Your Business Faces Risks You Can't See…Until It's too late.
These aren't IT problems. They are business catastrophes that threaten your revenue, reputation, and future.
A data breach. A compliance violation. Unexpected downtime.
ISM protects Montana businesses from the risks that keep owners awake at night.
I took in a Mac a few years ago with a crashed hard drive and ISM not only replaced the hard drive, rescued 7000 of my photos and got me set up on an external hard drive for backup - and their price was super reasonable.
Best of Montana
Client satisfaction
Average Client Relationship Length
The True Cost of Unmanaged Risk Is Far Greater Than You Think
These aren't IT problems. They are business catastrophes that threaten your revenue, reputation, and future.
Revenue Loss from Unplanned Downtime
Problem: When your systems go down, your business stops. Every minute of downtime costs you revenue, damages client relationships, and erodes competitive advantage.
Pain: Aging infrastructure → System failures → Extended downtime → Lost revenue & client trust → Competitive disadvantage → Damaged reputation
Cost: A single hour of downtime can cost a healthcare practice thousands in missed appointments, a law firm thousand in lost billable hours, and a manufacturer thousand in halted production.
Data Breach Risk & Reputational Damage
Problem: Your business data is a target. Without proper security controls, you're vulnerable to ransomware, phishing attacks, and data theft that can result in regulatory fines, client lawsuits, and permanent reputational damage.
Pain:Weak security controls → Successful attack → Data exposure → Regulatory penalties & legal liability → Client loss & reputational damage → Business viability threatened
Cost: The average data breach costs a business over $4 million in direct and indirect costs. For a small or mid-sized business, this can be catastrophic.
Compliance Violations & Regulatory Fines
Problem:If your industry requires compliance (HIPAA, CMMC, financial regulations), inadequate IT controls put you at risk of audit failures, regulatory fines, and loss of business certifications.
Pain:Inadequate compliance controls → Failed audit → Regulatory penalties → Loss of certifications → Inability to serve clients → Revenue loss
Cost:HIPAA violations can result in fines up to $1.5 million per violation. CMMC non-compliance can result in loss of federal contracts. Financial compliance failures can trigger SEC investigations.
Unpredictable IT Costs from Reactive Break-Fix
Problem:When you're reactive instead of proactive, IT costs spiral. Emergency support calls, unexpected hardware failures, and crisis management drain your budget and distract your leadership.
Pain:Reactive IT approach → Frequent emergencies → Expensive emergency support → Unpredictable costs → Budget chaos → Inability to invest in growth
Cost:Reactive IT costs 2-3x more than proactive managed services. Emergency support calls can run $300-500+ per hour. A single crisis can blow your entire IT budget.
Frustration with IT Providers
Problem:Many Montana businesses have worked with IT providers who treated them like a ticket number, not a strategic partner. Slow response times, lack of communication, and no real understanding of your business challenges.
Pain:Poor IT partnership → Lack of strategic planning → Reactive firefighting → Frustrated leadership → Loss of trust → Business vulnerability
Cost:You don't need faster response times to your problems. You need a partner who prevents the problems from happening in the first place.
Stop Managing Risk Reactively. Start Protecting Your Business Strategically.
Transparent IT Pricing:
Get Premium Service Without the Markup
Expert IT Support, Every Time:
Our Certified Team Delivers Consistent Excellence.
Your Business, Our Priority:
Experience Respectful, Empathetic IT Partnership.
Proactive IT Solutions:
We Anticipate Issues, So You Never Face Downtime.
Clear Communication, Tailored Solutions:
We Listen, Understand, and Deliver.
Proactive risk management that protects revenue, ensures compliance, and keeps the business running.
ISM is Montana's premier risk management partner. For 30 years, we've helped Montana businesses protect their revenue, navigate compliance requirements, and build resilience against the threats that matter most.
“We don't sell IT support, we sell protection.”
Proactive Managed IT Services
Stop reacting to IT failures.
Our 24/7 monitoring and proactive management prevent problems before they impact your business. We manage your entire IT infrastructure, from network monitoring to security to compliance, so you can focus on growing your business.
Key Benefits:
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24/7 monitoring prevents problems before they happen
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Guaranteed 9-minute 40-second average response time
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Predictable, flat-rate pricing with no surprises
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Enterprise-grade security and compliance built in
Advanced Cybersecurity & Threat Response
Your business needs more than firewalls and antivirus.
Our 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) provides advanced threat hunting, detection, and response to neutralize threats before they impact your business. We combine automated threat detection with human expertise to protect what matters most.
Key Benefits:
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24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring
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Advanced threat detection and response
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Ransomware and phishing protection
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Compliance-ready security controls
Compliance & Risk Management
Compliance isn't a checkbox. It's a foundation for business security.
Whether you need HIPAA, CMMC, or financial compliance, we provide the documented controls, regular assessments, and audit support to ensure your business meets regulatory requirements and protects sensitive data.
