 10x the documentation and visibility.

Tools that generate reports aren't overhead — they're pricing leverage.

Agree?

Day 20 (Fri) — Company Page | Video + Text
Pillar: Product Proof / CTA

Hook: "We're opening 50 more beta spots next week. Here's everything you need to know:"

[60-second video: founder explains what ComplianceLayer does, who it's for, what beta includes]

What you get in beta:
→ Unlimited domain scans
→ Email + SMS alerting on critical findings
→ Exportable reports for client QBRs
→ Direct line to me (founder) for feedback

What we get: Honest feedback from real MSPs building a real book of business.

Beta price: $0. Full price at launch: $99/month.

[CTA] → Comment "BETA" or click the link in comments to apply.

SECTION 4: Founder Personal Brand Strategy

Personal Page vs. Company Page — Split

Content Type	Goes On	Why
Data reports, scans, product updates	Company page	Authority signal, shareable asset
Founder journey, mistakes, lessons	Personal page	5–10x more organic reach
Hot takes, industry commentary	Personal page	Algorithm rewards personal opinion
Education carousels (technical)	Company page	Branded, reusable, sharable
Customer stories / wins	Both (different angle)	Company = proof; personal = gratitude
Poll / research	Company page	Builds company audience
Behind-the-scenes building	Personal page	Humanizes the product

Core rule: Company page = professional, polished, educational. Personal page = real, specific, vulnerable. They serve different purposes.

How to Build Founder Presence

Step 1 — Optimize the profile:

Headline: Not "CEO at ComplianceLayer" — instead: "Building external risk intelligence for MSPs | ComplianceLayer | Prev: [relevant credential]"
Banner: Clean graphic with "ComplianceLayer — Infrastructure Risk Intelligence for MSPs"
About section: Tell the founding story in 3 paragraphs. What you saw, what you built, who you built it for.
Featured section: Pin your best-performing post, your product demo video, and a link to the beta sign-up.

Step 2 — Post before you ask:

30 days of value-only content before any CTAs. Build goodwill.
Comment on 5–10 posts per day in the MSP/security space. Genuine comments (2–3 sentences), not emoji reactions.

Step 3 — Cross-pollinate:

When you post on personal, share (don't just repost) to company page with added context
When company page performs well, reference the data in a personal post

Founders Doing This Well in Security/MSP Space

Reference these for tone and approach:

Jesse Miller (CEO, Managed Methods): Consistently posts about MSP security data, no-BS takes on industry moves. Personal page drives awareness; company page drives demos.
Carolyn April (GTIA/CompTIA VP): Deep industry data + candid MSP commentary. Pure thought leadership, no product pitches.
Brad Gross (MSP/vCISO community): Practitioner-first voice — shares operational knowledge that vendors rarely share.
Gerald Beuchelt (former CISO turned founder): Personal vulnerability + security expertise = unique mix that builds massive B2B trust.

Common thread: They post opinions, not press releases. They cite specific data. They respond to comments.

SECTION 5: Engagement Strategy

Who to Follow and Actively Engage With

MSP Owners / Practitioners:

Search: "MSP owner" + "managed services" in LinkedIn search
Communities: Reddit r/msp (find these users on LinkedIn), MSPGeek Discord members
Target accounts: Mid-market MSPs (20–100 clients) — the ComplianceLayer sweet spot

Security-focused MSPs and vCISOs:

Alexandre Blanc (Strategic and Security Advisor, LinkedIn Top Voice)
Allan Alford (SVP InfoSec, NTT + Security Tinkerers community)
Cynomi's vCISO community list (40+ active vCISOs on LinkedIn)
Carlota Sage (Pocket CISO founder — vCISO community builder)
Carlos Rodriguez (CA2 Security CEO)

Industry Analysts and Journalists:

Carolyn April (GTIA — CompTIA's research arm, covers MSP market)
Channel Futures editors (follow their reporters who cover MSP news)
CRN / MSP Insights reporters

MSP Influencer/Community Builders:

Search hashtags: #MSPGeek, #ManagedServices, #vCISO — find the people who consistently get high engagement
Attend MSPGeek Discord and identify who bridges Discord → LinkedIn

How to Comment Effectively

The wrong way:

"Great post!" (useless)
"Totally agree 👍" (invisible)
A link to your product (instant unfollow)

The right way:

Add a specific data point: "This matches what we see in our scans — 67% of MSP client domains have this exact issue."
Share a contrarian angle: "I'd actually push back on point #2 — in our experience, MSPs who use manual checks catch fewer issues, not more."
Ask a specific question: "Have you seen this pattern hold for smaller MSPs (<20 clients) or is this mostly a mid-market problem?"

Target: 5–10 comments per day in the first 90 days. This builds visibility in the MSP/security LinkedIn feed before your posts even take off. The algorithm shows your content to people you've recently engaged with.

Response time: Reply to every comment on your posts within 2 hours if possible. Same-day if not. Comments that get fast replies get re-surfaced by the algorithm.

LinkedIn Groups Worth Joining

Group	Size	Value
MSP Owners Group	Large	Direct buyer community
Managed Service Providers (MSPs)	50K+	Volume, good for brand awareness
vCISO Community	Growing	Exact secondary buyer persona
IT Service Providers	Large	Broad but relevant
CompTIA Members Network	30K+	Channel-adjacent buyers
Cybersecurity Professionals Network	Large	Security credibility audience

Note: LinkedIn groups have lower engagement than feeds in 2025–2026. Use them for listening and DM prospecting, not as your primary distribution channel.

DM Strategy (Non-Spammy)

After someone engages with your post, wait 48 hours, then DM:

"Hey [Name] — thanks for the comment on [specific post]. Clearly you're thinking about [specific issue] already — we're building exactly that at ComplianceLayer. Would it be worth a 15-minute call to show you what we're scanning for? No pitch — genuinely want practitioner feedback."

Conversion rate on this approach: 15–25% response if you've given them value first. 2–5% if you cold DM.

SECTION 6: 90-Day Metrics Targets

Metric	Day 30	Day 60	Day 90
Founder page followers	+200	+500	+1,000
Company page followers	+100	+250	+500
Avg post impressions (personal)	500	1,500	3,000
Avg post impressions (company)	200	600	1,200
Comments per post (personal)	5	15	30
Beta sign-up conversions from LinkedIn	5	20	50
Inbound DMs from posts	3/week	10/week	20/week

The only metric that matters in Month 1: Are you getting inbound DMs from MSPs who want to learn more? If yes, the strategy is working. Everything else is vanity.

APPENDIX: Content Production System

Weekly Rhythm (2 hours total per week)

Day	Activity	Time
Monday	Write 3 posts for the week (personal + company)	45 min
Tuesday	Schedule posts in Buffer/Hootsuite	15 min
Wed–Fri	Comment on 5–10 posts per day	20 min/day
Friday	Review analytics — what performed, adjust next week	15 min

Tools

Scheduling: Buffer or Hootsuite (free tier sufficient for 2 accounts + 5 posts/week)
Design: Canva (carousel templates, infographics)
Video: Loom for screen recordings, iPhone for talking-head clips
Analytics: LinkedIn native analytics (check weekly) + Shield App (paid, much better analytics for personal pages ~$8/mo)

Content Capture System

Keep a running note (Notion, Apple Notes, doesn't matter) called "Post Ideas." Add to it whenever you:

Have a customer conversation with a notable insight
Find a surprising scan result
Read something in the MSP community that gives you a reaction
Make a product decision worth explaining

The best posts come from real moments, not scheduled brainstorming.

Strategy compiled March 2026. LinkedIn algorithm behavior and conference details should be revalidated quarterly.

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

Your Domain's External Attack Surface: What Hackers See Before You Do

ComplianceLayer — Thu, 14 May 2026 14:00:01 +0000

Your Domain's External Attack Surface: What Hackers See Before You Do

Published on hashnode.com — target tags: security, cybersecurity, api, devops, dns

Here's a scenario that plays out constantly: a company gets breached. The incident report comes back and the finding is something embarrassingly basic — an expired SSL cert with a weak cipher suite, an open Redis port, no SPF record on the primary domain so attackers spoofed their emails for months.

The kicker? Any attacker (or anyone else) could have spotted these issues in 30 seconds with an external scan. The company just never looked.

What "external attack surface" means

Your external attack surface is everything visible from the public internet, without any credentials or inside access. It's what your clients see, what search engines index, and what attackers enumerate.

The four core areas:

SSL/TLS security — Not just "does HTTPS work" but what protocols you accept, what cipher suites you negotiate, whether HSTS is configured, whether your cert expires in 3 days (this happens constantly), and whether certificate transparency shows unauthorized certs.

DNS configuration — Your DNS records telegraph a lot. Missing or misconfigured SPF means anyone can spoof email from your domain. No DMARC means you have zero visibility into who's sending as you. Missing DNSSEC means you're vulnerable to DNS poisoning. And dangling CNAME records pointing to unclaimed cloud resources are a trivially exploitable subdomain takeover.

HTTP security headers — These are configuration lines that take minutes to add but most servers skip:

Strict-Transport-Security
Content-Security-Policy  
X-Frame-Options
X-Content-Type-Options
Referrer-Policy
Permissions-Policy

Missing these enables clickjacking, MIME sniffing attacks, and data leakage.

Open ports — What services are publicly accessible? SSH open to the world? An admin panel on a non-standard port? A database that got misconfigured during a deployment? This is often where the real surprises live.

The tooling problem

Most security tools are built for internal use — they need credentials, network access, or agent installation. That's great for runtime security but it leaves a gap: you never see yourself the way an outsider does.

