Frequently Asked Questions

Company Profile

How long has your company been in business?

We’ve been providing managed IT and cybersecurity services for over 15 years.

Are you privately owned or PE-backed?

7 Layer Solutions is privately owned and operated, so the decisions about how we run this business and take care of our clients stay with us.

What locations do you support?

Our team supports organizations throughout the United States, with a mix of remote support and onsite visits whenever you need us in person.

What industries do you support?

We primarily support mid-market organizations in manufacturing, professional services, private equity, municipalities, and other regulated or security-focused sectors. If your business runs on technology, chances are we can help.

What’s your differentiator in the market?

Our white-glove approach: managed services, cybersecurity, and strategic advice from one team that knows your environment well. We’re built for long-term relationships, not one-off fixes.

Operating Model

How often do you come onsite?

As often as the work calls for it. Most support happens remotely, and we come onsite for projects, infrastructure work, and strategic planning.

Do you offer 24/7 support? What are your normal business hours?

Yes, we offer 24/7 support for businesses that operate around the clock, with standard business hours for day-to-day support and after-hours or emergency coverage available when you need it.

What’s the process to submit a ticket?

You can submit a ticket by phone or email. It’s routed through our helpdesk system and prioritized based on urgency and impact.

How is the support team structured?

You’re supported by a dedicated team of engineers, backed by a larger service team of helpdesk technicians, senior network and systems engineers, and security specialists. Our leadership team is available for anything that needs strategic guidance.

Do you support onboarding and offboarding?

Yes. We handle account setup, access management, device provisioning, and security controls for both onboarding and offboarding.

What SLAs do you have for tickets and issue resolution?

We follow structured service level objectives that prioritize critical issues and outages, with faster response times for high-priority incidents and resolution targets based on severity.

Technology

What ticketing system do you use?

We use a professional helpdesk platform to track, prioritize, and resolve support requests, so you always have visibility into where things stand.

What’s your preferred security stack?

Our security stack typically includes endpoint detection and response, 24/7 security monitoring, email security and phishing protection, security awareness training, Microsoft 365 security configuration, backup and disaster recovery, and vulnerability management. We tailor the mix to your environment.

What’s your preferred tech stack?

We utilize enterprise-grade platforms for remote monitoring and management, Microsoft 365 administration, endpoint management, backup and disaster recovery, cloud infrastructure, identity management, and on-premise infrastructure. Our approach is flexible enough to work with the environment you already have in place.

Do you procure hardware, like laptops?

Yes. We’re not a hardware reseller, but we’ll procure laptops, servers, networking equipment, and other infrastructure on your behalf to get you the best price.

Contract Details

What kinds of projects are out of scope for managed services?

Large infrastructure projects, migrations, compliance initiatives, and specialized consulting engagements are typically scoped and quoted separately from managed services.

How long are your contracts?

Our managed services agreements are ongoing annual engagements with a 90-day termination clause for either party after the first year. We’re focused on building a long-term partnership, not locking you into a rigid contract.

How does the contract change as our company grows?

Your agreement can scale up or down with your organization as your business grows or your technology needs evolve.

Compliance

Do you have a preferred GRC tool?

We use an industry-leading GRC platform to support our compliance and risk management processes.

Are you SOC 2 compliant?

We’re currently working toward SOC 2 compliance and actively aligning our internal processes and security controls with the framework.

Do you perform compliance audits?

We support you with compliance readiness, security assessments, and remediation guidance, often working alongside your third-party auditor. We don’t perform the audits ourselves.

What compliance frameworks do you assess readiness for?

We help with readiness assessments and security alignment for SEC, SOC 2, CMMC, HIPAA, ISO, FedRAMP, and other industry-specific regulatory standards.

General

Can a managed IT provider work alongside our internal IT team?

Yes. Many of our clients use us to complement their internal IT team rather than replace it. We take on day-to-day support, monitoring, cybersecurity, or specialized projects, so your team can focus on strategic work.

How do I know if my company needs a cybersecurity assessment?

If you’ve grown quickly, added new systems or users, need to meet compliance requirements, or haven’t reviewed your security posture in the past year, an assessment is worth doing. It identifies vulnerabilities and gives you clear, actionable recommendations.

How can IT and cybersecurity services help us meet compliance requirements?

They help align your technology environment with the regulations and frameworks that apply to you, through access controls, data protection, monitoring, documentation, and gap identification.

What IT and cybersecurity challenges do manufacturers commonly face?

Manufacturers often run complex environments that combine legacy systems, production technology, and modern IT infrastructure. Common challenges include securing operational technology, protecting intellectual property, managing downtime, and defending against threats that specifically target the sector.

What risks can IT due diligence uncover during an acquisition?

IT due diligence can surface cybersecurity vulnerabilities, outdated infrastructure, unsupported software, licensing issues, and compliance gaps, helping you plan remediation and avoid surprises after the deal closes.