As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on December 14, 2021.
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
7379 | ||||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
David G. Jemmett
Chief Executive Officer
Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation
6900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 240
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
(480) 389-3444
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
With copies to:
David R. Earhart Gray Reed & McGraw LLP 1601 Elm Street, Suite 4600 Dallas, Texas 75201 Telephone: (469) 320-6041 |
Megan Penick Stephen Weiss Michelman & Robinson, LLP 800 Third Avenue 24th Floor New York, NY 10022 Telephone: (212) 730-7700 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box: ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | |
Smaller
reporting company | ||
Emerging
growth company |
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2)(3) | Amount of Registration Fee(2) | ||||||
Common Stock, $.00001 par value | $ | 11,500,000 | $ | 1,066.05 | ||||
Underwriter Warrants (4) | ||||||||
Common Stock underlying Underwriter Warrants (5) | $ | 805,000 | $ | 74.63 | ||||
Total (6) | $ | 12,305,000 | $ | 1,140.68 |
(1) | Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement also covers such number of additional shares of common stock to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends and similar transactions. | |
(2) | Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. | |
(3) | Includes the aggregate offering price of additional shares of common stock that the underwriters have the option to purchase, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. | |
(4) | The Registrant has agreed to issue to the underwriter warrants to purchase up to 7% in the aggregate of the shares of our common stock to be issued and sold in this offering (the “Underwriter Warrants”). The Underwriter Warrants are exercisable for a price per share equal to 100% of the public offering price. | |
(5) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act. | |
(6) | Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) based on an estimate of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price. |
The Registrant hereby agrees to amend this Registration Statement on such date or date as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
(Subject to completion, dated December 14, 2021)
Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation
Common Stock
This is a “firm commitment” underwritten public offering of 2,000,000 shares of common stock of Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation, a Delaware corporation. Our common stock is presently quoted on the OTC Markets Group Inc.’s OTCQB quotation system (the “OTCQB”) under the symbol “CISO.” We have applied to list our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CISO.” No assurance can be given that our application will be approved. If our common stock is not listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, we will not consummate this offering.
The offering price of the shares will be determined between us and Boustead Securities, LLC, as sole underwriter at the time of pricing, considering our historical performance and capital structure, prevailing market conditions, and overall assessment of our business, and may be at a discount to the current market price. We anticipate that the public offering price per share will be $5.00. Only a limited number of reported transactions in our common stock has occurred, and we cannot assure any investor that an active market will develop subsequent to this offering. On December 13, 2021, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $10.03 per share. Trading prices of our common stock as reported on the OTCQB may not be indicative of the prices of our common stock if our common stock were traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus for a discussion of information that should be considered in connection with an investment in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Per Share | Total | |||||||
Public offering price | $ | 5.00 | $ | 10,000,000 | ||||
Underwriting discounts and commissions (1) | $ | 0.35 | $ | 700,000 | ||||
Proceeds to us, before expenses | $ | 4.65 | $ | 9,300,000 |
(1) We have agreed to issue, on the closing date of this offering, to Boustead Securities, LLC (the “Underwriter”) warrants in an amount equal to 7% of the aggregate number of shares of common stock sold by us in this offering (the “Underwriter Warrants”). For a description of other terms of the Underwriter Warrants and a description of the other compensation to be received by the Underwriter, please see “Underwriting” beginning on page 54.
You should not assume that the information contained in the registration statement to which this prospectus is a part is accurate as of any date other than the date hereof, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of the shares of common stock being registered in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
No dealer, salesperson or any other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations in connection with this Offering other than those contained in this prospectus and, if given or made, the information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by us. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security other than the securities offered by this prospectus, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities by anyone in any jurisdiction in which the offer or solicitation is not authorized or is unlawful.
Pursuant to the terms of this firm commitment underwritten offering, we have granted a 45-day option to the Underwriter to purchase up to 300,000 additional shares of our common stock to be offered by us, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, we estimate that we will receive total gross proceeds of $11,500,000 at an assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share, and net proceeds of $10,695,000 after deducting $805,000 for underwriting discounts and commissions. If we complete this offering, net proceeds will be delivered to us on the closing date. For further information, see the section entitled “Use of Proceeds” beginning on page 15.
The Underwriter expects to deliver the shares of common stock against payment as set forth under “Underwriting” on or about , 2021.
Boustead Securities, LLC
Sole Book-Running Manager
The date of this prospectus is ____________, 2021.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
You should rely only on information contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered or made available to you. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with additional information or information different from that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor the sale of our securities means that the information contained in this prospectus or any free writing prospectus is correct after the date of this prospectus or such free writing prospectus. This prospectus is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy our securities in any circumstances under which the offer or solicitation is unlawful or in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.
No person is authorized in connection with this prospectus to give any information or to make any representations about us, the securities offered hereby or any matter discussed in this prospectus, other than the information and representations contained in this prospectus. If any other information or representation is given or made, such information or representation may not be relied upon as having been authorized by us.
Neither we nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. You are required to inform yourself about, and to observe any restrictions relating to, this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.
We also use certain trademarks, trade names, and logos that have not been registered. We claim common law rights to these unregistered trademarks, trade names and logos.
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Unless otherwise indicated in this prospectus, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “Cerberus Sentinel,” the “Company” or the “Registrant” refer to Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation, a Delaware corporation. References to “our common stock,” “our shares of common stock,” or “our capital stock” or similar terms shall refer to the common stock of the Company.
CAUTIONARY NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward- looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the following: our future financial and operating performance and results; our business strategy; market prices; and our plans and forecasts.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, market acceptance of our products; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; the impact of any infringement actions or other litigation brought against us; competition from other providers and products; our ability to develop and commercialize new and improved products and services; our ability to complete capital raising transactions; and other factors (including the risks contained in the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors”) relating to our industry, our operations and results of operations. Actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to:
● | our inability to predict or anticipate the duration or long-term economic and business consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; | |
● | our limited operating history; | |
● | our future results of operations; | |
● | our current and future capital requirements necessary to support our business development efforts; | |
● | our cash needs and financial plans; | |
● | our competitive position; | |
● | our ability to maintain or protect the validity of our intellectual property; | |
● | our ability to retain key executive members; | |
● | our ability to maintain our relationships with third-party vendors and suppliers; | |
● | expected technological advances by us or by third parties and our ability to leverage them; | |
● | our potential growth opportunities; | |
● | interpretations of current laws and the passage of future laws; | |
● | acceptance of our business model by investors; | |
● | the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses and capital requirements; |
In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by use of terms and phrases such as “may,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “achievable,” “anticipate,” “will,” “continue,” “potential,” “should,” “could” and similar words and phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. You should consider carefully the statements in the “Risk Factors” section and other sections of this prospectus, which describe factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in this paragraph and elsewhere in this document. Other than as required under the securities laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Because this is only a summary, it does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. You should read this prospectus carefully, especially the risks and other information set forth under the heading “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Some of the statements made in this prospectus discuss future events and developments, including our future strategy and our ability to generate revenue, income and cash flow. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Unless otherwise indicated, this prospectus assumes the over-allotment option of the underwriters has not been exercised. Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, the words “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or “our Company,” and “Cerberus Sentinel” refer to Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
Our Company
Cybersecurity, also known as computer security or information technology security, is the protection of computer systems and networks from information disclosure, theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
The cybersecurity industry has a supply and demand issue in that there is more demand for cybersecurity services than expert and seasoned compliance and cybersecurity professionals available in the market. Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation (“Cerberus Sentinel”) is a cybersecurity and compliance company comprised of highly trained and seasoned security professionals who work with clients to enhance or create a better cyber posture in their organization. We seek to identify, attract, and retain highly skilled cyber and compliance teams and bring them together to provide holistic cyber services. This is accomplished through acquisitions, direct hiring and incentivizing employees with stock options to help retain them. On an ongoing basis, we seek to identify cyber talent that is culturally aligned with our company and that offers operating leverage through both existing customer revenue and relationships. We have invested in enterprise solutions and executive talent to integrate our different organizations into an ecosystem that works together to provide complete and holistic cybersecurity through cross pollination of solutions. The ecosystem is intended to provide additional revenue opportunities and drive overall recurring revenue.
In attracting and working with clients, the Company emphasizes the critical nature of having their work force create a continuously aware security culture. Once engaged, we strive to become the trusted advisors for customers’ cybersecurity and compliance needs by providing tailored security solutions based upon their organizational needs. The Company does not focus on selling cybersecurity products. The Company is product agnostic so that it can provide solutions that fit the customer’s security needs, financial realities, and future strategy. The Company’s approach is to evaluate the client’s organization holistically, identify compliance requirements, and help secure the infrastructure while helping to create a culture of security.
The Company provides a full range of cybersecurity consulting and related services, encompassing all pillars of cybersecurity, compliance, and culture, including Secured Managed Services, Compliance Services, SOC Services, Virtual CISO (vCISO) Services, Incident Response, Certified Forensics, Technical Assessments, and Cybersecurity Training. In contrast to the majority of cybersecurity firms that are focused on a specific technology or service, we seek to differentiate ourselves by remaining technology-agnostic, focusing on accumulating highly sought-after topic experts. We continually seek to identify and acquire cybersecurity talent to expand our service scope and geographical coverage to provide the best possible service for our clients. We believe that bringing together a world-class team of technological experts with multi-faceted expertise in the critical aspects of cybersecurity is key to providing technology-agnostic solutions to our clients in a business environment that has suffered from a chronic lack of highly-skilled professionals, thereby setting us apart from competitors and in-house security teams. Our goal is to create a culture of security and to help quantify, define and capture a return on investment from information technology and cybersecurity spending. The Cerberus Sentinel brand rallies around the battle cry: “Cybersecurity is a Culture, not a Product.”
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We generate our revenue streams primarily through security managed service and professional service fees. We offer a subscription-based service that manages and monitors client’s’ logs, devices, clouds, network, and assets for possible cyber threats. Our service is designed to provide clients with the knowledge and skills that are necessary to combat cybersecurity threats.
Our Corporate History
Cerberus Sentinel was formed on March 5, 2019 as a Delaware corporation. Our principal offices are located at 6900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 240, Scottsdale Arizona 85251.
Effective April 1, 2019, we acquired GenResults, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company (“GenResults”). GenResults was established on June 22, 2015. Prior to our acquisition of GenResults, GenResults was wholly owned by an entity affiliated with David G. Jemmett, our Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company. GenResults is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel.
Effective as of October 1, 2019, we entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “TalaTek Merger”) pursuant to which TalaTek, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“TalaTek”) became our wholly owned subsidiary. Pursuant to the TalaTek Merger, all issued and outstanding units representing membership interests in TalaTek were converted into an aggregate of 6,200,000 shares of our common stock. TalaTek provides complete integrated enterprise risk management services by leveraging their specialized combination of methodologies, processes, and technology. These services are currently provided primarily to the public sector.
Effective May 25, 2020, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with Technologyville, Inc., an Illinois corporation (“Techville”), and its sole shareholder, pursuant to which Techville became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Techville Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Techville Acquisition, all issued and outstanding common stock of Techville was exchanged for an aggregate of 3,392,271 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Effective August 1, 2020, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with Clear Skies Security, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (“Clear Skies”), and its equity holders, pursuant to which Clear Skies became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Clear Skies Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Clear Skies Acquisition, all issued and outstanding equity securities in Clear Skies were exchanged for an aggregate of 2,330,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Effective December 16, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Alpine Security, LLC., an Illinois limited liability company (“Alpine”), and its sole member, pursuant to which Alpine became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Alpine Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Alpine Acquisition, all issued and outstanding membership units in Alpine were exchanged for an aggregate of 900,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
On July 26, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Catapult Acquisition Corporation, a New Jersey corporation doing business as VelocIT (“VelocIT”) pursuant to which VelocIT became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. All issued and outstanding shares of common stock of VelocIT were converted into the right to receive an aggregate of up to 2,566,778 shares of common stock of the Company, subject to a holdback of 256,678 shares of Company stock. The effective date was August 12, 2021.