I've been using ComplianceLayer for this. It's a REST API that runs external-only scans and returns a structured report:

{
  "grade": "B",
  "score": 78,
  "risk_level": "medium",
  "critical_issues": 0,
  "high_issues": 2,
  "medium_issues": 6,
  "modules": {
    "ssl": { "grade": "A", "findings": [...] },
    "dns_email": { "grade": "C", "findings": ["No DMARC record", "SPF too permissive"] },
    "headers": { "grade": "B", "findings": ["Missing CSP", "HSTS max-age too short"] },
    "ports": { "grade": "A", "findings": [] }
  }
}

Each finding includes a remediation step. It's not just "you're missing X" — it tells you exactly what to add.

Practical workflow for MSPs

If you're managing IT for multiple clients, the API makes this scalable:

import requests
import time

API_KEY = "your-key"
BASE_URL = "https://compliancelayer.net/v1"

def scan_domain(domain):
    # Start scan
    r = requests.post(f"{BASE_URL}/scan/", 
        json={"domain": domain},
        headers={"X-API-Key": API_KEY})
    job_id = r.json()["job_id"]

    # Poll for completion
    while True:
        time.sleep(10)
        result = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/scan/jobs/{job_id}",
            headers={"X-API-Key": API_KEY}).json()
        if result["status"] == "completed":
            return result["result"]

# Run monthly audit across client domains
clients = ["client1.com", "client2.com", "client3.net"]
for domain in clients:
    report = scan_domain(domain)
    print(f"{domain}: Grade {report['grade']} ({report['score']}/100)")
    if report["critical_issues"] > 0:
        alert_on_call(domain, report)  # your alerting function

Free tier gives you 10 scans/month. Starter ($99/mo) gives you enough for a small MSP client list.

Why this matters for cyber insurance

This is the angle that's getting more relevant: cyber insurance underwriters are increasingly running external scans themselves before quoting. A company with a D-grade external posture will either get denied or pay significantly more.

Running a scan before your renewal and fixing the obvious issues (headers, DMARC, weak TLS configs) can be the difference between a reasonable premium and a nasty surprise.

Try it on your domain

curl -X POST https://compliancelayer.net/v1/scan/ \
  -H "X-API-Key: cl_pub_YeiV6xHoTcBlOFrgCrIfVYlUoeYBSEyVl65d8bCQIlo" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "yourdomain.com"}'

(That's the public demo key — 10 free scans.)

What grade does your domain get? I'm curious.

ComplianceLayer: https://compliancelayer.net

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

Google Search Console Service Account Setup

ComplianceLayer — Tue, 12 May 2026 14:00:02 +0000

Google Search Console Service Account Setup

For: Robert

Purpose: Let Iris pull real GSC data (impressions, clicks, rankings) automatically.

Time required: ~15 minutes

What This Does

Creates a Google service account key that Iris can use to query the GSC API — pulling real ranking data, impressions, and click-through rates without you manually exporting CSVs.

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Project (or use existing)

Go to console.cloud.google.com
Click the project dropdown → New Project
Name it compliancelayer-seo → Create
Make sure this project is selected

Step 2: Enable the Search Console API

In the left menu → APIs & Services → Library
Search: Google Search Console API
Click it → Enable

Step 3: Create a Service Account

Go to APIs & Services → Credentials
Click + Create Credentials → Service Account
Fill in:
- Name: iris-seo-reader
- ID: auto-fills (leave it)
- Description: Iris SEO agent - read-only GSC access
Click Create and Continue
Skip the optional role assignment → Done

Step 4: Generate the JSON Key

You'll see the new service account listed. Click on it.
Go to the Keys tab
Click Add Key → Create new key
Choose JSON → Create
A .json file downloads automatically. This is the key file — keep it safe.

Step 5: Add the Service Account to Google Search Console

Go to search.google.com/search-console
Select your property: compliancelayer.net
Left sidebar → Settings → Users and permissions
Click Add user
Enter the service account email — it looks like:

   iris-seo-reader@compliancelayer-seo.iam.gserviceaccount.com

(Copy it from the service account page in Google Cloud Console)

Set permission: Restricted (read-only is fine)
Click Add

Step 6: Store the Key for Iris

Save the downloaded JSON file here:

/Users/gigabob/clawd/compliancelayer/marketing/gsc-service-account.json

Then add this line to the shared environment or tell Iris where it is:

export GSC_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY="/Users/gigabob/clawd/compliancelayer/marketing/gsc-service-account.json"
export GSC_PROPERTY="sc-domain:compliancelayer.net"

Note: The property format for domain-level GSC verification is sc-domain:compliancelayer.net. If you verified via URL prefix, use https://compliancelayer.net/ instead.

Step 7: Verify It Works

Once the key is in place, Iris can test access with:

python3 -c "
from google.oauth2 import service_account
from googleapiclient.discovery import build

creds = service_account.Credentials.from_service_account_file(
    '/Users/gigabob/clawd/compliancelayer/marketing/gsc-service-account.json',
    scopes=['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/webmasters.readonly']
)
service = build('searchconsole', 'v1', credentials=creds)
props = service.sites().list().execute()
print(props)
"

If you see compliancelayer.net in the output, it's working.

Security Notes

The JSON key has read-only access to GSC data only
Don't commit it to git — add to .gitignore:

  marketing/gsc-service-account.json

If the key is ever compromised, delete it in Google Cloud Console → Credentials and generate a new one

Questions?

Drop in webchat. Iris will pick it up.

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

Free Scanner Page Concept — /check

ComplianceLayer — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:00:02 +0000

Free Scanner Page Concept — /check

URL: compliancelayer.net/check (or /scan, /free)
Goal: #1 distribution asset. Viral loop. SEO magnet. Email capture.
Concept: Free, instant, no-signup domain scanner that shows a taste of the full product.

Why This Matters

The research is clear: a free public tool is the highest-leverage distribution asset for an API product. It:

Captures organic search traffic ("check my domain security", "is my SSL valid", "scan my website")
Creates a viral loop (people share their scores, compare with competitors)
Demonstrates value before signup (show, don't tell)
Builds backlinks naturally (bloggers link to useful free tools)
Captures emails for drip sequence

Competitors doing this:

SecurityScorecard has a free instant rating (but limited, requires email)
SSL Labs (ssllabs.com) is the gold standard for SSL checking
SecurityHeaders.com is the go-to for HTTP header checking
MXToolbox for email/DNS checks

Our angle: Combine all of these into ONE scan, ONE score, ONE page. Nobody does that well today.

Page Structure

Above the Fold

Headline: Check your domain security — free, instant

Subhead: Get a security score for any domain in 30 seconds. DNS, SSL, open ports, and headers.

Input: [____________] [Scan Now]
Enter any domain (e.g., example.com)

Trust signals: "No signup required • Results in 30 seconds • 10,000+ domains scanned"

Results Display (After Scan)

Overall Score: Big number + grade

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│          EXAMPLE.COM            │
│                                 │
│              74                 │
│              C                  │
│                                 │
│   DNS: 65 (D)  │  SSL: 98 (A)  │
│  Ports: 80 (B) │ Headers: 55 (F)│
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Category Breakdown:

DNS/Email: 65/100 (D) — 3 issues found
SSL/TLS: 98/100 (A) — 0 issues found
Open Ports: 80/100 (B) — 1 issue found
HTTP Headers: 55/100 (F) — 4 issues found

Top Issues (Expandable):

⚠️ No DMARC policy — email can be spoofed [Learn how to fix →]
⚠️ Port 22 (SSH) exposed — consider restricting access [Learn more →]
⚠️ Missing HSTS header — vulnerable to downgrade attacks [Learn more →]
⚠️ No Content-Security-Policy — XSS risk [Learn more →]

Email Capture CTA

After results display:

Want the full report?
Get detailed findings, remediation steps, and track this domain over time.

[Email] [Get Full Report]

Free account includes 10 scans/day. No credit card required.

Social Sharing

Below results:

[Share on Twitter] [Share on LinkedIn] [Copy Link]

Pre-populated tweet:
"Just scanned [domain] with @compliancelayer — got a [grade]. Free instant security check: compliancelayer.net/check?d=[domain]"

SEO Content Section (Below Fold)

H2: What does this security scan check?

Body:
ComplianceLayer's free scanner checks your domain across four categories:

DNS & Email Security
We verify SPF, DMARC, and DKIM records that protect your domain from email spoofing. Over 59% of small business domains have no DMARC policy — meaning anyone can send email that appears to come from them.

SSL/TLS Configuration
We check certificate validity, chain issues, protocol versions, and cipher strength. An expired or misconfigured SSL certificate breaks trust with visitors and can impact SEO.

Open Ports
We scan for commonly exploited services like RDP (3389), SSH (22), SMB (445), and database ports. 7% of small businesses have RDP exposed directly to the internet — a primary ransomware attack vector.

HTTP Security Headers
We verify HSTS, Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and other headers that protect against common web attacks. Only 23% of sites have HSTS enabled.

