Over 40 Years in BusinessISO 27001 compliantPublic sector: GSA contract holder
LA 562-298-5000 · Chicagoland 312-432-5300 · Phoenix 602-733-6807 · Client Support
Over 40 Years in BusinessISO 27001 compliantPublic sector: GSA contract holder
LA 562-298-5000 · Chicagoland 312-432-5300 · Phoenix 602-733-6807 · Client Support
How mid-market and multi-site organizations can put patching intervals in writing, fund 24/7 humans and governed AI to hit them, and get PLA-style outcomes without the seven-figure enterprise price tag.
A Protection Level Agreement (PLA) is a written, funded, measurable commitment to a level of protection, most often the number of days critical systems may stay exposed before a vulnerability is patched and verified closed. Gartner’s Paul Proctor urges executives to stop counting attacks and start measuring days to patch. This free white paper shows mid-market leaders how to choose that number on purpose, write it into the agreement with their provider, and deliver it with 24/7 humans and governed AI at a price well below the illustrative enterprise ladder.
Gartner advises executives to report the number of days it takes to patch critical systems instead of the number of attacks received.
An SLA measures provider responsiveness. A PLA measures delivered protection, and missing it is a control failure, distinct from accepted business risk.
Proctor’s illustrative enterprise ladder: about $1M a year for 30-day patching, $2M for 15-day and, as reported, about $5M for 7-day.
Under CISA BOD 22-01, federal agencies generally get two weeks to fix newer Known Exploited Vulnerabilities.
A patch job that reports “success” is not proof. The clock should stop only after a rescan confirms the finding is gone.
Governed AI agents handle repetitive watch, triage and verification work around the clock, while technicians approve production changes and own the outcome.
BTI delivers PLA-style outcomes (a 30-day standard, 7-day critical intervals, verified closure and a vCISO risk picture) at prices well below the seven-figure enterprise ladder.
Cost figures are illustrative examples from Gartner analyst Paul Proctor’s public commentary, not BTI prices or a quote for your environment. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc.; references do not imply endorsement. The white paper’s sample PLA clauses are educational buyer language, not legal advice; discuss any contract terms with your counsel.
CEOs, CFOs and boards who want a defensible, funded answer to “how protected are we?”
IT directors and lean IT teams stuck in a monthly Patch Tuesday cycle across many sites
Organizations answering cyber-insurance, customer security and audit questions about patch cadence
Leaders renewing or replacing an MSP who want patch intervals written into the agreement
BTI Communications Group has served organizations for over 40 years with local IT teams in Southern California, Chicagoland and Arizona. BTI runs managed patching, vulnerability management and vCISO as one governed operating model from a SOC 2 Certified NOC/SOC with 24/7 monitoring, and BTI is ISO 27001 compliant.
Talk to a BTI IT team near you: Los Angeles 323-510-8003 · Chicago 312-492-2613 · Phoenix 480-272-8728
More free guides: BTI resources library, including the 2026 Executive Guide to Managed IT & Cybersecurity.
An SLA (Service Level Agreement) measures a provider’s responsiveness, such as ticket acknowledgment or uptime. A PLA (Protection Level Agreement) measures delivered protection, most often the number of days critical systems may stay exposed before a vulnerability is patched and verified closed. Missing a PLA is a control failure; an exploit inside the agreed interval is an accepted business risk.
Gartner analyst Paul Proctor illustrates the trade-off with an enterprise cost ladder: about $1 million a year all-in for 30-day patching of critical systems, about $2 million for 15-day and, as reported from his conference remarks, about $5 million for 7-day. These are illustrative enterprise figures, not BTI prices or a quote for your environment.
Yes. BTI delivers PLA-style outcomes, including a written 30-day standard, 7-day intervals for critical exploited vulnerabilities, verified closure and a vCISO risk picture, at prices well below the seven-figure enterprise ladder by sharing a SOC 2 Certified NOC/SOC, tooling and governed AI across a managed service. Your investment is scoped during a free assessment.
No. The eight sample clauses are educational buyer language to start a conversation with your provider. They are not legal advice; discuss any contract terms with your legal counsel and adapt them to your environment.
Yes. Download the PDF directly from this page or request it with the form. If you ask for a follow-up, a BTI advisor can walk through your current days-to-patch and what a 30-day standard and 7-day critical program would look like for your sites, with no obligation.
Request the white paper below and a BTI advisor can walk through your current days-to-patch and what a 30-day standard and 7-day critical program would look like for your sites. Prefer to skip the form? Download the PDF directly.
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Los Angeles 323-510-8003 · Chicago 312-492-2613 · Phoenix 480-272-8728