On December 1, 2021, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement by and among the Company, Southford Equities, Inc., a British Virgin Islands company (“Arkavia”), and all of the owners of Arkavia, pursuant to which Arkavia became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate purchase price for the transaction was 3,100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
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Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as the term is used in The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and therefore, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements, including:
● | a requirement to only have two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related selected financial data and management’s discussion and analysis; | |
● | exemption from the auditor attestation requirement on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting; | |
● | reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and | |
● | exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory stockholder vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments. |
We may take advantage of these provisions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues, have more than $700.0 million in market value of our capital stock held by non-affiliates or issue more than $1.07 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. So long as we remain an emerging growth company we may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available benefits of the JOBS Act. We have taken advantage of some of the reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
Company Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 6900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 240, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251, and our telephone number is (480) 389-3444.
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Offering Summary |
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Securities being Offered | 2,000,000 shares of common stock. Our common stock is described in further detail in the section of this prospectus titled “DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES – Common Stock.” | |
Assumed Public Offering Price | $5.00 per share. | |
Common Stock Outstanding before the Offering |
There are 124,169,469 shares of common stock issued and outstanding before the commencement of the offering. | |
Trading Symbol
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Our common stock is quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “CISO.” We have applied to The Nasdaq Capital Market to list our common stock under the symbol “CISO.” Our common stock has been approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market upon consummation of the offering. | |
Common Stock to be Outstanding After the Offering
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126,169,649 shares, which includes the shares sold in the offering and approximately shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of indebtedness. Excludes any securities that would be issued if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. Does not include 20,000,000 shares reserved for issuance under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan or 1,800,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of principal and interest owed pursuant to outstanding convertible notes with a weighted average conversion price of $2.50 or 140,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants to be issued to the underwriter in connection with this offering. | |
Overallotment option | We have granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 300,000 additional shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $5.00 per share, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. | |
Use of Proceeds | We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities for strategic acquisitions and general corporate purposes. To date, we have not entered into any agreement or understanding with third parties to consummate one or more additional acquisitions. | |
Risk factors | An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors set forth under “Risk Factors” hereunder and the other information contained in this prospectus before making an investment decision regarding our common stock. | |
Lock-Up | We and our directors, officers and principal stockholders have agreed with the underwriters not to offer for sale, issue, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of any of our common stock or securities convertible into common stock for a period of 12 months following the effective the date of this prospectus. See “Underwriting” on page 54. |
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RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following risk factors, in addition to the other information set forth in this prospectus, and the Registration Statement, of which this prospectus is a part, in connection with any investment decision regarding the securities offered hereby. Each of these risk factors could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities. Some information in this prospectus may contain “forward-looking” statements that discuss future expectations of our financial condition and results of operation. The risk factors noted in this section and other factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We will need to raise capital in order to realize our business plan and growth strategy, the failure of which could adversely impact our operations.
Our growth strategy is based upon increasing the number of our clients and our consolidated revenue by making successful acquisitions and integrating businesses that provide comparable or complementary cyber security services. As of September 30, 2021, our business was not profitable. Without adequate funding, a significant increase in revenues, and successful integration of the acquired targets, we may not be able to achieve profitability in the existing lines of business and attract further capital. As of November 30, 2021, we had available cash resources of approximately $3,791,728.
We expect to continue to finance our operations with available net operating cash flows and will need to raise additional capital in the future by issuing equity or other forms of securities, which could significantly reduce the percentage ownership of our existing stockholders and substantially dilute the equity of purchasers of our common stock in this offering. Furthermore, any newly issued securities could have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing common stock and may have a dilutive impact on the ownership interest of existing stockholders.
We may have difficulty obtaining additional funds as and when needed, and we may have to accept terms that would adversely affect our stockholders. In addition, any adverse conditions in the credit and equity markets may adversely affect our ability to raise funds when needed. Any failure to achieve adequate funding will delay our acquisition efforts and could lead to abandonment of one or more of our acquisition initiatives, as well as prevent us from responding to competitive pressures or take advantage of unanticipated acquisition opportunities. Any additional equity financing will likely be dilutive to stockholders, and certain types of equity financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants or other provisions that would limit how we conduct our business or finance our operations.
We incurred significant operating losses during the years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020 and the nine months ended September 30, 2021, and we have limited cash flow. Unless we increase revenues and cash flow or raise additional capital, we may be unable to take advantage of any acquisition opportunities that arise or expand our business, all of which could adversely impact us.
Management is unable to predict if and when we will be able to generate significant positive cash flow or achieve profitability. Our plan regarding these matters is to strengthen our revenues and continue improving operational efficiencies across the business. There can be no assurances that we will be successful in increasing revenues, improving operational efficiencies or that financing will be available or, if available, that such financing will be available under favorable terms. In the event that we are unable to generate adequate revenues to cover expenses and cannot obtain additional financing, we may need to cut back or curtail our expansion plans.
We will need to grow the size and capabilities of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.
As our acquisition strategies develop, we must carefully integrate managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial, and other personnel in the expanded organization and manage costs. Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:
● | identifying, integrating, managing and motivating qualified employees, particularly strong sales force and cybersecurity talent; |
● | executing post-acquisition integration effectively and managing integration costs; and |
● | improving our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems, and procedures. |
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Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our strategic acquisitions will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth. Our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day-to-day activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities. This lack of long-term experience working together may adversely impact our senior management team’s ability to effectively manage our business and growth.
We depend on key personnel who would be difficult to replace, and our business plans will likely be harmed if we lose their services or cannot hire additional qualified personnel.
Our success depends substantially on the efforts and abilities of our senior management and certain key personnel, including, but not limited to our Chief Executive Officer, David G. Jemmett, and our Chief Operating Officer and President, Bryce Hancock, and our Chief Financial Officer, Deb Smith. We currently do not maintain key man insurance for any of our senior management or key personnel. The competition for qualified management and key personnel is intense. The loss of services of one or more of our key employees, or the inability to hire, train and retain key personnel, especially executive managers with cybersecurity industry knowledge, could delay the execution of new acquisitions, launch of new service programs, disrupt our business, and interfere with our ability to execute our business plan.
We operate in an industry that is experiencing a shortage of qualified compliance and cybersecurity professionals. If we are unable to recruit and retain key management, technical and sales personnel, our business would be negatively affected.
To execute our growth strategy, we must continue to attract and retain highly skilled compliance and cybersecurity experts. Competition for these employees is intense, especially for compliance experts and cybersecurity professionals, as there is a global shortage of these professionals who can provide the technical and strategic skills required for us to deliver high levels of services to our clients and potential clients. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining qualified employees. We have from time-to-time in the past experienced, and we expect to continue to experience in the future, difficulty in hiring and retaining highly skilled employees with appropriate qualifications. Many of the companies with which we compete for these highly skilled employees have greater resources than we have. In addition, in making employment decisions, particularly in the high- technology industry, job candidates often consider the value of the stock options, restricted stock grants or other stock-based compensation they are to receive in connection with their employment. Declines in the value of our stock could adversely affect our ability to attract or retain key employees and result in increased employee compensation expenses. If we fail to attract new personnel or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, our business and future growth prospects could be severely harmed.
We depend on independent contractors to provide certain services that we do not have the expertise on internally. Any compromise in the service quality may delay our business processes and cause economic loss.
We currently rely, and for the foreseeable future will continue to rely, in substantial part on certain independent organizations, advisors and consultants to provide certain services. There can be no assurance that the services of these independent organizations, advisors and consultants will continue to be available to us on a timely basis when needed, or that we can find qualified replacements. In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality or accuracy of the services provided by consultants is compromised for any reason, some of our business activities may be delayed, or terminated, and we may not be able to mitigate negative impacts or otherwise advance our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage our existing consultants or find other competent outside contractors and consultants on economically reasonable terms, if at all. If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and expanding our groups of consultants and contractors, we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further expand and, accordingly, may not achieve our business goals.
We have recently acquired several businesses. Our growth strategy is driven by successful acquisitions and integration of additional businesses that provide comparable or complementary services. Our ability to grow is limited if we fail to identify and consummate acquisitions.
We have completed the acquisition of certain complementary businesses, and we intend to consider additional potential strategic transactions, which could involve acquisitions of businesses or assets, joint ventures or investments in businesses or technologies that expand, complement, or otherwise relate to our business. We may also consider, from time to time, opportunities to engage in joint ventures or other business collaborations with third parties. Should our relationships fail to materialize into significant agreements, or should we fail to work efficiently with these companies, we may lose sales and marketing opportunities and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
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Any business acquisition creates risks such as, among others: (i) the need to integrate and manage the businesses acquired with our own business; (ii) additional demands on our resources, systems, procedures and controls; (iii) disruption of our ongoing business; and (iv) diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns. Moreover, these transactions could involve: (a) substantial investment of funds or financings by issuance of debt or equity securities; (b) substantial investment with respect to technology transfers and operational integration; and (c) the acquisition or disposition of lines of businesses. Also, such activities could result in one-time charges and expenses and have the potential to either dilute the interests of our existing stockholders or result in the issuance of, or assumption of debt. Such acquisitions, investments, joint ventures or other business collaborations may involve significant commitments of financial and other resources. Any such activities may not be successful in generating revenue, income or other returns, and any resources we committed to such activities will not be available to us for other purposes. Moreover, if we are unable to access the capital markets on acceptable terms or at all, we may not be able to consummate acquisitions, or may have to do so on the basis of a less than optimal capital structure. Our inability to take advantage of growth opportunities or address risks associated with acquisitions or investments in businesses may negatively affect our operating results.
Additionally, any impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets acquired in an acquisition or in an investment, or charges to earnings associated with any acquisition or investment activity, may materially reduce our earnings. Future acquisitions or joint ventures may not result in their anticipated benefits and we may not be able to properly integrate acquired technologies or businesses with our existing operations or successfully combine personnel and cultures. Failure to do so could deprive us of the intended benefits of those acquisitions.
We intend to grow our client base significantly through acquisitions of other service providers. If we fail to retain existing clients and attract new clients through acquisitions, we may never achieve profitability.
Through acquisition of other service providers, we will inherit an increasingly larger client base, which creates cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. We need high-quality service and exemplary client management to retain and grow our client base. We also plan to launch sales and marketing efforts including trade show appearance, sales demo and advertising campaigns in various forms to promote our brand name. If our marketing efforts do not materialize, we may lose existing clients or fail to obtain new clients. Our inability to grow sales as the Company expands in operations may result in continuing losses, and we may not be profitable for an extended period of time. In addition, even if we are able to make future acquisitions, we will incur additional costs to consummate them which may result in a shortage in our capital resources. We may also incur difficulties in integrating new businesses with our current operations.
Our business strategy may impose limitations in our ability to accurately forecast future revenue and operating results.
Our operating results are dependent on a variety of factors including purchasing patterns of our clients, competitive pricing, debt servicing, and general economic trends. Our revenue and operating results may fluctuate if our sales targets are not met, new service offerings receive poor client response, or client acquisition costs increase due to competition. In addition to these factors, our acquisition strategy may impose additional risks to the predictability of our operating results. Revenue streams may be volatile due to the uncertainty in identifying attractive acquisition candidates, and our ability to consummate new acquisitions. Unexpected expenses may be incurred during due diligence and post-acquisition. Management intends to manage risk carefully with the acquisitions; however, there can be no assurance that we will be able to identity and consummate acquisitions that improve our results of operations.
Our future results may be affected by various legal and regulatory proceedings and legal compliance risks, including those involving intellectual property, governmental regulations, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-bribery, anti-corruption, or other matters.