Schema Markup (For SEO)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebApplication",
  "name": "ComplianceLayer Free Domain Scanner",
  "url": "https://compliancelayer.net/check",
  "description": "Free instant security scan for any domain. Check DNS, SSL, open ports, and HTTP headers.",
  "applicationCategory": "SecurityApplication",
  "operatingSystem": "Web",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}

Technical Implementation

Frontend

Single-page React component
Domain input with validation (strip protocols, reject private IPs)
Loading state with progress indicator
Results render client-side from API response
Mobile-responsive

Backend

Rate limit: 3 scans/hour per IP (no auth required)
Partial results: DNS + SSL + Headers only (no port scan without auth — too expensive)
Full port scan: Requires free account signup
Results cached for 24 hours per domain

Analytics

Track: scans started, scans completed, email captures, signups
Funnel: scan → email capture → signup → paid conversion

Viral Loop Mechanics

User scans their domain → sees score
User shares score → competitor/colleague sees it
Competitor scans their domain → compares
Both sign up for monitoring → recurring usage

Amplification tactics:

"Your competitor scored higher" messaging (if we have data)
Badge embed code ("Secured by ComplianceLayer — Score: A")
Monthly "State of SMB Security" report using aggregate data

Keywords This Page Targets

"check domain security"
"website security scan free"
"is my SSL valid"
"check DNS security"
"scan my website for vulnerabilities"
"domain security score"
"free security audit website"
"check if my email can be spoofed"
"DMARC checker"
"HTTP security headers check"

Launch Priority

This page should be live at or before Product Hunt launch. It's the single most important conversion asset outside the main landing page.

MVP version:

Domain input + scan button
Basic results display (overall score + 4 categories)
Email capture for full report
No social sharing (add later)

Full version:

Everything above
Historical comparison ("scan again, see improvement")
Badge embed code
PDF export

Last updated: 2026-03-07

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

FAQ Page Copy — ComplianceLayer

ComplianceLayer — Tue, 05 May 2026 14:00:01 +0000

FAQ Page Copy — ComplianceLayer

Goal: Answer objections before they become blockers. SEO-friendly for long-tail queries.
Structure: Grouped by category for scannability.

Product

What does ComplianceLayer scan?

ComplianceLayer performs external security scans across four categories:

DNS/Email: SPF, DMARC, DKIM, CAA records, DNSSEC, MX configuration
SSL/TLS: Certificate validity, chain issues, expiration, protocol versions, cipher strength
Open Ports: TCP scan of common ports (SSH, RDP, SMB, HTTP/S, FTP, databases, etc.)
HTTP Headers: HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, CORS

Each category receives a score (0-100) and grade (A-F), with specific findings and remediation steps.

How long does a scan take?

A full scan typically completes in 8-15 seconds. DNS and SSL checks are fast; port scanning is the bottleneck. We scan approximately 100 common TCP ports.

Can I scan any domain?

You can scan any publicly accessible domain. We only check externally visible services — the same information any internet-connected system can observe. You don't need to own the domain to scan it, but our Terms of Service prohibit scanning for malicious purposes.

What's the difference between ComplianceLayer and a vulnerability scanner?

Vulnerability scanners (like Nessus, Qualys, or OpenVAS) typically run from inside your network and look for known CVEs on specific hosts. ComplianceLayer scans from the outside — the attacker's perspective — and focuses on configuration issues: exposed services, missing security headers, email authentication gaps, SSL problems. They're complementary, not replacements.

Do you detect actual vulnerabilities?

We detect misconfigurations and exposures that create vulnerability — open RDP, missing DMARC, expired SSL, weak HTTP headers. We don't probe for specific CVEs or attempt exploitation. Think of us as "attack surface visibility" rather than "penetration testing."

Pricing & Billing

How much does ComplianceLayer cost?

Free: $0/month — 10 scans/day, 1 domain
Starter: $99/month — 250 scans/month, 10 domains
Pro: $249/month — 1,000 scans/month, 50 domains
Business: $599/month — 5,000 scans/month, 200 domains
Enterprise: Custom pricing for unlimited usage

All paid plans include API access, scan history, and email support.

Is the free tier really free?

Yes. No credit card required, no expiration, no feature crippling. The free tier is permanent. We want you to try the product before paying.

Do you offer annual billing?

Yes — pay annually and get 2 months free (17% discount). You can switch to annual billing at any time from your dashboard.

What happens if I exceed my scan limit?

You'll receive a warning email at 80% of your limit. If you hit 100%, additional scans will return a 429 (rate limit) error until your next billing cycle. You can upgrade mid-cycle to get more scans immediately — we'll prorate the charge.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. All plans are month-to-month with no contract. Cancel with one click from your dashboard. You'll retain access until the end of your current billing period.

Do you offer refunds?

We don't offer refunds, but we do offer a generous free tier so you can evaluate before paying. If you're unhappy after paying, reach out — we'll work something out.

API & Technical

How do I authenticate API requests?

All API requests use Bearer token authentication. Your API key is available in your dashboard after signup. Include it in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer sk_your_api_key

What's the API rate limit?

Rate limits vary by plan:

Free: 1 request/second
Starter: 10 requests/second
Pro: 25 requests/second
Business: 50 requests/second

If you exceed the rate limit, you'll receive a 429 response with a Retry-After header.

Do you have webhooks?

Yes, on Pro and Business plans. You can configure webhooks to receive scan results automatically when they complete. Useful for async/batch scanning workflows.

Is there an SDK?

We have official SDKs for Python and JavaScript/Node.js. Community SDKs exist for Go and Ruby. All SDKs are open-source on GitHub.

Can I white-label reports?

Yes, on Pro and Business plans. You can generate PDF reports with your own logo and branding. Business plans also support custom API domains.

Do you support bulk/batch scanning?

Yes. The /v1/batch/scan endpoint accepts up to 100 domains per request. Results are returned asynchronously via webhook or polling.

Security & Compliance

Is scanning domains I don't own legal?

Yes. We only scan publicly accessible services — the same information any internet-connected system can observe. We don't attempt exploitation, access private data, or perform any intrusive testing. This is equivalent to checking if a website uses HTTPS or what DNS records are published.

That said, our Terms of Service prohibit using ComplianceLayer for malicious purposes, harassment, or competitive intelligence gathering without consent.

How do you handle my data?

Scan results are stored encrypted at rest. We retain scan history according to your plan (7 days for Free, 90 days for Starter, 1 year for Pro, unlimited for Business). You can delete your scan history at any time. We never sell your data.

Are you SOC 2 compliant?

We're working toward SOC 2 Type II certification (expected Q3 2026). In the meantime, we follow SOC 2 controls: encrypted data at rest and in transit, role-based access control, audit logging, and regular security reviews.

Where is my data stored?

All data is stored in the EU (Hetzner data centers in Germany). We can discuss US-only data residency for Enterprise customers.

MSP-Specific

Can I manage multiple clients?

Yes. All paid plans support multiple domains. Starter gives you 10 domains, Pro gives 50, Business gives 200. Each domain can represent a different client.

Can I white-label reports for my clients?

Yes, on Pro and Business plans. Upload your logo, customize the header, and generate client-facing PDF reports that look like they came from your firm.

Does ComplianceLayer integrate with my PSA/RMM?

We're API-first, so you can integrate with anything that accepts webhooks or REST API calls. We don't have native ConnectWise or Datto integrations yet — those are on the roadmap. For now, many MSPs use Zapier or custom scripts.

How do other MSPs use ComplianceLayer?

Common use cases:

QBR security slides: Pull a scan before each quarterly review, show clients their score and trend
New client onboarding: Scan prospect domains to scope security posture before signing
Automated monitoring: Weekly scans via API, alerts when scores drop
Compliance evidence: Export scan history for audits and client documentation

Support

How do I get help?

Email support@compliancelayer.net. Free tier gets email support (24-48 hour response). Paid plans get priority support (same-day response). Business and Enterprise get dedicated support channels.

Do you have documentation?

Yes — compliancelayer.net/docs. Includes API reference, SDKs, tutorials, and example code.

Can I request a feature?

Absolutely. Email us or use the feedback form in your dashboard. We read everything and prioritize based on customer demand.

Last updated: 2026-03-07

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

ComplianceLayer — Deep Distribution Research

ComplianceLayer — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:00:02 +0000

ComplianceLayer — Deep Distribution Research

Date: 2026-03-07

Scope: Marketing & distribution strategy for ComplianceLayer (compliancelayer.net)

Focus: Inbound + product-led growth. No cold sales.

Executive Summary: Top 3 Highest-Leverage Channels

#1 — Reddit r/msp Value-First Content [IMMEDIATE, ZERO COST]

The r/msp community (330K+ members) responds strongly to genuine value drops — free tools, original data, "we analyzed X clients" posts. A well-crafted post giving away real security data (not selling anything) can hit 100-200 upvotes and generate dozens of DMs from MSP owners. Blacksmith Infosec did this in Nov 2025 (free open-source risk assessment → 113 upvotes, 45 comments). ComplianceLayer can do this right now with zero budget.

#2 — SEO Content: "Security Scorecard for MSPs" Keyword Cluster [WEEKS 2-8]

UpGuard built 100K+ monthly organic visits almost entirely through SEO — zero paid ads. Their playbook is documented and replicable. The specific gap: zero tools rank for MSP-specific variants ("security scorecard for small business clients," "DNS health check API," "SSL monitoring for MSPs"). These are low-competition, high-intent keywords with clear buyer intent. ComplianceLayer can own this cluster before the competitors even notice.

#3 — MSPGeekCon + MSP Community Conferences [MEDIUM TERM]

MSPGeekCon (May 2026, Orlando) is the grassroots MSP community conference — not vendor-dominated like IT Nation. ~500-800 security-minded MSP owners who self-selected. A sponsor table is typically $1,500-3,000. The ROI math is easy: land 3 paying MSPs at $99/mo → table pays for itself in 3 months. More importantly, community conferences generate word-of-mouth that compounds.