Key Benefits:
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HIPAA, CMMC, PCI and financial compliance expertise
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Documented controls and audit-ready documentation
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Regular compliance assessments and gap analysis
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Audit support and regulatory liaison
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
Downtime isn't just an IT problem. It is a business catastrophe.
Our comprehensive business continuity planning ensures your critical systems are backed up, your data is protected, and your business can recover quickly from any disruption.
Key Benefits:
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Comprehensive backup and disaster recovery
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Recovery time objectives (RTO) measured in minutes
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Regular testing and validation
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Business continuity planning and documentation
Business VoIP & Unified Communications
Modern communication shouldn't be complicated or expensive.
Our enterprise-grade VoIP solutions provide crystal-clear voice quality, seamless video conferencing, and integrated messaging, all on a single, unified platform. Whether you're in the office, working remotely, or on the road, your team stays connected.
Key Benefits:
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Crystal-clear voice quality with enterprise-grade reliability
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Seamless video conferencing and screen sharing
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Integrated messaging and collaboration tools
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Significant cost savings vs. traditional phone systems
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24/7 support included
Secure Cloud Infrastructure & Business Resilience
Cloud infrastructure is the foundation of modern business resilience.
Our secure, redundant cloud solutions provide automatic backups, disaster recovery, and geographic redundancy to ensure your business stays online even during outages or emergencies. Your team works from anywhere, your data is protected, and your business is resilient.
Key Benefits:
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Geographic redundancy for business continuity
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Automatic backups and disaster recovery
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Secure access from anywhere
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Enterprise-grade encryption and compliance
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Scalable infrastructure for growth
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24/7 monitoring and support
Proactive risk management that protects revenue, ensures compliance, and keeps the business running.
ISM is Montana's premier risk management partner. For 30 years, we've helped Montana businesses protect their revenue, navigate compliance requirements, and build resilience against the threats that matter most.
“We don't sell IT support, we sell protection.”
Industry Challenge:
Patient data breaches can result in HIPAA violations, regulatory fines, and permanent loss of patient trust. Downtime in clinical systems directly impacts patient care and revenue.
ISM Solution:
We provide HIPAA-compliant infrastructure with 24/7 monitoring, encrypted data protection, and business continuity planning. Your clinical team has fast, reliable access to patient data, and your sensitive information is protected from threats.
Key Protections:
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HIPAA-compliant infrastructure and controls
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Encrypted patient data protection
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Ransomware and phishing protection
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Business continuity for clinical systems
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Audit-ready documentation
Industry Challenge:
Client confidentiality is paramount. A data breach or system failure can result in client loss, regulatory sanctions, and reputational damage. Downtime directly impacts billable hours and revenue.
ISM Solution:
We provide enterprise-grade security with strict access controls, encrypted communications, and 24/7 monitoring. Your team has reliable access to client files, and your client data is protected from unauthorized access.
Key Protections:
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Encrypted client data and communications
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Strict access controls and permissions
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Ransomware and phishing protection
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Business continuity for critical systems
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Audit-ready documentation
Industry Challenge:
Financial regulations require strict controls over data, access, and systems. Compliance failures can trigger SEC investigations, regulatory fines, and loss of business. Downtime directly impacts trading and revenue.
ISM Solution:
We provide compliance-ready infrastructure with documented controls, regular assessments, and audit support. Your systems meet regulatory requirements, and your financial data is protected from threats.
Key Protections:
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Compliance-ready infrastructure and controls
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Documented financial controls
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Ransomware and phishing protection
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Business continuity for trading systems
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Audit support and regulatory liaison
Industry Challenge:
CMMC compliance is now required to maintain federal contracts. Non-compliance results in loss of contracts and revenue. Manufacturing downtime halts production and costs thousands per hour.
ISM Solution:
We provide CMMC-ready infrastructure with documented controls, regular assessments, and audit support. Your business maintains federal contracts, and your production systems stay online.
Key Protections:
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CMMC Level 2 compliance readiness
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Documented security controls
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Advanced threat detection and response
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Business continuity for production systems
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CMMC assessment support
Industry Challenge:
Limited IT budgets make it difficult to protect sensitive donor and student data while meeting grant compliance requirements. Downtime disrupts mission-critical operations.
ISM Solution:
We help you maximize your budget with strategic technology planning that protects sensitive data, ensures grant compliance, and supports your mission-critical operations.
Key Protections:
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Grant compliance and documentation
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Donor and student data protection
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Ransomware and phishing protection
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Business continuity for mission-critical systems
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Budget-friendly managed services
Industry Challenge:
SMBs need enterprise-grade security and compliance but have limited IT budgets. You can't afford downtime, breaches, or compliance failures—but you also can't justify enterprise-level costs.
ISM Solution:
We deliver enterprise-grade protection at SMB-friendly pricing. Our scalable solutions grow with your business, our transparent pricing fits your budget, and our proactive approach prevents costly emergencies.