The outcome of these legal proceedings may differ from our expectations because the outcomes of litigation, including regulatory matters, are often difficult to reliably predict. Various factors or developments can lead us to change current estimates of liabilities and related insurance requirements where applicable, or make such estimates for matters previously not susceptible of reasonable estimates, such as a significant judicial ruling or judgment, a significant settlement, significant regulatory developments or changes in applicable law. A future adverse ruling, settlement or unfavorable development could result in future charges that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flows in any particular period.
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Any future COVID-19 pandemic scenarios may adversely affect our operations and financial condition.
We are subject to risks related to the public health crises such as the global pandemic associated with COVID-19. Economic and health conditions in the United States and across most of the globe continue to change rapidly. The COVID- 19 outbreak may disrupt our operations through its impact on our employees, our clients, and the industries in which they conduct business.
Numerous state and local jurisdictions have imposed, and others in the future may impose, “shelter-in-place” orders, quarantines, executive orders and similar government orders and restrictions for their residents to control the spread of COVID-19.
While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, COVID-19 may be difficult to assess or predict, the widespread pandemic has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant disruption of global financial markets and a recession or market correction that could materially affect our business, including the ability of our clients to continue to engage us, and the value of our common stock.
The COVID-19 outbreak may disrupt our operations through its impact on our employees, our clients, and the industries in which our clients operate. Disruptions to our clients may impair their ability to fulfill their obligations to us.
We are continuously monitoring our own operations and intend to take appropriate actions to mitigate the risks arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, but there can be no assurances that we will be successful in doing so. The ultimate extent of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on us is highly uncertain and will depend on future developments which cannot be predicted.
Breaches of network or information technology security could have an adverse effect on our business.
Cyber-attacks or other breaches of network or IT security may cause equipment failures or disrupt the systems and operations of us and our clients. The potential liabilities associated with these events could exceed the insurance coverage we or our clients maintain, if any. An inability to operate as a result of such events, even for a limited period of time, may result in significant expenses or loss of market share to other competitors in the market we serve. In addition, a failure to protect our, or our client’s, enterprises, networks, privacy of customer and employee confidential data against breaches of network or IT security could result in damage to our reputation. To date, we have not been subject to cyber-attacks or other cyber incidents which, individually or in the aggregate, resulted in a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Security threats to our own IT infrastructure may affect our clients indirectly. A party who is able to compromise the security measures on our networks or the security of our infrastructure could misappropriate our proprietary information or the personal information of our clients, cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations or our clients’ operations or damage our computers or systems and those of our clients. As security is a primary competitive factor in our industry, such a compromise could be particularly harmful to our brand and reputation. We may be required to expend significant resources to protect against such threats or to alleviate problems caused by breaches in security. As techniques used to breach security change frequently, and are generally not recognized until launched against a target, we may not be able to implement security measures in a timely manner or, if and when implemented, we may not be able to determine the extent to which these measures could be circumvented. If we are unable to protect sensitive information, our clients or governmental authorities could question the adequacy of our threat mitigation and detection processes and procedures. Any breaches that may occur could expose us to increased risk of lawsuits, regulatory penalties, loss of existing or potential customers, harm to our reputation and increases in our security costs, which may not be fully insured or indemnified by other means. Additionally, breaches of our, or our clients’, systems could similarly result in a loss of confidence in our services or damage to our brand and reputation. Occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results or prospects.
Because our services are aimed at protecting clients from, and limiting the impact of, critical business interruptions and losses related to cyber-attacks, if our client’s experience losses related to cyber-attacks that result in lost profits or other indirect or consequential damages to our clients, our clients may expose us to lawsuits. Our service agreements with our clients typically contain provisions limiting our liability. However, we cannot provide assurances that a court would enforce any contractual limitations on our liability. The outcome of any such lawsuit would depend on the specific facts of the case and any legal and policy considerations that we may not be able to mitigate. In such cases, we could be liable for substantial damage awards that may exceed our liability insurance coverage by unknown but significant amounts, which could materially impair our financial condition.
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If we fail to meet our service level obligations under our service level agreements, we may be subject to certain penalties and could lose clients.
We have service level agreements with many of our managed services clients under which we guarantee specified levels of service availability. These arrangements require us to estimate the level of service we will provide. If we fail to meet our service level obligations under these agreements, we may be subject to penalties, which could result in higher than expected costs, and we may lose clients, which could lead to decreased revenue and decreased gross and operating margins. If we fail to meet our service level obligations under these agreements, our reputation may suffer as a result.
The nature of our business involves significant risks and uncertainties that may not be covered by insurance or indemnification.
We provide services in circumstances where insurance or indemnification may be not available. Our existing insurance coverages may not be sufficient or additional insurance may not be available to protect us against operational risks and other uncertainties that we face. Liabilities or claims arising from our services in excess of any indemnity or insurance coverage (or for which indemnity or insurance coverage is not available or is not obtained) could harm our financial condition, cash flows and operating results. Any claim, even if fully covered or insured, could negatively affect our reputation in the marketplace and make it more difficult for us to compete effectively. The defense of such claims may be costly and time-consuming and could divert the attention of management.
We indemnify our officers and directors against liability to us and our security holders, and such indemnification could increase our operating costs.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws allow us to indemnify our officers and directors against claims associated with carrying out the duties of their offices. Our bylaws also allow us to reimburse them for the costs of certain legal defenses. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our officers, directors or control persons, the SEC has advised that such indemnification is against public policy and is therefore unenforceable.
Our industry is highly competitive, and there is no assurance that we will compete successfully.
Our current and potential competitors vary by size, service offerings and geographic location. Competitors include technology companies, consulting companies, telecommunication companies, technology resellers, hardware and software companies, and others. Many of our competitors have entrenched relationships in particular industries or have gained a reputation for expertise in a specific segment of the cybersecurity market, including services, software and hardware. The primary competitive factors in our market: security, reliability and functionality, customer service and technical expertise, reputation and brand recognition, financial strength, breadth of products and services offered, price, and scalability. Many of our current and potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources; more diversified product and service offerings; larger customer bases; longer operating histories; greater brand recognition; and more established relationships in the industry than we do. As a result, some of these competitors may be able to:
● | adapt more rapidly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements; |
● | develop superior products or services, thereby gain greater market acceptance and expand their product and service offerings more efficiently or rapidly; |
● | bundle products and services that we may not offer or in a manner that provides our competitors with a price advantage; |
● | take advantage of acquisitions and other opportunities more readily; |
● | maintain a lower cost basis; |
● | adopt more aggressive pricing policies and devote greater resources to the promotion, marketing and sales of their products and services; and |
● | devote greater resources to the research and development of their products and services. |
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Many of these companies have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do and may be better positioned to acquire, offer and service complementary products and technologies. These companies and alliances resulting from possible combinations may create more compelling product and service offerings, be able to offer greater pricing flexibility than we can or engage in business practices that make it more difficult for us to compete effectively, including on the basis of sales and marketing programs (such as providing greater incentives to our channel partners to sell a competitor’s product), technology or product functionality. Competition could result in, among other things, a substantial loss of customers, reduction in revenues or increase in expenses, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
Our success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies.
We rely on trade secrets to protect intellectual property, proprietary technology and processes, which we have or may develop in the future. There can be no assurances that secrecy obligations will be honored or that others will not independently develop similar or superior technology. The protection of intellectual property and/or proprietary technology through claims of trade secret status has been the subject of increasing claims and litigation by various companies both in order to protect proprietary rights as well as for competitive reasons even where proprietary claims are unsubstantiated. The prosecution of proprietary claims or the defense of such claims is costly and uncertain given the uncertainty and rapid development of the principles of law pertaining to this area. We may also be subject to claims by other parties regarding the use of intellectual property, technology information and data, which may be deemed proprietary to others.
Increasingly complex cybersecurity regulations and standards may have significant impact on our business, and it may require us to substantially invest in our development capabilities to meet compliance requirements and may negatively impact our ability to offer certain services and remain profitable.
Federal and State legislatures continue to advance policy proposals in recent years to address cyber threats directed at governments and private businesses. As threats continue to evolve and expand and as the pace of new technologies accelerates, legislatures are making cybersecurity measures a high priority. At the federal and state level, hundreds of bills or resolutions have been introduced and considered that deal significantly with cybersecurity. These proposals are at multiple stages of development and may shape out new standards concerning different areas. Our business expansion strategy focuses on accretive acquisitions of other cybersecurity service providers in the top thirty U.S. markets to achieve greater service coverage. The complex regulatory environment in each State may require us to dedicate additional resource to ensure our service scope and service quality are in compliance with the standards enacted in each State we operate business in. We may incur additional legal and compliance costs, and our service scope may be restrained due to compliance requirements. This will cause a delay in our service launch and negatively impact our operating results. We may also face litigations if we fail to respond accordingly to these regulatory measures in certain States.
We may become subject to disputes, including litigation, that could negatively impact our business and our profitability and financial condition.
We may become subject to disputes with third parties from time to time. Any such dispute could result in litigation between us and the other parties. Whether or not any dispute actually proceeds to litigation, we may be required to devote significant management time and attention and financial resources to its resolution (through litigation, settlement or otherwise), which would detract from our management’s ability to focus on our business. Any such resolution could involve the payment of damages or expenses by us, which may be significant. In addition, any such resolution could involve our agreement with terms that restrict the operation of our business.
If we incur additional debt, we will be subject to restrictive covenants and debt service obligations that could negatively impact our operations.
If we incur additional debt for operations or acquisitions, a portion of our cash flow will have to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on such indebtedness. Typical loan agreements also might contain restrictive covenants, which may impair our operating flexibility. Such loan agreements would also provide for default under certain circumstances, such as failure to meet certain financial covenants. A default under a loan agreement could result in the loan becoming immediately due and payable and, if unpaid, a judgment in favor of such lender which would be senior to the rights of our stockholders. A judgment creditor would have the right to foreclose on any of our assets resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.
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The preparation of our financial statements involves use of estimates, judgments and assumptions, and our financial statements may be materially affected if our estimates prove to be inaccurate.
Financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require the use of estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts. Different estimates, judgments, and assumptions reasonably could be used that would have a material effect on the financial statements, and changes in these estimates, judgments, and assumptions are likely to occur from period to period in the future. These estimates, judgments, and assumptions are inherently uncertain, and, if they prove to be wrong, then we face the risk that charges to income will be required.
Risks Related To The Offering
Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in net tangible book value.
The public offering price per share will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, investors in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $4.92 per share, based on the assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share. Investors in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the book value of our assets after subtracting our liabilities. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.
In the event that our common stock ceases to be listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market our stock price could fall and we could be delisted in which case broker-dealers may be discouraged from effecting transactions in shares of our common stock because it may be considered to be a penny stock and thus be subject to the penny stock rules.
We anticipate that our common stock will be approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), and such listing will occur upon consummation of the offering. After uplisting to Nasdaq, if we fail to satisfy Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, stockholders would be adversely impacted by various regulations. The SEC has adopted a number of rules to regulate “penny stocks” that restrict transactions involving stock that is deemed to be a penny stock. Such rules include Rules 3a51-1, 15g-1, 15g-2, 15g-3, 15g-4, 15g-5, 15g-6, 15g-7, and 15g-9 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These rules may have the effect of reducing the liquidity of penny stocks. “Penny stocks” generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 per share (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges, including Nasdaq, if current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange). Our securities have in the past constituted, and may again in the future constitute, “penny stock” within the meaning of the rules. The additional sales practice and disclosure requirements imposed upon U.S. broker-dealers may discourage such broker- dealers from effecting transactions in shares of our common stock, which could severely limit the market liquidity of such shares and impede their sale in the secondary market.