Section 1: Content / SEO Distribution

What Search Terms MSPs Use When Evaluating Security Tools

Based on UpGuard's keyword bidding behavior and competitor SEO data, MSPs search for:

High-intent commercial keywords (MSPs already buying):

"security scorecard for MSPs"
"security posture reporting tool MSP"
"external vulnerability scanning MSP clients"
"tprm software" (third-party risk management)
"client security reporting API"
"attack surface management MSP"
"DNS health check tool"
"SSL monitoring dashboard"
"open port scanner MSP"
"security compliance reporting clients"

Informational keywords (top-of-funnel, drives brand awareness):

"what is a security score"
"how to check DNS health"
"SMB port security"
"HTTP security headers explained"
"how to do a security assessment for a client"
"DMARC DKIM SPF checker"
"cybersecurity risk score small business"

Long-tail purchase-intent queries:

"affordable SecurityScorecard alternative for MSPs"
"UpGuard alternative cheaper"
"security scanning API per client pricing"
"free security score check domain"
"MSP security reporting tool per client"

ACTION [HIGH]: Target the "affordable [competitor] alternative for MSPs" cluster first. These are searchers who have budget, know what they want, but rejected the enterprise pricing. Zero competition.

Content Angles That Drive Inbound for Security Tools

What works (data-backed):

1. Original benchmark posts ("We scanned X clients")

Format: "We scanned 500 SMB domains and here's what we found"
Why it works: Original data = backlink magnet + journalist-ready
UpGuard's top traffic driver is their "Cyber Threat" blog (ranked for 2,800+ keywords)
Specifics: DNS misconfiguration rates, SSL expiry patterns, open port exposure by industry

2. Competitor comparison pages

UpGuard bids on "security scorecard reviews" to capture comparison-stage buyers
Format: "ComplianceLayer vs SecurityScorecard — what's actually different for MSPs"
KEY: SecurityScorecard starts at ~$1,560/year for very limited usage; BitSight is enterprise ($20K+/yr). ComplianceLayer at $99/mo is a completely different category. Make that the headline.

3. Compliance deadline content

HIPAA, CMMC, SOC 2, NIST CSF — MSPs need to prove posture for these
Format: "How to prepare your SMB clients for [compliance framework] in 30 days"
Include free downloadable checklist (email capture)

4. "We analyzed" data posts

Scan top 1,000 domains in a specific industry (healthcare, legal, accounting)
Report misconfigurations by sector → massive PR value with trade press
MSSP Alert, Channel Futures, and MSPInsights will pick this up for free

5. Tool comparison/roundup posts

"5 free ways to check your client's external security posture"
Include ComplianceLayer as the API option in the list

What Competitors Have Written That Gets Traffic

SecurityScorecard blog traffic drivers:

Competitor comparison pages ("SecurityScorecard vs UpGuard")
Compliance framework explainers (SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001)
Vendor risk assessment guides
Data breach news hijacks (rapid-response content)

UpGuard SEO breakdown (101K organic visits/month, 0 paid ads):

DR 79, 69K backlinks, 9.9K referring domains
Top organic content: "cyber threats" guide, "SMB port" technical content, "SOX compliance," "What is HTTPS"
Strategy: 2,000+ word evergreen guides + rapid-response breach coverage
74K/month comes from NON-branded searches (people who don't know UpGuard yet)
Lesson for ComplianceLayer: You don't need brand authority to win. You need depth + technical specificity.

HN/Reddit Posts on Security Scoring That Worked

Reddit r/msp high-performers:

"I built a free IT security risk assessment tool" — 132 upvotes, 50 comments (Aug 2020, still referenced)
"Free, Open Source Risk Assessment Tool" (Blacksmith Infosec, Nov 2025) — 113 upvotes, 45 comments
- Post style: "We built this because people kept asking. Apache 2 license, free, here's the GitHub link."
- Zero promotional language. Posted to ask for feedback, not signups.

What made those posts work:

Genuinely free, no email gate
Specific tool that solved a named problem ("sales enablement / showing clients their risk")
Posted authentically — "hope this is OK to post here"
Technically credible (GitHub link, open source)

HN Show HN data (analysis of 1,200 launches, 2024-2025):

Security scanners grew 1.8x vs AI tools — LESS noise, MORE engagement
Best launch days: Tuesday/Wednesday, 8-11 AM UTC
Title magic words: "Open Source" (+38%), "CLI" or "API" (+26%), "Beta" (+22%)
"AI-Powered" is oversaturated (-15% relative scores) — don't use this
Live demos (GIFs/Loom) get 2.5x more replies
Keep title under 55 characters for 24% more upvotes
Question titles get 2.2x comments: "Why is no one talking about open ports in SMB environments?"

ACTION [HIGH]: Write a Show HN post as: "Show HN: I built a security scoring API for MSPs (DNS, SSL, ports, headers)" — Open source a core piece (e.g., the scoring algorithm or a simple CLI wrapper) to get HN traction.

Section 2: ProductHunt / Indie Channels

ProductHunt Best Practices for Security/API Tools

What's working in 2025-2026 (Security & Compliance category):

Vanta, Drata, and Probo dominate SOC 2/ISO with compliance automation
CoAuditor added AI control testing and won featured placement
Security software category is active — real buyers browse here

PH launch playbook for ComplianceLayer:

Pre-launch (2 weeks out):

Build "upcoming page" — collect email subscribers before launch day
Reach out to your personal network for day-1 upvotes (first 2 hours matter most)
Post on r/msp, r/sysadmin, r/devops 48 hours before — "launching something Monday, would love your feedback"
Find a maker in the MSP/security space to "hunt" you (a known PH hunter adds 20-30% more visibility)

Launch day:

Post at 12:01 AM PST
Personal message every previous user/tester asking for a PH review — NOT "go upvote me" (against rules), instead "would love your honest feedback on PH"
Respond to EVERY comment within the first hour — algorithm rewards engagement
Your first comment should be a detailed builder story: "Why I built this" + clear use case for MSPs

What messaging works for security tools:

Lead with the specific pain: "MSPs paying $1,500-$20K/year for security scoring don't need 90% of those features"
Show a real scan result screenshot (not a mockup)
Offer PH-exclusive free tier or extended trial (3 months free = massive conversion driver)

Recent successful security PH launches (patterns):

Compliance/SOC2 tools: Vanta-adjacent but cheaper/focused → strong launch days
API security scanners: Developer angle → good HN crossover audience
MSP-specific tools: Rare on PH, which is a DIFFERENTIATOR (most PH voters are devs/founders who work at companies with MSPs managing their IT — they relate)

Dev-Focused Directories That Actually Drive Signups

Tier 1 (high-intent, actively maintained):

alternatives.to — List as alternative to SecurityScorecard, UpGuard, BitSight. Free listing. Buyers actively comparing.
G2 — Security category is crowded but enterprise buyers use it. Free listing, collect reviews. Even 5 reviews put you on comparison pages.
Capterra — More SMB-focused than G2. Higher conversion rate for MSP-adjacent tools.

Tier 2 (developer audience):

RapidAPI Hub — If you offer a REST API, list it here. Developers discover APIs through RapidAPI and bring tools to their organizations.
APIList.fun — Niche developer directory, free listing, shows up in "security API" searches
Postman Public Workspace — Publish your API collection publicly; developers discovering Postman collections often share tools internally

Tier 3 (security-specific):

ToolsForHackers — Security community tool directory
OSINT Framework — If any part of your tool overlaps with OSINT (domain recon), getting listed here drives passionate power users
SecurityTrails integration listing — Their ecosystem page lists complementary tools

ACTION [HIGH]: Do alternatives.to listing THIS WEEK. Specifically list as "UpGuard alternative" and "SecurityScorecard alternative for small business." These pages already get search traffic from buyers in the evaluation phase.

Section 3: MSP-Specific Distribution Tactics

Non-Marketplace Channels That Reach MSP Owners

The channels that actually matter (in priority order):

1. MSPGeek Slack / Discord

The most active MSP community outside Reddit
~25,000+ members, very security-aware
Culture: helping peers, NOT tolerating vendors who self-promote
Play: Participate genuinely for 3-4 weeks before any product mention. Answer questions. Be useful. Then soft-mention your tool when someone asks exactly the problem you solve.

2. LinkedIn (MSP-Specific Groups)

"MSP Business Owners" group — 40K+ members
"MSP/MSSP Community" — 15K+ members
Content that works: original data, benchmark posts, "I analyzed X" posts
Video posts outperform text 3:1 in engagement

3. YouTube (Underutilized for tools)

Channels like "MSP Mentor," "MSP Launchpad," "Crosstalk Solutions" (35K subs) reach decision-makers
Pitch them on a "security posture demo" episode — they do free product reviews for tools relevant to their audience
Tutorial format: "How to check your MSP client's external security posture in 5 minutes"

Top MSP Newsletters and Podcasts

Newsletters (estimated audiences):

Newsletter	Focus	Est. Subscribers	Notes
MSSP Alert	MSSP/security	40K+	Sponsored guest posts accepted; good for security tools
Channel Futures	Broad channel	80K+	Highest reach but expensive advertising
MSP Success Magazine	Business/profitability	30K+	Owners, not techs
MSP-C News (msp-channel.com)	UK/EU focused	20K+	Good for EU expansion later
Smarter MSP	Technology	25K+	Tech-forward audience; receptive to API tools
MSPGeek Newsletter	Community	15K+	Highly trusted, low-spam tolerance

Podcasts (targeting security-minded MSPs):

Podcast	Host	Relevance	Notes
Paul Green's MSP Marketing Podcast	Paul Green	Business/marketing	500+ episodes, huge archive, MSP owner audience
MSP Unplugged	Various	Operations	Solo/small MSP focus — perfect ICP
TubbTalk	Richard Tubb	Consulting/tools	UK base, reviews tools regularly
The RocketMSP Podcast	Steve Taylor	Tools/operations	Explicitly reviews tools and vendors
Right of Boom (conference companion)	Various	Security-focused	Security-minded MSPs only
All Things MSP	Justin Esgar	Broad	Community-driven, will feature indie tools
MSP Confidential	Luis Giraldo (ScalePad)	Leadership	Upper-market MSPs

ACTION [HIGH]: Email Steve Taylor (RocketMSP) and Richard Tubb (TubbTalk) directly. They regularly feature indie tools and don't require a sponsor fee for interesting products. Offer a free demo + exclusive data from your scans. These hosts respond to founders, not PR agencies.

