Stop Flying Blind. Start Building Clarity.
A six-week live training that takes any SMB from 'we probably have gaps' to a complete, written data Baseline — with every worksheet, template, and tool included.
Built on the BEEHIVE Method™. Powered by NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0. Taught by a CISSP and Navy veteran who has spent 35 years watching small businesses make avoidable mistakes with data they didn't know they had.
Live cohort - limited to 15 students. Starts April 21.
Your Clients Are Already Asking. Can You Answer?
Most professional services firms handle sensitive client data every day — financial records, legal documents, HR files, contracts — and have no systematic picture of where that data lives, who can access it, or what it would cost if it walked out the door.
That's not a technology problem. It's a visibility problem.
When a prospective client asks 'how do you handle our data?' — and they are asking, more than ever — most SMBs give a vague answer and hope it's good enough. Their competitors who can hand over a written Baseline Statement win that conversation every time.
And it's not just competition. The tools you're paying for right now may be collecting the same data in overlapping systems — redundancy you're funding every month without knowing it. The average SMB we work with finds between $3,000 and $8,000 in annual SaaS overlap once they map their data properly.
No framework. No inventory. No clarity. That's where most SMBs start.
This course is built to change that.
Taught by a Practitioner, Not a Framework Vendor
Gary Whitsett is the founder and CEO of Bees Computing, a veteran-owned cybersecurity and AI transformation consultancy based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
CISSP — Certified Information Systems Security Professional
MBA
U.S. Navy veteran
35+ years in IT and cybersecurity
Global cybersecurity trainer
Speaker, ISSA Colorado Springs
Gary built the BEEHIVE Method™ after years of watching small organizations invest in security and compliance initiatives without alignment, governance, or measurable outcomes. This course is the methodology applied directly to the problem you're facing right now.
Not Theory. Actual Clarity.
Every student who completes this course walks away with:
Completed Hive Map™ — your data inventory mapped across five classification axes simultaneously
Asset and Data Inventory — every system, tool, and data flow identified and documented
NIST CSF Identify Profile — your baseline position scored in plain language
Prioritized Gap List — your top findings ranked by likelihood and impact
Baseline Statement — one page that answers 'how do you handle our data?' for any client or prospect
90-Day BEEHIVE Roadmap — your sequenced next steps beyond the Baseline
Lifetime access to all course recordings and materials
These are not worksheets you fill out and file away. These are living artifacts. The Hive Map™ should be updated when your tools change. The Baseline Statement should be the document you hand anyone who asks about your data practices. The Roadmap should be on your desk.
Six Weeks. One Hour Per Week. One Problem Solved.
Each live session runs approximately 60–90 minutes via Zoom. Sessions are recorded. Miss a week — you don't fall behind.
Click each week below to get more details about the content provided.
Week 1 — Why Every SMB Needs a Framework
Understand why a framework is important, what the NIST CSF is, why it was chosen, and what the BEEHIVE Method™ is designed to do. Meet GANK Associates — and recognize your own business in theirs.
Week 2 — What Is Data?
Define data in business terms, not technical ones. Find where it lives in your organization — including the places you've forgotten about. The surprises start here.
Week 3 — The Hive Map™
Learn why single-axis classification fails SMBs and apply the five-axis Hive Map™ framework to your data. Discover redundancy, gaps, and misalignment your current tools can't surface.
Week 4 — Building Your Inventory
Complete a formal, structured inventory of every data asset in scope — people, devices, applications, and data flows — mapped through The Hive Map™. Calculate your SaaS overlap in dollars.
Week 5 — Reading Your Baseline
Score your inventory against the NIST CSF Identify function. Write your top findings in plain language. Produce a prioritized gap list you can share with your leadership team.
Week 6 — Your Baseline Document and the Road Ahead
Assemble your complete Baseline document. Write your 90-Day BEEHIVE Roadmap. Understand where each remaining step leads — and leave with a working artifact, not a certificate.
Sessions are instructor-led with chat-based Q&A — no cold-calling, no hot seats. Ask questions at your pace, get answers in context.
You Won't Do This Alone
Throughout every module you'll work alongside GANK Associates — a fictional 22-person professional services firm in Denver that starts this course in the same place most SMBs start: they know they probably have data problems, but they've never had a systematic way to find them.
GANK Associates handles client financial records, contracts, and HR files. They use Microsoft 365 and three industry SaaS tools. Their shared drive structure has grown organically for eight years. Sound familiar?
Their completed worksheets, Hive Map™, and Baseline document serve as your reference standard at every step. You see exactly what a finished, defensible set of documents looks like before you build your own.