A U.S. broker-dealer selling penny stock to anyone other than an established customer or “accredited investor” (generally, an individual with net worth more than $1,000,000 or an annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with his or her spouse) must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. In addition, the “penny stock” regulations require the U.S. broker-dealer to deliver, prior to any transaction involving a “penny stock,” a disclosure schedule prepared in accordance with SEC standards relating to the “penny stock” market, unless the broker- dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. A U.S. broker-dealer is also required to disclose commissions payable to the U.S. broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, a U.S. broker-dealer is required to submit monthly statements disclosing recent price information with respect to the “penny stock” held in a customer’s account and information with respect to the limited market in “penny stocks.”
Stockholders should be aware that, according to the SEC, the market for “penny stocks” has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (i) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (ii) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (iii) “boiler room” practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (iv) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (v) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, resulting in investor losses. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our securities.
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We may need additional capital, and the sale of additional shares or equity or debt securities could result in additional dilution to our stockholders.
We believe that our existing cash, together with the net proceeds from this offering, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for at least the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain one or more credit facilities. The sale of additional equity securities could result in additional dilution to our stockholders and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a common stockholder. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. It is uncertain whether financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, including for any of the purposes described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Use of Proceeds.” You will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our securities to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending the application of these funds, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock following this offering may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and the issuance of additional shares will dilute all other stockholders.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or otherwise following this offering, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. After completion of this offering at an assumed offering price of $5.00 per share, our existing stockholders will own approximately 98.4% of our common stock assuming there is no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
After completion of this offering at an assumed offering price of $5.00 per share, there will be 126,169,649 shares of our common stock outstanding. In addition, our certificate of incorporation, as amended, permits the issuance of up to approximately 123,830,351 additional shares of common stock after the completion of this offering. Thus, we have the ability to issue substantial amounts of common stock in the future, which would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors who purchase shares of our common stock in this offering.
We and our officers, directors and certain stockholders have agreed, subject to customary exceptions, not to, without the prior written consent of Boustead Securities, LLC, the underwriter, during the period ending 12 months from the date of this offering, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of any of shares of our common stock, enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of our common stock, make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock or any other securities of the Company or publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing.
After the lock-up agreements with certain of our principal stockholders pertaining to this offering expire, up to of the shares that had been locked up will be eligible for future sale in the public market. After the lock-up agreements with our directors and officers pertaining to this offering expire, up to of the shares (net of any shares also restricted by lock-up agreements with our principal stockholders) that had been locked up will be eligible for future sale in the public market. After the lock-up agreements with certain directors, officers and principal stockholders pertaining to this offering expire up to of the shares (net of any shares also restricted by lock-up agreements with our principal stockholders) that had been locked up will be eligible for future sale in the public market. Sales of a significant number of these shares of common stock in the public market could reduce the market price of the common stock.
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Risks Related to our Common Stock
The market price of our common stock may be volatile and may fluctuate in a way that is disproportionate to our operating performance.
Our stock price may experience substantial volatility as a result of a number of factors, including, among others:
● | sales or potential sales of substantial amounts of our common stock; |
● | announcements about us or about our competitors or new product introductions; |
● | the loss or unanticipated underperformance of our global distribution channels; |
● | litigation and other developments relating to our patents or other proprietary rights or those of our competitors. |
● | conditions in the cybersecurity and IT services industries; |
● | governmental regulation and legislation. |
● | variations in our anticipated or actual operating results. |
● | changes in securities analysts’ estimates of our performance, or our failure to meet analysts’ expectations; |
● | foreign currency values and fluctuations; and |
● | overall political and economic conditions. |
Many of these factors are beyond our control. In addition to recent events, the stock markets have historically experienced substantial price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market and industry factors could reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
Future sales of shares of our common stock by existing stockholders could depress the market price of our common stock.
We have an aggregate of 120,529,649 issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of September 30, 2021. Approximately 31,061,749 shares are freely tradeable. The remainder of the outstanding shares may be sold, subject to certain volume limitations, pursuant to Rule 144 or other available exemptions. Also, in the future, we may issue additional securities in connection with investments and acquisitions. The amount of our common stock issued in connection with an investment or acquisition could constitute a material portion of our then outstanding stock. Due to these factors, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation, our by-laws and Delaware law might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our common stock.
Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law may have the effect of deterring unsolicited takeovers or delaying or preventing a change in control of our company or changes in our management, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then current market prices. In addition, these provisions may limit the ability of stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests. These provisions include the ability of our board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could include the right to approve an acquisition or other change in our control or could be used to institute a rights plan, also known as a poison pill, that would work to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, likely preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our board of directors.
The existence of the forgoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that an investor in our company could receive a premium for their common stock in an acquisition.
Our board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our by-laws by majority vote, while such action by stockholders would require a super majority vote; and establish advance notice requirements for nominations for elections to our board of directors or proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings.
These anti-takeover provisions and other provisions under Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our company, including actions that our stockholders may deem advantageous, or negatively affect the trading price of our stock. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders to elect directors of their choosing and cause us to take other corporate actions they desire.
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FINRA sales practice requirements may limit a stockholder’s ability to buy and sell our stock.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) has adopted rules that require that, in recommending an investment to a client, a broker-dealer must have reasonable grounds for believing that the investment is suitable for that customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status, investment objectives, and other information. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability that speculative low priced securities will not be suitable for certain customers. FINRA requirements will likely make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common stock, which may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the shares, resulting in fewer broker-dealers may be willing to make a market in our shares, potentially reducing a stockholder’s ability to resell shares of our common stock.
If we issue additional shares in the future, it will result in the dilution of our existing stockholders.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 250,000,000 shares of our common stock. Our Board of Directors may choose to issue some or all of such shares to acquire one or more companies and to fund our overhead and general operating requirements. The issuance of any such shares will reduce the book value per share and may contribute to a reduction in the market price of the outstanding shares of our common stock. If we issue any such additional shares, such issuance will reduce the proportionate ownership and voting power of all current stockholders. Further, such issuance may result in a change of control of our company.
Our directors and executive officers beneficially own a substantial majority of our outstanding capital stock and will have the ability to control our affairs.
Our current directors and executive officers beneficially own approximately 72% of our outstanding capital stock. By virtue of these holdings, they effectively control the election of the members of our board of directors, our management and our affairs and may prevent us from consummating corporate transactions such as mergers, consolidations or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets that may be favorable from our standpoint or that of our other stockholders.
We do not know whether an active, liquid, and orderly trading market will develop for our common stock.
While our common stock has been approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market upon consummation of the offering, an active trading market for our shares may never develop or be sustained. No assurance can be provided that a purchaser of our common stock will be able to resell their shares of common stock at or above the price that they acquired those shares. We can provide no assurances that the fair market value of common stock will increase or that the market price of common stock will not fluctuate or decline significantly.
We are eligible to be treated as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting and other requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including (i) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this registration statement and our periodic reports and proxy statements and (iii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier.
In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with the revised accounting standards. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with effective dates generally applicable to public companies.
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Investors may find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions, reduced reporting requirements and extended transition periods. If investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of any of the foregoing, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile or may decrease.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock.
We have never paid any cash dividends, and currently do not intend to pay any dividends for the foreseeable future. The Board intends to retain any future earnings to the extent necessary to develop and expand our business. Payment of cash dividends, if any, will depend, among other factors, on our earnings, capital requirements, and the general operating and financial condition, and will be subject to legal limitations on the payment of dividends out of paid-in capital. Because we do not intend to declare dividends, any gain on an investment in our company will need to come through an increase in the stock price. This may never happen, and investors may lose all of their investment.
USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as described herein, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our common stock for acquisitions, sales, marketing and general corporate purposes. We expect to spend approximately $1,000,000 or 10 % of the net proceeds of this offering to hire additional personnel and expand our sales offices. Until we use the net proceeds of this offering for the above purposes, we intend to invest the funds in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing securities. We cannot predict whether the proceeds invested will yield a favorable return.
No assurance can be given that the net proceeds from the total number of shares offered hereby or any lesser net amount will be sufficient to accomplish our goals. If proceeds from this offering are insufficient, we may be required to seek additional capital. No assurance can be given that we will be able to obtain such additional capital, or even if available, that such additional capital will be available on terms acceptable to us.
DILUTION
Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of the Company’s tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the 120,529,649 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2021. Net tangible book value dilution per share represents the difference between the amount per share paid by purchasers of the shares of common stock in this offering, at a price of $5.00 per share, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after completion of the offering.
After giving effect to the sale of all 2,000,000 shares included in the shares offered by us hereunder, excluding the over-allotment option, at an offering price of $5.00 per share, the pro forma net tangible book value of the Company as of September 30, 2021, would have been $0.08 per share, representing an immediate increase in tangible book value of $0.08 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $4.92 per share to purchasers of the shares.
The following table illustrates the foregoing information with respect to new investors on a per share basis, as of September 30, 2021:
Offering price per share | $ | 5.00 | ||
Net tangible book value per share before offering | $ | 0.00 | ||
Increase per share attributable to new investors | $ | 0.08 | ||
Pro forma net tangible book value per share after offering | $ | 0.08 | ||
Dilution per share to new investors | $ | 4.92 |
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BUSINESS
General
Cybersecurity, also known as computer security or information technology security, is the protection of computer systems and networks from information disclosure, theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
The cybersecurity industry has a supply and demand issue wherein there is more demand for cybersecurity services than expert and seasoned compliance and cybersecurity professionals available in the market. We are a cybersecurity and compliance company comprised of highly trained and seasoned security professionals who work with clients to enhance or create a better cyber posture in their organization. We seek to identify, attract, and retain highly skilled cyber and compliance teams and bring them together to provide holistic cyber services. We accomplish this through acquisitions, direct hiring and incentivizing employees with stock options to help retain them. On an ongoing basis, we seek to identify cyber talent that is culturally aligned and that offers operating leverage through both existing customer revenue and relationships. We have invested in enterprise solutions and executive talent to integrate our different organizations into an ecosystem that works together to provide complete and holistic cybersecurity through cross pollination of solutions. The ecosystem is intended to provide additional revenue opportunities and drive overall recurring revenue.
The Company emphasizes to clients the critical nature of having their work force create a continuously aware security culture. Once engaged, we strive to become the trusted advisors for customers’ cybersecurity and compliance needs by providing tailored security solutions based upon their organizational needs. The Company does not focus on selling cybersecurity products. The Company is product-agnostic so that it can provide solutions that fit the customer’s security needs, financial realities, and future strategy. The Company’s approach is to evaluate the client’s organization holistically, identify compliance requirements, and help secure the infrastructure while helping to create a culture of security.
The Company provides a full range of cybersecurity consulting and related services, encompassing all pillars of cybersecurity, compliance, and culture, including Secured Managed Services, Compliance Services, SOC Services, Virtual CISO (vCISO) Services, Incident Response, Certified Forensics, Technical Assessments, and Cybersecurity Training. We believe that culture is the foundation of every successful cybersecurity and compliance program. To deliver that outcome, we developed our unique offering of MCCP+ which is the only holistic solution that provides all three of these pillars under one roof from a dedicated team of subject matter experts. In contrast to the majority of cybersecurity firms that are focused on a specific technology or service, we seek to differentiate ourselves by remaining technology agnostic, focusing on accumulating highly sought-after topic experts. We continually seek to identify and acquire cybersecurity talent to expand our service scope and geographical coverage to provide the best possible service for our clients. We believe that bringing together a world-class team of technological experts with multi-faceted expertise in the critical aspects of cybersecurity is key to providing technology agnostic solutions to our clients in a business environment that has suffered from a chronic lack of highly- skilled professionals, thereby setting us apart from competitors and in-house security teams. Our goal is to create a culture of security and to help quantify, define and capture a return on investment from information technology and cybersecurity spending. The Cerberus Sentinel brand rallies around the battle cry: “Cybersecurity is a Culture, not a Product.”
Offering this set of cybersecurity services allows us to capture more revenue with greater efficiency, facilitating greater profitability and stronger customer retention. The benefit to our customers is that they receive an efficient engagement from a single provider that covers a wide range of their needs. This means their challenges are addressed more thoroughly and problems are resolved more rapidly when compared to working with multiple vendors. This leads to the best possible outcome which enables them to commit to us for the long term.