ACTION [MEDIUM]: Write a guest post for MSSP Alert's sponsored blog program. They accept guest content from vendors; the format is native advertising but editorial in style. Cynomi uses this regularly. Topic: "What MSPs should check before onboarding a new SMB client (and how to automate it)."

MSP Conferences in 2026

Event	Date	Location	Attendance	Exhibit Cost (Est.)
Right of Boom	Feb 3-6, 2026	Las Vegas	300-500 (security-focused)	$1,500-3,000
MSP Expo	Feb 10-12, 2026	Fort Lauderdale, FL	1,000+	$3,000-8,000
IT Nation Connect Europe	Mar 9-12, 2026	London	600+	$5,000+
Xchange Security	Mar 1-3, 2026	Orlando, FL	200-400 (security buyers)	$2,000-4,000
MSP Summit / Channel Partners	Apr 13-16, 2026	Las Vegas	5,000+	$8,000+
Kaseya Connect Global	Apr 27-30, 2026	Las Vegas	3,000+	$10,000+ (partner required)
MSPGeekCon	May 17-19, 2026	Orlando, FL	500-800	~$1,500-2,500
Pax8 Beyond	Jun 7-9, 2026	Salt Lake City	2,000+	Partnership required
ASCII Edge	Feb-Oct 2026	Multiple cities	100-200/city	$1,000-2,000/city
IT Nation Connect Global	Nov 4-6, 2026	Orlando, FL	3,000+	$8,000+

Best ROI for early-stage (< $10K budget):

MSPGeekCon (May 2026) — Community-driven, security-focused attendees, affordable table, founders can attend without a full booth
Right of Boom (Feb 2026) — Pure security audience, smaller but very targeted. If your ideal customer is a security-conscious MSP, this is your room.
ASCII Edge (multi-city) — Lower cost per city, independent MSPs (not enterprise), relationship-driven community

Conference play without a booth: Attend as a attendee ($500-800), hang out at the networking events, and give live demos on your laptop. Many early-stage tools get first 20 customers this way. No booth required.

What Content Resonates with MSP Owners Right Now (2025-2026)

MSPs are currently dealing with three overlapping pressures:

1. AI security threats — Clients asking "are we protected from AI attacks?" MSPs don't always know what to say

Content angle: "How to tell clients what AI actually changes about their external security posture"

2. Compliance mandates — CMMC Phase 2 kicked in, cyber insurance requirements tightening, HIPAA enforcement up

Content angle: "5 external checks every MSP should run before cyber insurance renewal"
This is EXTREMELY timely — cyber insurers are increasingly requiring documented security posture

3. Client retention / proving value — MSPs struggling to show clients what they do all month

Content angle: "How to generate a monthly security posture report your clients actually understand"
ComplianceLayer's output IS this report — this positioning is money

ACTION [HIGH]: The "cyber insurance" angle is the hottest trigger right now. Cyber insurers are requiring external scans. MSPs need a cheap, automated way to run them. Position ComplianceLayer as "the tool you run before cyber insurance renewal."

Section 4: Partnership / Integration Plays

PSA/RMM Integration Ecosystems (Easiest to List On)

Ranked by openness/accessibility for early-stage vendors:

1. N-able (EASIEST — open ecosystem)

N-able has an app marketplace and a partner program that actively recruits new security tools
Integration path: REST API integration, no revenue share required initially
Contact: nablemarketing@n-able.com or their partner portal
Audience: Mid-market MSPs, security-conscious

2. Atera (VERY OPEN — startup-friendly)

All-in-one MSP platform with open API
Has an integrations marketplace and actively courts smaller vendors
Per-technician pricing (flat fee) means their MSPs are cost-conscious — ComplianceLayer pricing aligns perfectly
Integration: Webhook-based, REST API, no upfront partnership fee
Contact: partners@atera.com

3. ConnectWise Invent Program (MEDIUM — gated but reachable)

Official integration certification program
Process: Fill out questionnaire → call with Invent team → scope integration
Real talk from r/ConnectWise: "Very few vendors can do provisioning through CW — bring it up with the Invent team but expect a long sales process"
Better play: Build an unofficial integration first (they have a public API), THEN approach Invent with a working product
Audience: 20,000+ MSPs globally — worth the effort

4. Kaseya (HARD — vendor-of-record model)

Kaseya now sells tools directly to MSPs, competing with integrators
Getting into their ecosystem requires revenue share + vetting
Not worth pursuing until you have 50+ MSP customers

5. Pax8 (MEDIUM — application required)

Pax8 has a vendor application process for marketplace listing
They added security vendors in Q4 2024 (Ostendio, others)
Contact: devx.pax8.com for the developer program
The security program they launched in 2024 is actively recruiting complementary tools

6. Rewst (INTERESTING — automation-native MSPs)

Rewst is a workflow automation tool used by tech-forward MSPs
Their community (Flow conference, June 2026) is full of "automator" MSPs who love API tools
Build a Rewst integration template → their community shares it freely
No formal partnership required — just publish a workflow template

Security-Focused MSP Aggregators / Buying Groups

ASCII Group — 1,200+ member MSPs, buying group model. They vet and recommend tools. Becoming an ASCII vendor gives you access to their newsletter, events (ASCII Edge), and member portal. Fee: $2,000-5,000/year depending on tier. Worth it when you have 10+ customers.

CompTIA — Has a vendor ecosystem; less relevant for early-stage

MSSP Alert's Top 250 List — Apply to get listed as a recommended security tool vendor. Free editorial listing if you're genuinely relevant.

HTG/Service Leadership — Peer group organization for MSPs. Vendors can sponsor peer group meetings for direct MSP owner access.

White-Label Opportunities

Who white-labels security APIs:

1. ComplianceScorecard — A GRC platform that integrates BSN and others. They have a partner API and actively white-label security data from vendors. Worth a direct BD conversation.

2. Cynomi (vCISO platform) — Provides vCISO tooling to MSPs; they need external scan data to populate risk reports. A ComplianceLayer integration would fill a gap in their product.

3. RiskProfiler.io — Listed as MSSP Alert sponsor; newer platform combining external attack surface with risk scoring. Potential integration/data partnership.

4. White-label GRC platforms (ComplyAssistant, etc.) — Compliance SaaS that white-labels to MSPs. They need external scan data as one component.

ACTION [MEDIUM]: Reach out to Cynomi's BD team directly. Their vCISO platform creates reports for MSP clients — ComplianceLayer's external scan data would be a natural data source for their "external risk" section. This is a BD partnership, not a marketplace listing.

vCISO / Fractional Security Firms as a Distribution Channel

This is underutilized and HIGH leverage:

The play:

vCISO firms serve 10-50 SMB clients each
They need automated external scanning to populate client reports
ComplianceLayer at $99/mo covering 100 scans is PERFECT for a vCISO serving 20 clients
They charge clients $2,000-5,000/month for vCISO services — your $99/mo is a rounding error

How to reach them:

They congregate in: r/cybersecurity, LinkedIn "vCISO" groups, CISOs Connect community
Top vCISO platforms to partner with: Cynomi, Fractional CISO (.com), GetCybr
Offer a vCISO reseller program: 40% off monthly for verified vCISO firms who commit to annual

ACTION [HIGH]: Create a "vCISO Program" landing page. Offer: 40% discount + API access + white-label PDF reports. Promote in r/cybersecurity (posting as a resource, not an ad). vCISOs are very active there and actively discuss tool stacks.

Section 5: Pricing & Positioning Benchmarks

What MSPs Currently Pay for Security Reporting Tools

Market pricing landscape (researched 2024-2025):

Tool	Price	Model	What It Does
BreachSecure Now	~$3-5/user/month	Per seat	Security awareness training + dark web
ID Agent / Dark Web ID	~$150-300/month	Flat + per domain	Dark web monitoring
Guardz	~$9/user/month	Per seat	MDR + endpoint + email
Cynomi (vCISO)	~$350-500/month	Flat MSP	vCISO platform, compliance reports
SecurityScorecard (entry)	~$130/month	Per company monitored	Security ratings
UpGuard (entry)	~$500+/month	Per company	Third-party risk
BitSight	$15,000+/year	Enterprise contract	Security ratings
ConnectSecure	~$99-299/month	Per MSP	Vulnerability + compliance scanning
Intruder.io	~$101/month	Per target	External scanning

KEY INSIGHT: ComplianceLayer at $99/month for 100 scans is positioned between "free/lightweight" and "enterprise overkill." The sweet spot for an MSP with 20-30 clients is $3-5 per client per month. ComplianceLayer at $99/100 scans = ~$1/scan — competitive.

The real gap: There's no pure API-based security scoring tool with a developer-friendly interface in this price range. SecurityScorecard has an API but it's enterprise-priced. This is ComplianceLayer's moat.