Key Protections:
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Enterprise-grade security at SMB pricing
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Scalable solutions that grow with your business
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Ransomware and phishing protection
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Business continuity and disaster recovery
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Compliance support (HIPAA, CMMC, financial regulations)
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Predictable, transparent pricing with no surprises
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Direct access to our team for strategic guidance
From First Conversation to Strategic Risk Management Partnership
Our process is designed to move you from vulnerable to resilient. We start by understanding your specific risks, then build a comprehensive strategy to protect your business.
Step 01
Risk & Resilience Assessment
We start with a conversation, not a pitch. Our Montana-based team assesses your IT, security, compliance, and continuity needs to understand your risks and long-term goals.
You Get: A clear view of your risks, a prioritized action plan, and a practical timeline.
Step 02
Strategic Risk Management Plan
We create a tailored risk management plan for a flat-rate fee, covering monitoring, threat response, compliance, continuity, and strategic guidance.
You Get: A flat-rate strategy that makes your business more secure, resilient, and predictable.
Step 03
Seamless Implementation with Your Montana Team
Our Montana team manages implementation with minimal disruption, deploying tools, security controls, compliance documentation, and 24/7 support.
You Get: A complete risk management foundation, delivered smoothly by a local team you can trust.
Step 04
Proactive Partnership & Direct Access
Once implemented, we become your proactive risk partner, providing direct access to our team, continuous monitoring, regular assessments, and expert guidance to keep your business protected and compliant.
You Get: Peace of mind knowing your business is protected, supported, and proactively managed by a team invested in your success.
Meet Our Team
Our team combines technical expertise with responsive support to keep your business secure and running smoothly. We deliver reliable IT solutions with a personal touch.
Let's start the conversation.
Ready to Transform Your Business from Vulnerable to Resilient?
Your Questions About Risk Management, IT and More…Answered
Have questions about risk management, cybersecurity, IT, or how ISM can help your business? We've answered some of the most common questions below.
We start with your business risk, not your technology. Since 1995, ISM has protected Montana law firms, medical and veterinary practices, financial firms and nonprofits, and our average client has stayed with us 11.1 years. Every managed plan includes 24/7 security monitoring and response from a staffed security operations center, backup with off-site redundancy, and AI-powered email protection, built into the price instead of sold as add-ons. We're a local Montana team, voted Best of Montana five years running, named to CRN’s 2026 MSP 500 and the MSP 501, and nominated for Titans of the Industry two years running
Our price includes things many providers bill separately. Managed plans include 24/7 security monitoring and response, business backup and email threat protection from day one. When you compare quotes, compare them line by line, then add what a breach, a denied cyber insurance claim or a day of downtime would cost. A cheaper plan with those gaps usually ends up costing more.
Good. We work alongside internal IT all the time. We can handle 24/7 security monitoring, backup, patching and after-hours coverage while your team focuses on your people and projects. You keep the person who knows your office, and they get a backup team with tools and expertise that are hard to build in-house.
Security monitoring never stops. A staffed security operations center watches your systems and responds to threats 24/7/365. Our help desk is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. After hours, established clients call the support number we provide, and it rings through to our after-hours team. After-hours help desk work is billed at our after-hours rate unless your plan includes it.
We set up and run your IT to support the standard you answer to: HIPAA safeguards for healthcare practices, security controls that support FINRA and GLBA requirements for financial firms, and NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC Level 1 for defense contractors. We document your controls and help you answer audit and cyber insurance questionnaires. Compliance services are added to your plan when your industry requires them.
We get your security upgraded within days, and the rest of onboarding is typically done in 3 to 5 weeks. After that, we take time to learn your workflows and optimize your technology in partnership with you.
Our agreements start with a 12-month commitment. After that, either side can end the agreement with 90 days' notice. If you leave, we help hand things off to your new provider (transition work is billed hourly), keep your data available for 30 days, then delete it and confirm the deletion in writing. Your passwords and data are yours, and we hand them over.
Customer Success Stories
I took in a Mac a few years ago with a crashed hard drive and ISM not only replaced the hard drive, rescued 7000 of my photos and got me set up on an external hard drive for backup - and their price was super reasonable.
Great place to get work done. Knowledgeable staff and A++ customer service. Absolutely a go to for MAC work
Look no further for local, knowledgeable and friendly IT services!
I took in a Mac a few years ago with a crashed hard drive and ISM not only replaced the hard drive, rescued 7000 of my photos and got me set up on an external hard drive for backup - and their price was super reasonable.
Great place to get work done. Knowledgeable staff and A++ customer service. Absolutely a go to for MAC work
Look no further for local, knowledgeable and friendly IT services!
Expert Insights from Mike Marlow, ISM President & Founder
Mike Marlow, President and Founder of ISM, shares practical insights on risk management, compliance, and business continuity. Watch these short videos to learn how to protect your business and leverage technology as a strategic asset.
Your business doesn't have time to wait.
Every day without a strategic risk management partner is another day of exposure.
The question isn't whether you need ISM, it's how soon you can afford to implement the protection your business deserves.