We believe that our business model is differentiated from other companies in the industry in that our employees are not consultants; they’re dedicated partners available on a recurring monthly contract. Due to the numerous challenges in hiring experienced cybersecurity and compliance professionals, assimilating our team of industry and subject matter experts into our clients’ teams is the ideal solution.
We are technology agnostic. Whereas, most cybersecurity firms are locked into working with a single technology, we seek to differentiate ourselves by remaining technology agnostic. This approach enables us to work with any business, no matter what systems or tools they use. For our customers the benefit is equally valuable; they’re able to choose the best tools and technology for their business needs without affecting their relationship with us.
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We believe that building a world-class technology team with industry-specific and subject-matter expertise is the key to providing cutting-edge solutions to our clients. We will continue to identify and acquire cybersecurity talent to expand our scope of services and geographical footprint to fortify our capability to deliver excellence to our customers. Furthermore, our commitment is that we will stay a step ahead of threat actors and regulatory obligations to keep our customers safe and compliant.
The Cybersecurity Challenge
As the world has become increasingly connected through the Internet and the Internet of Things (“IoT”), cyberattacks have prevailed and evolved over the years, in different forms, causing uncontainable threats to the integrity and privacy of enterprise and personal data and resulted in significant economic losses globally. McKinsey Global Institute has estimated that approximately 127 new IoT devices connect to the Internet every second. Report published by CyberSecurity Ventures has state global cybercrime damage predicted to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Cybersecurity Ventures expects that a business will fall victim to a ransomware attack every 11 seconds in 2021, up from every 14 seconds in 2019. This makes ransomware the fastest growing type of cybercrime. Cybercrime Magazine survey reported 68% of business leaders feel their cybersecurity risks are increasing. Gartner predicts that worldwide global cybersecurity spending will exceed $1.75 trillion cumulatively from 2021-2025. Gartner reports that in 2021 there will be 3.5M job openings unfilled in cybersecurity field. Gartner forecast by 2023 could be as high as 12M job openings unfilled.
In response to the increasing economic damage caused by heightened cybersecurity risks, regulatory bodies have pushed the implementation of new cybersecurity legislations, and cyber insurance companies have increased minimum cybersecurity requirements. We believe that we are well positioned in a fast-growing industry to provide businesses with a wide scope of cybersecurity services and with significant opportunities for growth.
Service Offering
We currently offer two major types of services to clients including Security Managed Services and Professional Services.
Security Managed Services
Our Managed Services deliver an end-to-end solution to cybersecurity and compliance needs based on the Cerberus Sentinel Process. We begin with a gap analysis of our customer’s existing cybersecurity and compliance practices. Next, we perform penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and a best practices assessment. This culminates with a deliverable report outlining failures and risks and includes a remediation roadmap organized based on highest-value opportunities and critical necessities. This prioritized approach utilizes the maxi-min strategy to optimize our customer’s budget; something that comes from decades of experiential wisdom. Using this roadmap our team performs remediation and change implementation throughout the customer’s business. This is followed by our culture program that delivers cybersecurity and compliance awareness training, risk reporting, and periodic knowledge verification. We cover every area of our customer’s business and engage with every member of their team. This is our end-to-end holistic approach that leaves no stone unturned to ensure our customers are truly safe, secure, and compliant.
We offer multiple services in the Security Managed Services portfolio including the following:
● | Compliance: Cerberus Sentinel’s compliance practice ensures the customers are implementing the right controls, properly prioritizing risks, and investing in the appropriate remediation, so our customers can achieve compliance, adhere to industry standards and guidelines, and manage continuous monitoring over time. We provide the combination of integrated processes and systems, experienced staff, and innovative technology to help our customers meet those goals. Our seasoned experts possess the stringent industry certifications and accreditations that prove they understand security compliance regulations, frameworks, and controls. Our deep knowledge of these rigorous and unique requirements means we can offer a thorough, timely assessment that will identify residual risk within the customer’s information system. We then propose mitigation strategies to manage the customer’s risk effectively. As an authorized FedRAMP vendor ourselves, we bring an insider’s perspective to the process in the following standards: |
○ | FedRAMP – The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) provides standardization to cloud security for Cloud Service Providers (CSP). FedRAMP recognition is required to sell cloud services to the US Federal and many state and local governments https://www.fedramp.gov/ | |
○ | FISMA 2014 – codifies the Department of Homeland Security’s role in administering the implementation of information security policies for federal Executive Branch civilian agencies, overseeing agencies’ compliance with those policies, and assisting OMB in developing those policies. https://www.cisa.gov/federal-information-security-modernization-act |
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○ | ISO 17021, ISO 27001 is an International Standard that provides Certification Bodies (CB) with a set of requirements that will enable them to ensure that their management system certification process is carried out in a competent, consistent and impartial manner. https://www.iso.org/ | |
○ | HIPAA – Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”) – These are laws regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to secure the privacy and confidentiality of protected health information (“PHI”) (https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html) | |
○ | PCI – This is a standard administered by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pci_security/) | |
○ | Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Consist of five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. NIST defines the framework core on its official website as a set of cybersecurity activities, desired outcomes, and applicable informative references common across critical infrastructure sectors. https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework | |
○ | NIST – The National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) – This is formally known as a National Bureau of Standards, which is a federal agency that promotes and maintains measurement standards while encouraging and assisting industry and science to develop and use these standards. https://www.nist.gov/ | |
○ | 800-171/CMMC – CMMC is intended to serve as a verification mechanism to ensure that DIB companies implement appropriate cybersecurity practices and processes to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) within their unclassified networks. https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-171/rev-2/final | |
○ | GDPR – The General Data Protection Regulation is one of the most wide-ranging pieces of legislation passed by the EU in recent memory. It was introduced to standardize data protection law across the single market and give people in a growing digital economy greater control over how their personal information is used. https://gdpr.eu/compliance/ | |
○ | Service Organization 2 (“SOC 2”) – This is an auditing procedure that focuses on a business’ non- financial reporting controls related to security, availability, processing, integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of a system; https://www.aicpa.org/ | |
○ | HITRUST CSF – This is a comprehensive security framework (“CSF”) developed by the Health Information Trust Alliance (“HITRUST”) in collaboration with healthcare, technology and information security leaders, to create access, store and exchange sensitive and/or regulated data; https://hitrustalliance.net/ |
● | Secured Managed Services: Cybersecurity companies should excel at pointing out vulnerabilities or configuration issues in an organization’s network. We believe that we have experts with the capability to identify these issues and fix them. Our team has extensive experience in remediating security issues in a holistic fashion, to quickly effect change at organization scale. We know our customers’ teams are busy enough as is, so we offload the burden of addressing the dozens or hundreds of remediation items that may come from a security review, penetration test, or incident response project. Our remediation services resolve vulnerabilities that may expose risk to, or have caused, unwanted conditions or outcomes. Examples of issues that Cerberus Sentinel remediate include writing new or more effective policies, rearchitecting computer networks to minimize attack surface, implementing high security password requirements and multi-factor authentication, applying missing security patches that expose an organization to security attack, or correcting misconfigurations that can lead to unauthorized access such as a user being granted overly broad permissions. The Cerberus Sentinel remediation services provide customers with a mature methodology for the heavy lifting needed to ensure that implementing solutions to minimize security risk are done safely, efficiently, and correctly the first time. | |
● | SOC Managed Services: We offer SOC-as-a-service, which is a subscription-based service that manages and monitors client’s’ logs, devices, clouds, network, and assets for possible cyber threats. 18on service is designed to provide our clients with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat cybersecurity threats. | |
● | vCISO Service: Corporations are in need of cybersecurity services but many do not have the capital resources or knowledge base to hire a Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”). We offer this service to companies on an ongoing managed service basis as a resource to augment their management team. vCISO services include road mapping the future state for the client and providing our knowledgeable expertise to help them achieve their security needs. |
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Professional Services
Our advisory services include a wide array of tailored solutions for organizations of all sizes. Our in-depth and uniquely acquired industry expertise allows us to act as a trusted advisor of our clients to help them lower their risk profile, minimize cost impact to organizations and meet regulatory compliance demands. We specialize in:
● | Incident Response and Forensics: Focusing on identification, investigation, and remediation of cyberattacks. | |
● | Technical Assessments: Cerberus Sentinel specializes in advanced cybersecurity assessments that highlight the skills and experience of our team’s top-tier talent. Our customers love us because we routinely identify issues that no one else does due to our emphasis on real-world manual testing techniques, and custom exploit development to uncover new avenues of attack. Our approach to Penetration Testing services strikes the perfect equilibrium between cost, time and results. The team of highly skilled testers utilize the same tools and techniques a malicious cybercriminal would use to try to gain unauthorized access to highly-guarded corporate systems and data to evaluate technical controls and quantify business risks in a meaningful way. This level of analysis provides business leaders the knowledge required to not only understand the impact a successful attack might have on their business operations, but also can validate the effectiveness of existing security controls and justify additional security related investment. | |
● | Training: This targets the root cause for 75% of cyber breach events by starting with a culture of security-first forward thinking. Cerberus Sentinel’s security awareness training can prevent a catastrophic cyberattack before it even occurs by equipping users with the tools and techniques required to spot a potential cyberattack in the early stages. | |
● | Other Cybersecurity Services: |
○ | Cybersecurity Road Mapping: Bringing the culture of cybersecurity to client’s leadership team and penetrating throughout the organization is a critical first step of building any successful cybersecurity system. Through our consulting service, we dive into both the cultural and technical aspects of cybersecurity within the organization, providing meaningful recommendations to improve cybersecurity posture immediately. We help our clients build effective policies and best practices, design or enhance a cybersecurity system and train the executive management team to foster a top-down culture of cybersecurity in order to facilitate diligent implementation of cybersecurity awareness. | |
○ | Gap and Risk Assessment: Threat actors probe and exploit the weakest points in an organization, it doesn’t matter if a business has done 100 things right when one mistake can be catastrophic. Cerberus Sentinel combines decades of security expertise and in-depth knowledge of how cyberattackers operate to deliver a thorough security risk gap analysis that identifies real world threats and issues guidance for protection. We first familiarize ourselves with the customer’s environment, business model, operations, and business drivers to best determine a customer’s cybersecurity posture in an ever evolving threat landscape. We then use our advanced threat intelligence, data breach experience, and analytics to accurately assess the customers unique cybersecurity risk based on their “as is” state. We then operate with a holistic mindset, considering every link in the cybersecurity chain from people, processes, and technology, to determine their ideal “to be” state, aligned with their business goals, compliance requirements, and risk tolerance. Finally, we collaboratively devise and develop a strategic cybersecurity plan that takes into account critical priorities to effectively reduce cybersecurity risk by closing the gap between their “as is” and “to be” states. This comprehensive awareness of internal systems and policies provides our customers with a clear understanding of their overall risk as well as the strategies and tools they need to protect their most valuable assets: their data and brand reputation. |
Growth Strategy
Cybersecurity service and consulting firms operate on various forms of business models. Cerberus Sentinel does not focus on selling products; we promote a cybersecurity culture. Our growth strategy will focus on external acquisition and internal scalability to drive that culture within our customers’ organizations. Therefore, our revenue streams mainly come from security managed service and professional service fees. As the cybersecurity market grows over years, we continue to see an increasing number of players entering the market with different sets of qualifications. However, organizations facing cybersecurity issues also usually lack the expertise to identify the right service provider or do not have the capital resources to hire a qualified CISO. We believe that this is where our growth opportunity lies since the lack of expertise leads to information asymmetry which causes additional noise in the cybersecurity marketplace and exposes organizations in greater risks if found issues are not mitigated with the right group of experts. Furthermore, the industry is in need of highly qualified technology professionals in the cybersecurity field. A limited pool of talent results in increasing compensation and cost to retain such talent which in turn compromises companies’ bottom line profitability and then increases the need to work externally with a partner such as Cerberus Sentinel. According to a Cybersecurity Jobs Report released in 2017 by Herjavec Group, total unfilled cybersecurity positions will be approximately 3.5 million by 2021. We intend to capitalize on this gap as our growth opportunity.