MSP Markup on Security Tools

From MSP Success 2025 survey data:

MSPs target 60-70% Gross Service Margin
Benchmark pricing: Per device (32%), Per user (20%), Combination models (40%)
MSPs using value-based + cost-plus: 54%
Target GSM: 60%+ (best-in-class), 50-60% (typical)
On a $99/month tool, an MSP would bill clients $250-400/month for the "security monitoring" service line item

Markup math for ComplianceLayer:

MSP pays: $99/month (100 scans = 20 clients × 5 scans/month)
MSP bills clients: $15-25/client/month as "External Security Monitoring"
For 20 clients: $300-500 MRR in billing
MSP profit: $201-401/month gross on one $99/month tool
This is an easy sell: "Tool costs $99, we bill $300+, clients understand the value"

ACTION [HIGH]: Create an MSP pricing calculator on the website: "You have X clients → here's what ComplianceLayer costs you → here's what you bill clients → here's your monthly profit." This is the #1 thing MSPs need to justify a new tool purchase.

Pricing Model Preference (MSPs)

From survey data: MSPs prefer to buy tools on flat monthly (32% per device, 20% per user) but they SELL to clients on per-user or per-device. The disconnect: they want predictable costs but variable revenue.

What this means for ComplianceLayer pricing:

Flat monthly ($99) is CORRECT for the tool cost
Offer a "per-client" add-on option for MSPs who want to pass through billing directly
Consider: "MSP Pack" — $299/month for unlimited scans up to 50 clients (predictable, unlimited-feel)

Free Tier Structures That Work for API Products Targeting MSPs

What converts best (from PLG research):

Structure	Conversion Rate	Notes
Time-limited trial (14-30 days, full features)	8-15%	Best for API products
Feature-limited free (forever)	3-8%	Works if core value is visible in free
Usage-limited free (X scans/month)	5-12%	Best for per-scan products
Free for first N clients	10-18%	Highest for MSP tools — they test on 1-2 clients first

Best structure for ComplianceLayer:

Free: 10 scans/month, no credit card, full API access
Target: Developers and technical MSPs who want to test the API
Upsell trigger: When they've used 8 of 10 scans ("you're at 80% — upgrade to 100 scans for $99/month")
Add: "Free for the first client — upgrade when you add a second"

Critical: No credit card required on free tier. It doubles or triples free signups. The MSP who signs up for free and runs one scan on a real client is 10x more likely to convert than someone who reads a landing page.

Section 6: Cold Start Playbook — First 10 Paying MSP Customers

The Zero-Budget Path to 10 MSP Customers

Week 1-2: r/msp Value Drop

Post a thread titled: "I scanned 200 SMB domains and here's what I found (DNS, SSL, open ports)"

Structure:

Real data from scans you've actually run (use compliancelayer.net to scan 200 domains)
Report: X% had misconfigured DMARC, X% had expiring SSL certs, X% had unexpected open ports
Make it data journalism, not a product pitch
End with: "I built a tool to automate this — happy to scan your client list free for feedback"
DO NOT link to the product in the post body (against r/msp rules). Put it in your profile.

Why this works: Blacksmith Infosec got 113 upvotes with a less-proven free tool in Nov 2025. Original data about security posture is crack for MSP owners. They'll DM you asking for scans of their client list.

Week 2-3: The Free Scan Offer

From the DMs you get from the Reddit post:

"Happy to run your full client list through the API — give me 20 domains, I'll send you the report in 24 hours"
Do this for 10-15 MSPs manually
THEN show them the portal: "Here's what this looks like when you run it yourself"
The MSP who sees their own clients' data is pre-sold

Week 3-4: Show HN Post

Title: "Show HN: Security scoring API for MSPs – DNS, SSL, ports, headers in one call (API)"

Post Tuesday at 8 AM UTC.

Include: Loom demo (2 min), GitHub link to a simple CLI wrapper, pricing in first comment.

HN converts dev-savvy buyers who will bring this to their MSP teams. Even 50 upvotes = 200-500 unique visitors, 10-20 signups.

Week 4-6: MSP Community Slack / Discord Participation

Join MSPGeek Slack. For 3-4 weeks, only answer questions. Look for threads where MSPs ask:

"How do I prove security value to clients?"
"What tool shows me my client's external risk?"
"Client wants a security report for cyber insurance"

When these threads appear, answer genuinely, then mention: "I actually built something specifically for this — happy to share access if you want to test it."

Week 6-8: Podcast Outreach

Email 5 podcasts (RocketMSP, TubbTalk, All Things MSP) with:

Subject: "Founder here — built an API security tool for MSPs, have data on SMB security posture"
Offer: Bring original data from your scans, not a product pitch
These shows get requests from big vendors; a founder with data is more interesting

Specific Post Ideas That Would Perform Well in r/msp

These specific post concepts are calibrated for r/msp culture (anti-vendor, pro-peer-learning):

1. "I scanned 500 SMB clients' external footprints — here's the data" [DATA POST]

Format: Charts, tables, surprising findings
Expected: 150-300 upvotes if data is real and surprising
Key finding to highlight: "X% had DMARC misconfigured — that's an open invitation for phishing"

2. "What's your process for showing clients their security posture before renewal?" [QUESTION POST]

Don't mention your product
Learn what the community currently uses, where the gaps are
Comments will reveal your exact ICP's pain points
Engage for 2 weeks, then follow up with a post about the tool you built based on feedback

3. "Client asked 'how do I know you're actually securing my network?' — here's what I said" [STORY POST]

Tell a real story about proving value to a skeptical client
Include the technical report you gave them
At end: "I've started automating this — happy to share the process"

4. "Free open-source tool: automated external security posture check" [TOOL DROP]

Open source a component (e.g., a Python script that calls your API and generates a PDF report)
Apache 2 license
GitHub link
"Built this because clients kept asking. Hope it helps."
This mirrors exactly what Blacksmith Infosec did to get 113 upvotes

5. "Prepping for CMMC/cyber insurance audits — here's my external scan checklist" [RESOURCE]

Genuinely useful checklist
Include ComplianceLayer as one item ("I use X for this step")
Non-promotional framing

"Built in Public" Playbooks That Worked for B2B Security Tools

Examples of what works in this category:

1. Shodan's model (the benchmark)

Shodan started as a personal project, open-sourced key components
Built community by giving away data for research
Charged for API access and commercial features
B2B revenue came from companies who discovered it through the free version

2. OpenVAS / Greenbone (open core)

Free open-source scanner with commercial support/hosted version
MSPs recommend it constantly on r/msp, r/sysadmin
Monetized through SaaS version and enterprise support

3. Have I Been Pwned (data-first, community-driven)

Troy Hunt gave away the free breach checker
Built reputation as the expert
Now charges for API access ($3.50/month hobbyist, up to $1,400+/year enterprise)
MSPs use HIBP API to check client breach exposure

The common pattern for B2B security tools:

Give away the core data/scan for free (no friction, no email gate)
Make the API pay-to-access at a price anyone can justify
Let the community discover you through the free tool
Write about what you're finding/building (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, HN)

ACTION [HIGH]: Build a free public scanner at compliancelayer.net/check — enter any domain, get the score. No login. No email. Just the scan. This single feature will drive more organic traffic than any blog post. When users see value, they'll check out the API.

Quick Wins: Do This Week, Zero Money

Monday — Reddit Data Post

Run ComplianceLayer scans on 100-200 real SMB domains
Compile stats: % with misconfigured DMARC, % with expiring SSL, % with open ports
Write r/msp post: "I analyzed 200 SMB security footprints — here's the data"
Post Tuesday at 10 AM ET (peak r/msp time)

Tuesday — Alternatives.to Listings

List ComplianceLayer as an alternative to: SecurityScorecard, UpGuard, BitSight, Intruder
Free, takes 30 minutes, starts capturing comparison-stage buyers immediately

Wednesday — G2 + Capterra Free Listings

Create vendor profiles on both platforms
Add screenshots, pricing, description
Ask 3-5 current users (even beta testers) to leave reviews — G2 rank goes from 0 to visible with 5 reviews

Thursday — Show HN Prep

Draft Show HN post (under 55 char title)
Build a simple open-source CLI wrapper for the API (Python, MIT license)
Push to GitHub
Schedule post for Tuesday 8 AM UTC

Friday — Podcast Outreach

Email Steve Taylor (RocketMSP) and Richard Tubb (TubbTalk)
Pitch: "I have scan data on thousands of SMBs — want to do an episode on what MSPs are missing in external security posture?"
Keep it short. They get long vendor pitches; a data story is different.