By Week 3, GANK Associates discovers two SaaS tools collecting identical client data in the same classification lane — $4,200 per year in confirmed redundancy.
By Week 4, they find an active Microsoft 365 account belonging to a freelance contractor whose engagement ended eleven months ago.
By Week 6, their founding partner presents a complete Baseline Statement at the leadership meeting. One partner asks why they've been paying for two tools that do the same thing. The other asks when they're starting the next BEEHIVE step.
The Baseline has done its job — it made the invisible visible.
The Work You Do Here Is the Foundation for What Comes Next
The data inventory you build in this course — the Hive Map™, the asset inventory, the gap list — is not just a compliance artifact. It's the exact foundation that AI readiness requires.
Before any SMB can responsibly adopt AI tools, they need to know what data those tools will touch, where that data lives, who has access, and what obligations attach to it. That's not an AI question. That's a Baseline question.
When you're ready to go there, the work is already done.
Students who complete Busy Bee: Baseline and want to explore AI readiness, broader organizational security, or operational governance can engage Bees Computing directly. The Baseline document you build in this course becomes the starting point for any deeper conversation — with us or with any qualified advisor.
This Course Is Built For You
This is the right fit if you:
Own or lead a professional services firm — consulting, legal, accounting, financial advisory, or similar
Handle client data as part of your core business
Have fewer than 50 employees and no dedicated IT or compliance staff
Know you have data gaps but have never had a systematic way to address them
Want to build internal capability rather than pay a consultant to do everything for you
Are willing to do the work — six hours over six weeks
This is not the right fit if you:
Are looking for someone to do the assessment for you (that's a Pollinator engagement — see below)
Need a full security audit or third-party certification
Are a large organization with a dedicated compliance or IT team
Are not willing to document what you find
Busy Bee: Baseline — Live Cohort
Founding Cohort — First Two Cohorts Only
Live Cohort $997 $597
Founding Cohort Pricing
Includes:
Six live weekly sessions via Zoom
All templates, worksheets, and course materials
The Hive Map™ workbook with GANK Associates completed answer keys
Lifetime access to session recordings and all course materials
Monthly Office Hours (founding cohort exclusive)
Access to the recorded self-paced course when it launches ($597 value — included free)
Cohort starts the week of April 21.
Cohort size is capped at 15 students to maintain live interaction quality.
After the founding cohort period, live cohort pricing returns to $997. The self-paced recorded course will be available separately at $597.
This course is provided for educational purposes. It does not constitute cybersecurity advisory services, legal advice, or compliance advisory services. Bees Computing LLC is not an accredited C3PAO or RPO. Students are solely responsible for the accuracy of their self-assessment and any documentation produced. Completion of this course does not guarantee regulatory compliance or contract eligibility.
STILL NOT SURE?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any prior cybersecurity or IT knowledge?
No. This course is designed for business owners and operations leaders who understand how their business works but have no formal security training. If you know what tools your team uses and what data you handle, you have everything you need to start.
What if I miss a session?
Every session is recorded and available immediately after the live call. You won't fall behind. The templates and worksheets are designed to be worked through at your own pace between sessions.
Is this course only for professional services firms?
No — the framework applies to any SMB that handles data. Professional services is the primary audience because client data obligations are immediate and visible. But the Hive Map™ and NIST CSF backbone work for any industry. If you're unsure whether this is right for your business, email us.
What's the difference between this and the Busy Bee: CMMC Baseline course?
The CMMC course is specifically designed for defense contractors who need to complete a CMMC Level 1 self-attestation under DFARS 252.204-7021. This course uses NIST CSF as its backbone and is built for any SMB — regardless of industry or regulatory obligation. CMMC is a future addendum track for students who need it.
What systems do I need?
Any organization using standard business tools — Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or similar — can complete this course. You do not need specialized security software.
What happens after I complete the course?
You'll have a complete Baseline document and a 90-Day BEEHIVE Roadmap. Students who want to go further — broader AI readiness, security hardening, operational governance, or fractional vCAIO/vCISO services — can explore a deeper engagement with Bees Computing. There is no obligation.
Is there a payment plan?
Contact us at [email protected] to discuss options if the full payment presents a hardship. We want this accessible to the businesses who need it most.
The Right Time to Build Your Baseline Is Before You Need It.
Six weeks. No More Flying Blind.
Your competitors are not waiting. The client who asks 'how do you handle our data?' is not going to wait for you to figure it out in the meeting. And the tools you're paying for right now may be quietly duplicating work — and cost — that a four-hour inventory would surface.
This course gives you the documented, defensible Baseline that makes you the professional services firm with an answer.
Questions? Email [email protected]