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Our external acquisition strategy will target engineer-owned cybersecurity firms in the top U.S. & International markets with existing revenue in the range of $2 million to $25 million and profit margin of at least 15% to 25%, although there could be opportunities beyond the larger end of this range. We expect each acquisition to be strategic and accretive, and we expect to obtain direct access to a pool of ready-to-deploy and seasoned cybersecurity talent and enhanced access to a larger client base geographically.
Our internal scalability strategy will focus on exploring and materializing synergies with the acquired targets. With strategic acquisitions, on the topline, we expect to provide a broadened service offering which translates into more diverse revenue streams and a larger client base. We also anticipate that we will be able to broaden our geographical sales coverage and reduce client acquisition costs. We also intend to synergize best practices across the platform which will enhance client experience and client loyalty. On the bottom line, we plan to centralize general and administrative support functions in one location which will significantly improve net margin for all the service lines. This will allow our management to focus on sales initiatives and achieve internal operations scalability in a relatively short period of time. We estimate that with a typical acquisition, we will realize annual savings on centralized operations, generate additional revenue from upselling to existing clients, and add revenue from new clients. In the long term, we expect to become a pure-play cybersecurity consolidator in the U.S.
Our Acquisition History
Effective April 1, 2019, we acquired GenResults, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company (“GenResults”). GenResults was established on June 22, 2015. Prior to our acquisition of GenResults, GenResults was wholly owned by an entity affiliated with David G. Jemmett, our Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company. GenResults is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel. Due to the companies being under common control, the Company accounted for the acquisition as a reorganization.
On April 12, 2019, we consummated a transaction whereby VCAB Six Corporation, a Texas corporation, (“VCAB”) merged with and into us (the “VCAB Merger”). At the time of the VCAB Merger, VCAB was subject to a bankruptcy proceeding and had minimal assets, no equity owners and no liabilities, except for approximately 1,500 holders of Class 5 Allowed General Unsecured Claims and a holder of allowed administrative expenses (collectively the “Claim Holders”). Pursuant to the terms of the VCAB Merger, and in accordance with the bankruptcy plan, we issued an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock (the “Plan Shares”) to the Claim Holders as full settlement and satisfaction of their respective claims. As provided in the bankruptcy plan, the Plan Shares were issued pursuant to Section 1145 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. As a result of the VCAB Merger, the separate corporate existence of VCAB was terminated. We entered into the merger in order to increase our stockholder base in order to, among other things, assist us in satisfying the listing standards of a national securities exchange.
Effective as of October 1, 2019, we entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “TalaTek Merger”) pursuant to which TalaTek, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company has become our wholly owned subsidiary. Under the TalaTek Merger, all issued and outstanding units representing membership interests in TalaTek were converted into an aggregate of 6,200,000 shares of our common stock.
On October 2, 2019, we filed a registration statement on Form 10-12G with the SEC to effect registration of our common stock, par value $0.00001, under the Exchange Act. The registration statement became effective on December 1, 2019.
Effective May 25, 2020, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with Technologyville, Inc., an Illinois corporation (“Techville”), and its sole shareholder, pursuant to which Techville became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Techville Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Techville Acquisition, all issued and outstanding common stock of Techville was exchanged for an aggregate of 3,392,271 shares of the Company’s common stock.
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Effective August 1, 2020, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement with Clear Skies Security, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (“Clear Skies”), and its equity holders, pursuant to which Clear Skies became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Clear Skies Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Clear Skies Acquisition, all issued and outstanding equity securities in Clear Skies were exchanged for an aggregate of 2,330,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Effective December 16, 2020, the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Alpine Security, LLC., an Illinois limited liability company (“Alpine”), and its sole member, pursuant to which Alpine became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Alpine Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Alpine Acquisition, all issued and outstanding membership units in Alpine were exchanged for an aggregate of 900,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
On July 26, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Catapult Acquisition Corporation (“Catapult”) pursuant to which Catapult became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. All issued and outstanding shares of common stock of VelocIT immediately prior to the effective time were converted into the right to receive an aggregate of up to 2,566,778 shares of common stock of the Company, subject to a holdback of 256,678 shares of Company stock. The effective date was August 12, 2021.
On December 1, 2021, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement by and among the Company, Southford Equities, Inc., a British Virgin Islands company (“Arkavia”), and all of the owners of Arkavia, pursuant to which Arkavia became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate purchase price for the transaction was 3,100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Competition
The cybersecurity market is highly fragmented. In the top quartile, the market is dominated by several major global players including IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems, AVG Technologies, Broadcom and Dell, etc. The rest of the market is highly competitive without dominant players. North America is expected to continue its hold as the largest market size in the cybersecurity market through the year 2023, MarketsandMarkets.com (September 21, 2018). Recent report from Statista (August 26,2021) forecast to grow to 345.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. An increasing awareness of cyber threats lead to a rising investment in cybersecurity infrastructure worldwide.
We face direct competition from all small-to-medium-sized cybersecurity service providers nationwide given the broad service scope we currently provide. Many competitors provide cloud-based services which means our competition is not restricted by regions. It is critical for our executive management team to identify and attract strategic acquisition targets in order to strengthen our competitive advantage as a cybersecurity consolidator, which we believe brings higher service quality, more diverse service scope, and broader geographical coverage at a lower cost.
Intellectual Property
We intend to take appropriate steps to protect our intellectual property. We have registered the trademark “Cybersecurity is a culture, not a product,” which has been approved with an official registration date of October 29, 2019.
Government Regulation
We are not aware of any specific regulations that govern cybersecurity firms or the areas in which the Company operates. While there are a few federal cybersecurity regulations, they govern industries that the Company serves and exist to focus on specific industries.
The three main cybersecurity regulations are the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the 2002 Homeland Security Act, which included the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). The three regulations mandate that healthcare organizations, financial institutions and federal agencies should protect their systems and information. FISMA, which applies to every government agency, requires the development and implementation of mandatory policies, principles, standards, and guidelines on information security. However, the regulations do not address numerous computer related industries, such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and software companies. Furthermore, the regulations do not specify what cybersecurity measures must be implemented and require only a “reasonable” level of security.
In addition, the National Cybersecurity Division (NCSD) is another regulatory body that is a division of the Office of Cybersecurity & Communications within the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Employees
As of December 13, 2021, we had 185 full-time employees. In addition, we utilize independent contractors for projects of short duration or where specialized knowledge, or experience is needed for a complex project. We are not dependent on any independent contractor, and we believe adequate replacements would be available in the event any such contractor becomes unavailable to us. We believe our relations with our employees is good.
Transfer Agent
Our stock transfer agent is Securities Transfer Corporation, located at 2901 N. Dallas Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093. Their telephone number is (469) 633-0101, and their website is stctransfer.com.
Corporate and Available Information
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, all amendments to those reports and other related SEC filings will be available free of charge through our website (http://cerberussentinel.com) as soon as practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Except as otherwise stated in these documents, the information contained on our website or available by hyperlink from our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON COMMON STOCK
AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Market Information
Our common stock is quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “CISO.” However, we have applied to have our stock listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “CISO” upon completion of this offering.
Holders
As of December 13, 2021, there were 124,969,649 shares of common stock outstanding, which were held by approximately 750 record holders.
Dividends
We have never paid cash dividends on any of our capital stock and we currently intend to retain our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. We do not intend to pay cash dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future.
Equity Incentive Plan
The Board of Directors approved the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) on June 6, 2019 and the stockholders of the Company holding a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company approved and adopted the 2019 Plan. The maximum number of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be issued under the Company’s 2019 Plan is 25,000,000 shares. The 2019 Plan has a term of 10 years from the date it was adopted. Shares issued under the 2019 Plan shall be made available from (i) authorized but unissued shares of common stock, (ii) common stock held in treasury of the Company, or (iii) previously issued shares of common stock reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased on the open market.
Stock Not Registered under the Securities Act; Rule 144 Eligibility
Other than pursuant to the Registration Statement, our common stock has not been registered under the Securities Act. However, the 900,000 Plan Shares issued in connection with the VCAB merger were exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, pursuant to Section 1145 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and may be resold without registration. Our remaining issued and outstanding shares of common stock are restricted securities and may not be resold absent registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an available exemption thereunder.
Shares of our common stock that are restricted securities will be eligible for resale in compliance with Rule 144, subject to the requirements described below. “Restricted securities,” as defined under Rule 144, were issued and sold by us in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. These shares may be sold in the public market only if registered or if they qualify for an exemption from registration, such as Rule 144. Below is a summary of the requirements for sales of our common stock pursuant to Rule 144.
Any person who is our affiliate or who was our affiliate at any time during the preceding three months and who has beneficially owned restricted securities for at least six months, will generally be entitled to sell within any three month period a number of shares that does not exceed one percent of the number of shares of our common stock then outstanding. Sales under Rule 144 by our affiliates are also subject to manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Persons who may be deemed to be our affiliates generally include individuals or entities that control, or are controlled by, or are under common control with, us and may include our directors and officers, as well as our significant stockholders.
For a person who has not been deemed to have been one of our affiliates at any time during the 90 days preceding a sale, sales of our shares of common stock held longer than six months, but less than one year, will be subject only to the current public information requirement and otherwise can be sold under Rule 144 without restriction. A person who is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at any time during the 90 days preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned the shares proposed to be sold for at least one year, is entitled to sell his or her shares without complying with the manner of sale, public information, volume limitation or notice provisions of Rule 144.
As of December 13, 2021, of our 124,969,649 shares of common stock outstanding, approximately 122,221,749 shares of our common stock are eligible for sale under Rule 144. Approximately 31,061,749 of such shares are held by non-affiliates and have been held for longer than one year; approximately 91,160,000 of such shares are held by affiliates.
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes. Our discussion includes forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those set forth under the Risk Factors, Forward-Looking Statements and Business sections in this prospectus. We use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements.
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to provide information necessary to understand our audited consolidated financial statements for the two-year period ended December 31, 2020 and highlight certain other information which, in the opinion of management, will enhance a reader’s understanding of our financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of operations. In particular, the discussion is intended to provide an analysis of significant trends and material changes in our financial position and the operating results of our business during the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements for the two-year period ended December 31, 2020 and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These historical financial statements may not be indicative of our future performance. This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains numerous forward-looking statements, all of which are based on our current expectations and could be affected by the uncertainties and risks described throughout this filing, particularly in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Corporate Overview
Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation (“Cerberus Sentinel”) was formed on March 5, 2019 as a Delaware corporation. Our principal offices are located at 6900 E. Camelback Road, Suite 240, Scottsdale Arizona 85251.
Effective April 1, 2019, and effective on April 1, 2019, we acquired GenResults, LLC, an Arizona limited liability company (“GenResults”). GenResults was established on June 22, 2015. Prior to our acquisition of GenResults, GenResults was wholly owned by an entity affiliated with David G. Jemmett, our Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company. GenResults is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel.
On April 12, 2019, we consummated a transaction whereby VCAB Six Corporation, a Texas corporation, (“VCAB”) merged with and into us (the “VCAB Merger”). At the time of the VCAB Merger, VCAB was subject to a bankruptcy proceeding and had minimal assets, no equity owners and no liabilities, except for approximately 1,500 holders of Class 5 Allowed General Unsecured Claims and a holder of allowed administrative expenses (collectively the “Claim Holders”). Pursuant to the terms of the VCAB Merger, and in accordance with the bankruptcy plan, we issued an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock (the “Plan Shares”) to the Claim Holders as full settlement and satisfaction of their respective claims. As provided in the bankruptcy plan, the Plan Shares were issued pursuant to Section 1145 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. As a result of the VCAB Merger, the separate corporate existence of VCAB was terminated. We entered into the merger in order to increase our stockholder base in order to, among other things, assist us in satisfying the listing standards of a national securities exchange.