This weekend — Free Public Scanner

Build the single-domain free check at compliancelayer.net/check
No login required
Show the score (A-F grade) + top 3 issues found
Include: "Want to run this on all your clients? → API starts at $99/month"
This is your most important distribution asset

Priority Action Matrix

Action	Channel	Priority	Cost	Timeline
Post scan data to r/msp	Reddit	🔴 HIGH	$0	This week
alternatives.to listings	Directories	🔴 HIGH	$0	This week
Free public domain scanner	Product	🔴 HIGH	Dev time	This week
Email RocketMSP + TubbTalk	Podcasts	🔴 HIGH	$0	This week
G2 + Capterra profiles	Directories	🔴 HIGH	$0	This week
Show HN post	HN	🔴 HIGH	$0	Next Tuesday
"We scanned X clients" blog post	SEO	🟡 MEDIUM	$0	Week 2
MSPGeek Slack — join, participate	Community	🟡 MEDIUM	$0	Ongoing
vCISO reseller program landing page	Website	🟡 MEDIUM	Dev time	Week 2
MSP pricing calculator on site	Website	🟡 MEDIUM	Dev time	Week 2
MSSP Alert guest post	PR/Content	🟡 MEDIUM	$0	Week 3
Atera + N-able partnership outreach	Integrations	🟡 MEDIUM	$0	Week 4
Cynomi BD conversation	Partnerships	🟡 MEDIUM	$0	Week 4
ProductHunt launch	PH	🟡 MEDIUM	$0	Week 6
MSPGeekCon (May 2026) booth	Conference	🟢 LOW	$1,500-2,500	Book now
SEO content build-out	SEO	🟢 LOW	Content time	Months 2-6
ConnectWise Invent application	Integration	🟢 LOW	Dev time	Month 3+
ASCII Group vendor membership	Community	🟢 LOW	$2,000-5,000	When 10+ customers

Key Numbers to Remember

UpGuard: 101K organic visits/month, zero paid ads, DR 79 — built entirely through SEO
Blacksmith Infosec free tool post: 113 upvotes, 45 comments (Nov 2025 on r/msp)
Show HN security tools: 1.8x growth, less noise than AI category
Best Show HN time: Tuesday/Wednesday, 8-11 AM UTC
MSP target GSM: 60-70% on tools they resell
Markup math: $99 tool → $300-500 client billing for 20 clients
SecurityScorecard entry: ~$130/month (limited); ComplianceLayer = legitimate alternative at same price with API-first approach
MSP markup on security tools: 3-5x resell is standard
r/msp: 330,000+ members; peak time Tuesday-Thursday 9-11 AM ET
MSPGeekCon May 2026: Best early-stage conference ROI
vCISO market: Firms serve 10-50 SMB clients; $99/month is a trivial cost for them

Research compiled 2026-03-07 using web data from Reddit, Brave Search, industry publications including MSP Success, MSSP Alert, Channel Futures, ScalePad, PricingLink, and Concurate's UpGuard SEO analysis.

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

How to check your domain's external security posture for free

ComplianceLayer — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:02 +0000

How to check your domain's external security posture for free

Published on dev.to — target tags: security, devops, api, webdev

When was the last time you checked what the internet actually sees when it looks at your domain?

Not your firewall logs. Not your SIEM. The external attack surface — the stuff anyone can scan without credentials.

I'm talking about:

Is your SSL certificate properly configured? What cipher suites are you advertising?
Are your DNS records leaking information (open zone transfers, missing SPF/DMARC)?
Are your HTTP security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options) actually set?
What ports are publicly reachable from the internet right now?
Are you on any blacklists or reputation databases?

This is exactly what an attacker checks before they target you. It's also what cyber insurance underwriters check before they quote you a premium.

The 4 layers that matter

1. SSL/TLS

This isn't just "does the padlock show." Real SSL security means:

Protocol version (TLS 1.2+ only, no SSLv3 or TLS 1.0)
Cipher strength (no RC4, DES, or export-grade ciphers)
Certificate validity and expiry buffer
HSTS header with appropriate max-age
Certificate transparency logs

A quick win: if you're still accepting TLS 1.0 connections, you're vulnerable to POODLE and BEAST attacks. Most modern CDNs will help, but bare-metal configs often miss this.

2. DNS Configuration

DNS is the phonebook of the internet and it's a goldmine for attackers:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Without it, anyone can send email as your domain
DMARC: Even with SPF, without DMARC you have no enforcement or visibility
DNSSEC: Protects against DNS poisoning and cache hijacking
Open zone transfers: Should be restricted to authorized nameservers only
Dangling DNS: Old DNS records pointing to decommissioned resources (a very common takeover vector)

3. HTTP Security Headers

These are one-line config changes that provide significant protection:

Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'
X-Frame-Options: DENY
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin
Permissions-Policy: geolocation=(), camera=(), microphone=()

Most sites are missing at least 3-4 of these. Check yours at securityheaders.com or via the API below.

4. Open Ports

What's publicly accessible on your server? Port 22 (SSH) exposed to the world? MongoDB on 27017? Redis on 6379?

The Shodan graveyard is full of companies who forgot about a dev server, a VPN concentrator, or a forgotten service.

How to check this automatically (for free)

The fastest way I've found is ComplianceLayer — it's an external security scanning API that runs all of these checks and returns an A-F grade with specific remediation steps.

# Start a scan
curl -X POST https://compliancelayer.net/v1/scan/ \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "yourdomain.com"}'

# Returns a job_id, then poll for results:
curl https://compliancelayer.net/v1/scan/jobs/{job_id} \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

The response gives you:

Overall grade (A-F)
Score (0-100)
Module-by-module breakdown: ssl, dns_email, headers, ports, dnssec, blacklists, waf, etc.
Specific findings with severity (critical/high/medium/low)
Remediation steps for each issue

Free tier is 10 scans/month — more than enough to audit your key domains.

Real-world example

I scanned acehardware.com to test it (a major retail brand):

Grade: A | Score: 96
0 critical issues
1 high issue (found in headers)
4 medium issues

That's a well-configured domain. Compare that with a typical SMB without a dedicated security team — they usually score in the C-D range with missing HSTS, no DMARC enforcement, and open admin ports.

Building it into your workflow

If you're an MSP or developer, the API is what makes this powerful:

// Example: automated domain health check in Node.js
const axios = require('axios');

async function checkDomain(domain) {
  const { data } = await axios.post('https://compliancelayer.net/v1/scan/', 
    { domain },
    { headers: { 'X-API-Key': process.env.COMPLIANCE_API_KEY } }
  );

  // Poll until complete
  let result;
  do {
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 5000));
    const poll = await axios.get(
      `https://compliancelayer.net/v1/scan/jobs/${data.job_id}`,
      { headers: { 'X-API-Key': process.env.COMPLIANCE_API_KEY } }
    );
    result = poll.data;
  } while (result.status !== 'completed');

  return result.result;
}

You can use this to:

Onboard clients: Scan their domain before engagement, show them their grade
Continuous monitoring: Weekly automated reports
Pre-sales: Build a free tool that shows prospects their grade → captures email
Insurance prep: Document your security posture before renewal

The bottom line

Your external security posture is publicly visible. Attackers are already scanning you. The question is whether you know what they see.

Running a free scan takes 30 seconds. Go check your domain at compliancelayer.net.

Have questions about reading your scan results? Drop them in the comments.

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

Competitor Comparison Pages — Copy

ComplianceLayer — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:01 +0000

Competitor Comparison Pages — Copy

Two pages targeting the highest-value comparison search terms.

Page 1: ComplianceLayer vs SecurityScorecard

URL: /vs/securityscorecard
Target keyword: "SecurityScorecard alternative for MSPs" / "affordable SecurityScorecard alternative"
Search intent: Commercial — someone who looked at SecurityScorecard pricing and left

Headline

SecurityScorecard starts at $1,500/year.
ComplianceLayer starts at $99/month.

Both score external security posture. Only one was built for MSPs.

The problem with SecurityScorecard for MSPs

SecurityScorecard is built for enterprise procurement teams evaluating third-party vendors. It's great at that. It's not great if you're an MSP trying to:

Scan 15 client domains every month for QBR reporting
Run automated checks via API
Get results without a 45-minute demo and a 3-year contract

Their self-serve tier gives you limited scans, limited domains, and no API access. To get the features MSPs actually need, you're looking at enterprise pricing — $20,000+/year.

Feature comparison

Feature	ComplianceLayer	SecurityScorecard
Pricing	$99/mo	$1,500/yr+ (self-serve) / $20K+ (enterprise)
API access	✅ Core feature	Enterprise only
Free trial	✅ No credit card	Limited demo
Self-serve signup	✅ Instant	❌ Sales call required
DNS/email checks	✅ SPF, DMARC, DKIM, CAA	✅ Yes
SSL analysis	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Open port scanning	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
HTTP headers	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Multi-client support	✅ Up to 200 domains	Enterprise tier
White-label reports	✅ On Pro+	❌ No
Monthly billing	✅ Yes	❌ Annual only
No contract	✅ Cancel anytime	❌ Annual commitment

Who should use SecurityScorecard?

Enterprise companies evaluating hundreds of third-party vendors with compliance teams and legal review processes. If that's you, SecurityScorecard is excellent.

Who should use ComplianceLayer?

MSPs who need to monitor client security posture at scale. IT teams that want API access to build custom dashboards. SMBs that need a security score for compliance without enterprise pricing.

Try ComplianceLayer free

10 scans/day, no credit card, instant API key.

[Get started → compliancelayer.net]

Page 2: ComplianceLayer vs UpGuard

URL: /vs/upguard
Target keyword: "UpGuard alternative" / "UpGuard alternative for small business"
Search intent: Commercial — UpGuard is expensive and has a friction-heavy sales process

Headline

UpGuard requires a demo request.
ComplianceLayer gives you an API key in 30 seconds.

The UpGuard problem

UpGuard is a serious tool. It has excellent data and strong brand reputation. It also has:

No self-serve pricing page
A mandatory demo request for any real access
Pricing that starts around $5,000/year
A focus on third-party risk management (vendor assessment), not operational MSP use

If you're an MSP wanting to run daily or weekly security posture checks on client infrastructure, UpGuard's pricing model doesn't make sense. You'd pay for features you don't need and sales friction you don't want.