Effective as of October 1, 2019, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “TalaTek Merger”) pursuant to which TalaTek, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“TalaTek”), became our wholly owned subsidiary. Pursuant to the TalaTek Merger, all issued and outstanding units representing membership interests in TalaTek were converted into an aggregate of 6,200,000 shares of our common stock. TalaTek provides complete integrated enterprise risk management services by leveraging their specialized combination of methodologies, processes and technology. These services are currently provided primarily to the public sector.
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Effective May 25, 2020, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Technologyville, Inc., an Illinois corporation (“Techville”), and its sole shareholder, pursuant to which Techville became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Techville Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Techville Acquisition, all issued and outstanding common stock of Techville was exchanged for an aggregate of 3,392,271 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Effective August 1, 2020, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Clear Skies Security, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (“Clear Skies”), and its equity holders, pursuant to which Clear Skies became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Clear Skies Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Clear Skies Acquisition, all issued and outstanding equity securities in Clear Skies were exchanged for an aggregate of 2,330,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Effective December 16, 2020, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Alpine Security, LLC., an Illinois limited liability company (“Alpine”), and its sole member, pursuant to which Alpine became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Alpine Acquisition”). Under the terms of the Alpine Acquisition, all issued and outstanding membership units in Alpine were exchanged for an aggregate of 900,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
On July 26, 2021, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Catapult Acquisition Corporation, a New Jersey corporation doing business as VelocIT (“VelocIT”), pursuant to which VelocIT became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. All issued and outstanding shares of common stock of VelocIT were converted into the right to receive an aggregate of up to 2,566,778 shares of common stock of the Company, subject to a holdback of 256,678 shares of Company stock. The effective date was August 12, 2021.
On December 1, 2021, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement by and among the Company, Southford Equities, Inc., a British Virgin Islands company (“Arkavia”), and all of the owners of Arkavia, pursuant to which Arkavia became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate purchase price for the transaction was 3,100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.
Our Business
We provide a full range of cybersecurity services, encompassing all pillars of cybersecurity, compliance, and culture, including Secured Managed Services, Compliance Services, SOC Services, Virtual CISO (vCISO) Services, Incident Response, Certified Forensics, Technical Assessments, and Cybersecurity Training. We believe that culture is the foundation of every successful cybersecurity and compliance program. To deliver that outcome, we developed our unique offering of Managed Cybersecurity and Compliance Provider (MCCP+) which is the only holistic solution that provides all three of these pillars under one roof from a dedicated team of subject matter experts. In contrast to the majority of cybersecurity firms that are focused on a specific technology or service, we seek to differentiate ourselves by remaining technology agnostic, focusing on accumulating highly-sought after topic experts. We continually identify and acquire cybersecurity talent to expand our service scope and geographical coverage to provide the best possible service for our clients. We believe that bringing together a world-class team of technological experts with multi-faceted expertise in the critical aspects of cybersecurity is key to providing technology agnostic solutions to our clients in a business environment that has suffered from a chronic lack of highly-skilled professionals, thereby setting us apart from competitors and in-house security teams. Our goal is to create a culture of security and to help quantify, define and capture a return on investment from information technology and cybersecurity spending. The Cerberus Sentinel brand rallies around the battle cry: “Cybersecurity is a Culture, not a Product”.
Results of Operations
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2020 to the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Our financial results for the year ended December 31, 2020 are summarized as follows in comparison to the year ended December 31, 2019:
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 1,764,940 | $ | 3,440,893 | $ | 1,336,887 | $ | 698,108 | $ | 7,240,828 | ||||||||||
Cost of Sales | 1,158,802 | 2,423,831 | 417,563 | 365,370 | 4,365,566 | |||||||||||||||
Gross Profit | 606,138 | 1,017,062 | 919,324 | 332,738 | 2,875,262 | |||||||||||||||
Operating Expenses | 3,996,289 | 835,261 | 1,037,282 | 413,292 | 6,282,124 | |||||||||||||||
Operating Income (Loss) | (3,390,151 | ) | 181,801 | (117,958 | ) | (80,554 | ) | (3,406,862 | ) | |||||||||||
Other Income (Expense) | (2,722 | ) | 843 | (4,136 | ) | (385 | ) | (6,400 | ) | |||||||||||
Gain (Loss) before income taxes | $ | (3,392,873 | ) | $ | 182,644 | $ | (122,094 | ) | $ | (80,939 | ) | $ | (3,413,262 | ) |
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For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 982,466 | $ | 925,464 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 1,907,930 | ||||||||||
Cost of Sales | 465,078 | 471,094 | - | - | 936,172 | |||||||||||||||
Gross Profit | 517,388 | 454,370 | - | - | 971,758 | |||||||||||||||
Operating Expenses | 1,966,737 | 347,536 | - | - | 2,314,273 | |||||||||||||||
Operating Gain (Loss) | (1,449,349 | ) | 106,834 | - | - | (1,342,515 | ) | |||||||||||||
Other Income (Expense) | (11,942 | ) | 89 | - | - | (11,853 | ) | |||||||||||||
Gain (Loss) before income taxes | $ | (1,461,291 | ) | $ | 106,923 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | (1,354,368 | ) |
Variance
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 782,474 | $ | 2,515,429 | $ | 1,336,887 | $ | 698,108 | $ | 5,332,898 | ||||||||||
Cost of revenue | 693,724 | 1,952,737 | 417,563 | 365,370 | 3,429,394 | |||||||||||||||
Gross profit | 88,750 | 562,692 | 919,324 | 332,738 | 1,903,504 | |||||||||||||||
Operating expenses | 2,029,552 | 487,725 | 1,037,282 | 413,292 | 3,967,851 | |||||||||||||||
Operating loss | (1,940,802 | ) | 74,967 | (117,958 | ) | (80,554 | ) | (2,064,347 | ) | |||||||||||
Other expense | 9,220 | 754 | (4,136 | ) | (385 | ) | 5,453 | |||||||||||||
Loss before income taxes | $ | (1,931,582 | ) | $ | 75,721 | $ | (122,094 | ) | $ | (80,939 | ) | $ | (2,058,894 | ) |
(1) | Based on the insignificant nature of the operational activities of Clear Skies and Alpine during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company has combined them into one category, titled Other, for the purposes of this presentation. |
Revenues
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Managed services | $ | 1,124,031 | $ | 679 | $ | 690,159 | $ | - | $ | 1,814,869 | ||||||||||
Consulting services | 640,909 | 3,440,214 | 646,728 | 698,108 | 5,425,959 | |||||||||||||||
Total revenue | $ | 1,764,940 | $ | 3,440,893 | $ | 1,336,887 | $ | 698,108 | $ | 7,240,828 |
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Managed services | $ | 424,023 | $ | 235 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 424,258 | ||||||||||
Consulting services | 558,443 | 925,229 | - | - | 1,483,672 | |||||||||||||||
Total revenue | $ | 982,466 | $ | 925,464 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 1,907,930 |
Variance
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Managed services | $ | 700,008 | $ | 444 | $ | 690,159 | $ | - | $ | 1,390,611 | ||||||||||
Consulting services | 82,466 | 2,514,985 | 646,728 | 698,108 | 3,942,287 | |||||||||||||||
Total revenue | $ | 782,474 | $ | 2,515,429 | $ | 1,336,887 | $ | 698,108 | $ | 5,332,898 |
(1) | Based on the insignificant nature of the operational activities of Clear Skies and Alpine during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company has combined them into one category, titled Other, for the purposes of this presentation. |
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Revenues increased for Cerberus by $782,474, or 80%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the Company having an increase of approximately $417,000 in managed security services to a major customer.
Revenues increased for TalaTek by $2,515,429, or 271%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisition, which was consummated on October 1, 2019. Approximately $2,515,000 of the increase was a result of TalaTek’s gap and risk assessment services that is attributable to one major customer.
Revenues increased for Techville by $1,336,887, or 100%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisition, which was consummated on May 25, 2020. Approximately $690,000 is a result of Techville’s managed service offering, Tech Connect Pro, approximately $370,000 was a result of Techville’s consulting service offering, Tech Connect Cloud, and approximately $269,000 was a result of miscellaneous hardware sales associated with Techville’s consulting service offerings.
Revenues increased for Clear Skies and Alpine by $698,108, or 100%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisitions, which were consummated on August 1, 2020 and December 16, 2020, respectively. Approximately $698,000 is a result of Clear Skies’ and Alpine’s gap and risk assessment service offerings.
Expenses
Cost of Revenues
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Managed services | $ | 4,839 | $ | - | $ | 417,546 | $ | - | $ | 422,385 | ||||||||||
Consulting services | 225,387 | 427,056 | 17 | 3,701 | 656,161 | |||||||||||||||
Cost of payroll | 928,576 | 1,996,775 | - | 361,669 | 3,287,020 | |||||||||||||||
Total cost of revenue | $ | 1,158,802 | $ | 2,423,831 | $ | 417,563 | $ | 365,370 | $ | 4,365,566 |
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Managed services | $ | 143,065 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 143,065 | ||||||||||
Consulting services | 124,183 | 24,066 | - | - | 148,249 | |||||||||||||||
Cost of payroll | 197,830 | 447,028 | - | - | 644,858 | |||||||||||||||
Total cost of revenue | $ | 465,078 | $ | 471,094 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 936,172 |
Variance
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Managed services | $ | (138,226 | ) | $ | - | $ | 417,546 | $ | - | $ | 279,320 | |||||||||
Consulting services | 101,204 | 402,990 | 17 | 3,701 | 507,912 | |||||||||||||||
Cost of payroll | 730,746 | 1,549,747 | - | 361,669 | 2,642,162 | |||||||||||||||
Total cost of revenue | $ | 693,724 | $ | 1,952,737 | $ | 417,563 | $ | 365,370 | $ | 3,429,394 |
(1) | Based on the insignificant nature of the operational activities of Clear Skies and Alpine during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company has combined them into one category, titled Other, for the purposes of this presentation. |
Cost of revenues increased for Cerberus by $693,724, or 149%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, and was primarily the result of an increase in payroll related costs of approximately $732,000 due to an increase in employee and contract labor after the reorganization with GenResults.
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Cost of revenues increased for TalaTek by $1,952,737, or 415%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisition, which was consummated on October 1, 2019. Approximately $1,550,000 was attributable to TalaTek’s payroll and related services.
Cost of revenues increased for Techville by $417,563, or 100%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisition, which was consummated on May 25, 2020.
Cost of revenues increased for Clear Skies and Alpine by $365,370, or 100%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisitions, which were consummated on August 1, 2020 and December 16, 2020, respectively.