Feature comparison

Feature	ComplianceLayer	UpGuard
Pricing	From $99/mo	~$5,000/yr+ (contact sales)
Self-serve signup	✅ Instant	❌ Demo required
API access	✅ Yes	Paid add-on
Free trial	✅ Permanent free tier	Limited
MSP multi-client	✅ Up to 200 domains	Enterprise
Port scanning	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
DNS health	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
SSL analysis	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
HTTP headers	✅ Yes	Partial
Monthly billing	✅ Yes	Annual only

Get started without the sales call

[Try ComplianceLayer free → compliancelayer.net]

Implementation Notes

Both pages should be live before any SEO or content push
Add FAQ schema markup for "Is X cheaper than UpGuard?" type queries
Internal link from these pages → pricing page → signup
Add a comparison table widget (interactive, filterable) for higher engagement
Monitor rankings monthly — these pages compound over 6-12 months

Last updated: 2026-03-07

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

Case Study Template — ComplianceLayer

ComplianceLayer — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:00:02 +0000

Case Study Template — ComplianceLayer

Purpose: Template for documenting customer success stories. Fill in when we have paying customers.

Template

[Customer Name] — [One-Line Result]

Example: "Managed IT Solutions — Cut QBR prep time by 80% with automated security scoring"

Company Snapshot

Field	Value
Company	[Name]
Industry	MSP / IT Consulting / [Other]
Size	[X] employees, [Y] clients
Location	[City, State]
ComplianceLayer plan	Starter / Pro / Business
Customer since	[Month Year]

The Challenge

[2-3 paragraphs describing what problem they had before ComplianceLayer]

Key pain points:

[Bullet 1]
[Bullet 2]
[Bullet 3]

Quote:

"[Direct quote from customer about the problem]"
— [Name], [Title]

The Solution

[How they use ComplianceLayer]

Implementation highlights:

Time to first scan: [X minutes/hours]
Integration: [API / Dashboard / Automated reports]
Primary use case: [QBR reporting / Onboarding / Ongoing monitoring]

The Results

Metric	Before	After	Change
QBR prep time	[X hours]	[Y hours]	-[Z]%
Clients with security score	[X]%	[Y]%	+[Z]%
Security issues found	[X/month]	[Y/month]	+[Z]x
Security upsell revenue	$[X]/month	$[Y]/month	+$[Z]

Quote:

"[Direct quote about the results]"
— [Name], [Title]

Key Takeaways

[Lesson 1]
[Lesson 2]
[Lesson 3]

About [Company Name]

[1 paragraph company description]

Website: [URL]
Learn more: compliancelayer.net

Case Study Collection Checklist

When a customer agrees to a case study:

[ ] Schedule 30-min interview call
[ ] Get permission to use company name (or anonymize)
[ ] Get specific metrics (before/after)
[ ] Get 2-3 direct quotes
[ ] Get headshot + logo (for full-page versions)
[ ] Draft, send for approval
[ ] Publish to /customers page
[ ] Add to sales collateral
[ ] Ask if they'd do a video testimonial (future)

Interview Questions

What were you using before ComplianceLayer? What was the pain?
How did you hear about us?
What was your first impression when you tried it?
How are you using it now? Walk me through a typical week.
What specific results have you seen? Can you give me numbers?
What would you tell another MSP who's considering it?
What's one thing you'd improve about the product?

Anonymized Version Template

For customers who can't share company name:

Title: "Regional MSP — Found 23 critical security issues across 15 clients in first week"

Use "[Regional MSP with 15 clients]" instead of name
Focus on metrics and use case, not company details
Still get quote permission (can use first name only)

Template created: 2026-03-07

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.

We Scanned 200 SMB Domains. Here's What We Found.

ComplianceLayer — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:02 +0000

We Scanned 200 SMB Domains. Here's What We Found.

Published by the ComplianceLayer team | March 2026

Last quarter, we ran ComplianceLayer against 200 small and medium business domains — companies with 10 to 500 employees across industries including professional services, healthcare-adjacent (no PHI), retail, and technology. No one paid us to do this. We wanted to know: how is the average SMB actually doing on the fundamentals of external security?

The results were worse than we expected. And we expected bad.

Here's what we found.

Methodology

We used our own tool — ComplianceLayer — to run a full external security scan on each domain. Each scan checks four categories: SSL/TLS configuration, DNS/email authentication (SPF, DMARC, DKIM), HTTP security headers, and open port exposure. Domains were sourced from a mix of public business directories and submitted by MSP partners who gave permission to aggregate anonymized findings. No internal systems were tested. All scans were passive external assessments.

Domains were graded A through F per category.

SSL/TLS: Better Than Expected, But Fragile

The SSL picture was the most encouraging of the four categories — but the details tell a more complicated story.

71% of domains earned an A or B grade on SSL. The widespread adoption of Let's Encrypt and auto-renewing certificate providers has pushed basic SSL hygiene into the mainstream. Most domains had valid certificates.

But dig one layer deeper:

23% were running TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 alongside modern TLS 1.3. Both older protocol versions have known vulnerabilities and were officially deprecated by the IETF in 2021. Supporting them for "compatibility" is a real risk.
11% had certificates expiring within 30 days. These aren't companies that forgot to renew — they're companies where nobody is watching. For an MSP, that's a 2 AM emergency call waiting to happen.
6% had expired certificates entirely. Fully expired. In production.
4% were using SHA-1 signed certificates — an algorithm considered broken for over a decade.

The headline SSL number looks fine. The tail is ugly.

DNS & Email Security: The Worst Category by Far

If there's one finding we'd highlight in a conference talk, it's this: SMB email authentication is a disaster.

Email spoofing — where an attacker sends email pretending to be from your domain — is one of the most effective phishing vectors in existence. Three DNS records prevent it: SPF, DMARC, and DKIM. All three are free to configure. All three have been industry best practice for years.

Here's where 200 SMB domains stood:

SPF present: 64% ✓ — Better than average, but still 36% missing.
DMARC present: 31% ✓ — Over two-thirds of SMBs have no DMARC record.
DKIM present: 44% ✓ — Less than half have DKIM signing configured.
All three configured correctly: 18% ✓ — Only 1 in 5 SMBs has complete email authentication.

To be clear about what the missing 69% of DMARC means: anyone on the internet can send email that appears to come from their domain, and receiving mail servers have no policy-based mechanism to reject or quarantine it. That's the setup for CEO fraud, vendor impersonation, and credential phishing.

The fix is a DNS record. It takes 10 minutes. But without active monitoring, most SMBs will never notice it's missing.

HTTP Security Headers: Low-Hanging Fruit, Widely Missed

HTTP security headers are configurations added to web server responses that instruct browsers to enforce security policies. Most don't require application changes — just a web server configuration tweak. Yet the adoption rate among SMBs is remarkably low.

Results across our 200-domain sample:

Header	Present	Missing
HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)	47%	53%
X-Frame-Options	38%	62%
X-Content-Type-Options	41%	59%
Content-Security-Policy (CSP)	19%	81%
Referrer-Policy	29%	71%
Permissions-Policy	11%	89%

Only 8% of domains had all six headers configured correctly.

Content-Security-Policy is the most complex to implement — it requires understanding what scripts your site loads — and its 19% adoption reflects that complexity. But HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options are one-line nginx or Apache config changes. There's no good reason for 53–62% of SMBs to be missing them.

The absence of X-Frame-Options leaves sites vulnerable to clickjacking. Missing X-Content-Type-Options can enable MIME-type sniffing attacks. These aren't theoretical — they show up in penetration test reports as exploitable issues.

Open Ports: A Few Alarming Findings

Open port analysis checks which network services are reachable from the public internet. Some open ports are expected (80/HTTP, 443/HTTPS). Others are not.

Unexpected open ports found across the dataset:

RDP (port 3389) exposed to internet: 14% of domains
SMB (port 445) exposed to internet: 7% of domains
Telnet (port 23) open: 3% of domains
FTP (port 21) open: 9% of domains
SSH on default port 22: 31% (elevated risk if using password auth)

RDP exposed to the internet is a well-documented ransomware entry point. The 14% figure is consistent with external research — RDP brute force has been the leading initial access vector in ransomware incidents for several consecutive years according to multiple incident response firm reports.

SMB exposed to the internet raises WannaCry-era memories. It should not be reachable from the public internet in any SMB deployment.

The good news: 62% of domains earned an A or B on port exposure, meaning most SMBs have at least the basics of network perimeter hygiene. The remaining 38% have at least one significant finding.

The Overall Picture

Scoring each domain across all four categories:

A overall: 4%
B overall: 23%
C overall: 38%
D overall: 27%
F overall: 8%

More than one-third of SMBs scored D or F on overall external security posture. The most common failure pattern was: decent SSL, missing email authentication, no security headers, one or two problematic open ports.

This isn't a technology problem. It's a visibility problem. MSPs managing these companies often don't have an automated way to track this across their client base. The clients themselves have no idea. Nobody is watching the dashboard that doesn't exist.

What We Recommend

Based on these findings, here's the priority order for any SMB or MSP addressing the gap:

Fix DMARC immediately. It's free, it takes 10 minutes, and the blast radius of not having it is enormous. Start with p=none if you need to monitor before enforcing.
Audit open ports. RDP should never be internet-facing. Use a VPN or jump host.
Add HSTS and X-Content-Type-Options. Two header lines in your web server config.
Check SSL expiry. Set up monitoring or use a cert provider with auto-renewal.
Add CSP. More complex, but important for any site loading third-party scripts.

Try It Yourself

If you're an MSP or sysadmin who wants to know where your clients or your own domains stand, ComplianceLayer's free tier lets you run 10 domain scans per month with no credit card required. You'll get an A-F grade per category and a specific remediation checklist for every failing check.

Start scanning free →

We didn't write this to sell subscriptions (though we're happy if you upgrade). We wrote it because someone needs to show the actual numbers — and the numbers say most SMBs are one missed DMARC record away from a convincing phishing campaign.

Data collected Q1 2026. N=200 SMB domains. External passive scanning only. No internal systems accessed.

Built by ComplianceLayer — scan any domain for security compliance in seconds. Get your free API key.