Operating Expenses
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Professional fees | $ | 861,844 | $ | 3,500 | $ | 43,657 | $ | 17,525 | $ | 926,526 | ||||||||||
Advertising and marketing | 41,889 | 104,599 | 131 | 3,617 | 150,236 | |||||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 1,181,280 | 727,162 | 993,494 | 392,150 | 3,294,086 | |||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 1,896,276 | - | - | - | 1,896,276 | |||||||||||||||
Loss on impairment | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Loss on write-off of account receivable | 15,000 | - | - | - | 15,000 | |||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | $ | 3,996,289 | $ | 835,261 | $ | 1,037,282 | $ | 413,292 | $ | 6,282,124 |
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Professional fees | $ | 616,393 | $ | 5,943 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 622,336 | ||||||||||
Advertising and marketing | 25,292 | 27,201 | - | - | 52,493 | |||||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 501,401 | 214,392 | - | - | 715,793 | |||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 823,651 | - | - | - | 823,651 | |||||||||||||||
Loss on impairment | - | 100,000 | - | - | 100,000 | |||||||||||||||
Loss on write-off of account receivable | - | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | $ | 1,966,737 | $ | 347,536 | $ | - | $ | - | $ | 2,314,273 |
Variance
Cerberus | TalaTek | Techville | Other(1) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
Professional fees | $ | 245,451 | $ | (2,443 | ) | $ | 43,657 | $ | 17,525 | $ | 304,190 | |||||||||
Advertising and marketing | 16,597 | 77,398 | 131 | 3,617 | 97,743 | |||||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 679,879 | 512,770 | 993,494 | 392,150 | 2,578,293 | |||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 1,072,625 | - | - | - | 1,072,625 | |||||||||||||||
Loss on impairment | - | (100,000 | ) | - | - | (100,000 | ) | |||||||||||||
Loss on write-off of account receivable | 15,000 | - | - | - | 15,000 | |||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | $ | 2,029,552 | $ | 487,725 | $ | 1,037,282 | $ | 413,292 | $ | 3,967,851 |
(1) | Based on the insignificant nature of the operational activities of Clear Skies and Alpine during the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company has combined them into one category, titled Other, for the purposes of this presentation. |
Operating expenses increased for Cerberus by $2,029,552, or 103%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily as a result of (i) an increase in stock-based compensation of $1,072,625 due to an increase in stock option grants as a result of the TalaTek, Techville, Clear Skies and Alpine acquisitions, (ii) an increase of $245,451 in professional fees relating to accounting and legal expenses as a result of the TalaTek, Techville, Clear Skies and Alpine acquisitions, and (iii) an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses of $679,879 primarily due to an increase of $525,500 in payroll and related benefits as a result of the increase in employees after the reorganization with GenResults and approximately $150,000 in software and computer supplies expense.
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Operating expenses increased for TalaTek by $487,725, or 140%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisition, which was consummated on October 1, 2019. Approximately $297,000 was attributable to TalaTek’s administrative payroll and benefits.
Operating expenses increased for Techville by $1,037,282, or 100%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisition, which was consummated on May 25, 2020. Approximately $833,000 was attributable to Techville’s administrative payroll and benefits.
Operating expenses increased for Clear Skies and Alpine by $423,870, or 100%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, as a result of the acquisitions, which were consummated on August 1, 2020 and December 16, 2020, respectively. Approximately $257,000 was attributable to Clear Skies’ and Alpine’s administrative payroll and benefits.
Working Capital
As of | ||||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Current assets | $ | 6,346,008 | $ | 2,478,887 | ||||
Current liabilities | 3,863,594 | 578,687 | ||||||
Working capital surplus | $ | 2,482,414 | $ | 1,900,200 |
The increase in current assets is primarily due to increases in cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses and other current assets of $3,320,385, $474,869 and $71,867, respectively. The increase in current liabilities is primarily due to increases in accounts payable and accrued expenses and convertible notes payable of $340,903 and $2,926,609, respectively.
Cash Flows
Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2020 | 2019 | |||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (1,702,080 | ) | $ | (203,358 | ) | ||
Net cash provided by investing activities | 285,297 | 169,790 | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 4,737,167 | 1,830,207 | ||||||
Increase in cash | $ | 3,320,384 | $ | 1,796,639 |
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $1,702,080 for the year ended December 31, 2020 and was primarily due to the net loss of $3,413,262 which was partially offset by non-cash expenses of approximately $1,896,000 related to stock-based compensation. Net cash used in operating activities was $203,358 for the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to net loss of $1,354,368, which was partially offset by non-cash expenses of approximately $824,000 related to stock-based compensation and a decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $146,027.
Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities of $285,297 for the year ended December 31, 2020 was due to cash acquired in the Techville, Clear Skies and Alpine Acquisitions. Net cash provided by investing activities of $169,790 for the year ended December 31, 2019 was due to cash acquired in the TalaTek acquisition.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $4,737,167, which was primarily due to cash received from the sale of the Company’s common stock of $1,131,009, cash received as loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program of $709,600, and cash received from the issuance of a convertible note payable of $3,000,000. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $1,830,207 and was due to cash received from the sale of the Company’s common stock of $2,045,000. This was partially offset by cash distributions to member of $124,580.
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Effects of Inflation
We do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our business, revenues or operating results during the periods presented.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to our financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. We believe that the accounting policies below are critical for one to fully understand and evaluate our financial condition and results of operations.
Use of Estimates
Preparing financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Our significant estimates and assumptions include the allowance of doubtful accounts, the carrying value of intangible assets and goodwill, deferred tax asset and valuation allowance, the estimated fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed and stock issued in business combinations and assumptions used in the Black-Scholes-Merton pricing model, such as expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividend rate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Fair Value Measurement
The fair value measurement guidance clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in the valuation of an asset or liability. It establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under the fair value measurement guidance are described below:
Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2 - Quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; or
Level 3 - Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity).
Business Combination
The Company allocates the purchase price of an acquired business to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. The purchase price allocation process requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially at the acquisition date with respect to intangible assets. Direct transaction costs associated with the business combination are expensed as incurred. The allocation of the consideration transferred in certain cases may be subject to revision based on the final determination of fair values during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date. The Company includes the results of operations of the business that it has acquired in its consolidated results prospectively from the date of acquisition.
If the business combination is achieved in stages, the acquisition date carrying value of the acquirer’s previously held equity interest in the acquiree is re-measured to fair value at the acquisition date; any gains or losses arising from such re-measurement are recognized in profit or loss.
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Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of the acquired business over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at least annually at year end, at the reporting unit level or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting level by first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the reporting unit does not pass the qualitative assessment, then the reporting unit’s carrying value is compared to its fair value. The fair values of the reporting units are estimated using market and discounted cash flow approaches. Goodwill is considered impaired if the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. The discounted cash flow approach uses expected future operating results. Failure to achieve these expected results may cause a future impairment of goodwill at the reporting unit.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
We will periodically evaluate the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used when events and circumstances warrant such a review and at least annually. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the anticipated undiscounted cash flow from such asset is separately identifiable and is less than its carrying value. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. Fair value is determined primarily using the anticipated cash flows discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk involved. Losses on long-lived assets to be disposed of are determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced for the cost to dispose.
Revenue Recognition
The Company’s agreements with its clients are primarily service contracts that range in duration from a few months to one year. The Company recognizes revenue when control of these services is transferred to the client for an amount, referred to as the transaction price, which reflects the consideration to which the Company is expected to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.
A contract with a client exists only when:
● | the parties to the contract have approved it and are committed to perform their respective obligations; |
● | the Company can identify each party’s rights regarding the distinct services to be transferred (“performance obligations”); |
● | the Company can determine the transaction price for the services to be transferred; and |
● | the contract has commercial substance and it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration to which it will be entitled in exchange for the goods or services that will be transferred to the client. |
For the majority of its contracts, the Company receives non-refundable upfront payments. The Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component since the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between the time of transfer of the promised goods or services to the client and the time the client pays for these goods or services to be generally one year or less. The Company’s credit terms to clients generally average thirty days, although in some cases there are payments required in 15 days.
The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with original expected duration of one year or less.
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Disaggregation of Revenue
The following table disaggregates the Company’s revenues by major revenue streams:
Revenue consists of the following by service offering for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020:
Managed Services | Consulting Services | Total | ||||||||||
Primary Sector Markets | ||||||||||||
Public | $ | - | $ | 3,473,113 | $ | 3,473,113 | ||||||
Private | 1,733,144 | 1,912,269 | 3,645,413 | |||||||||
Not-for-Profit | 81,725 | 40,577 | 122,302 | |||||||||
$ | 1,814,869 | $ | 5,425,959 | $ | 7,240,828 | |||||||
Major Service Lines | ||||||||||||
CISO as a Service | $ | 20,550 | $ | - | $ | 20,550 | ||||||
Gap and Risk Assessment | - | 4,779,231 | 4,779,231 | |||||||||
Managed Security Services | 1,099,749 | - | 1,099,749 | |||||||||
Tech Connect Pro | 640,218 | - | 640,218 | |||||||||
Tech Connect Cloud | - | 158,645 | 158,645 | |||||||||
Tech Connect Security | 53,674 | - | 53,674 | |||||||||
Hardware | - | 269,272 | 269,272 | |||||||||
Other | 678 | 218,811 | 219,489 | |||||||||
$ | 1,814,869 | $ | 5,425,959 | $ | 7,240,828 |
Revenue consists of the following by service offering for the year ended December 31, 2019:
Managed Services | Consulting Services | Total | ||||||||||
Primary Sector Markets | ||||||||||||
Public | $ | - | $ | 606,541 | $ | 606,541 | ||||||
Private | 405,153 | 611,400 | 1,016,553 | |||||||||
Not-for-Profit | 19,105 | 265,731 | 284,836 | |||||||||
$ | 424,258 | $ | 1,483,672 | $ | 1,907,930 | |||||||
Major Service Lines | ||||||||||||
CISO as a Service | $ | 216,000 | $ | - | $ | 216,000 | ||||||
Gap and Risk Assessment | - | 1,483,672 | 1,483,672 | |||||||||
Managed Security Services | 208,023 | - | 208,023 | |||||||||
Tech Connect Pro | - | - | - | |||||||||
Tech Connect Cloud | - | - | - | |||||||||
Tech Connect Security | - | - | - | |||||||||
Hardware | - | - | - | |||||||||
Other | 235 | - | 235 | |||||||||
$ | 424,258 | $ | 1,483,672 | $ | 1,907,930 |
Practical Expedients
As part of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, the Company has adopted several practical expedients including the following: (i) the Company has determined that it need not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component since the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company transfers a promised service to the customer and when the customer pays for that service will be one year or less and (ii) the Company recognizes any incremental costs of obtaining a contract as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of the asset that the entity otherwise would have recognized is one year or less.
Reimbursed Expenses
The Company includes reimbursed expenses in revenues and costs of revenue as the Company is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified service, including the integration of the related services into a combined output to the client, which are inseparable from the integrated service. These costs include such items as consumables, transportation and travel expenses, over which the Company has discretion in establishing prices.
Costs of Revenue
Costs of revenue include (i) compensation and benefits for billable employees and consultants directly involved with delivering services offerings and engagements; (ii) consumables used for the services; and (iii) other expenses directly related to service contracts such as professional services, meals and travel expenses.
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Volatility in Stock-Based Compensation
The volatility is based on historical volatilities of companies in comparable stages as well as the historical volatility of companies in the industry and, by statistical analysis of the daily share-pricing model. The volatility of stock-based compensation at any point in time is based on historical volatility of similar companies in the industry for the last two to five years.
New and Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Any new and recently adopted accounting pronouncements are more fully described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements herein for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to stockholders.
Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Our financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 are summarized as follows in comparison to the nine months ended September 30, 2020:
For the Three Months Ended | For the Nine Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
September 30, 2021 | September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2021 | September 30, 2020 | |||||||||||||
Revenue: | ||||||||||||||||
Security managed services | $ | 3,099,753 | $ | 1,683,733 | $ | 6,979,146 | $ | 3,612,489 | ||||||||
Professional services | 645,255 | 325,865 | 2,275,437 | 1,015,816 | ||||||||||||
Total revenue | 3,745,008 | 2,009,598 | 9,254,583 | 4,628,305 | ||||||||||||
Cost of revenue: | ||||||||||||||||
Security managed services | 650,955 | 423,784 | 1,326,788 | 726,614 | ||||||||||||
Professional services | 234,326 | 18,962 | 350,388 | 82,992 | ||||||||||||
Cost of payroll | 2,093,072 | 868,810 | 5,052,684 | 2,135,691 | ||||||||||||
Total cost of revenue | 2,978,353 | 1,311,556 | 6,729,860 | 2,945,297 | ||||||||||||
Total gross profit | 766,655 | 698,042 | 2,524,723 | 1,683,008 | ||||||||||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||||||
Professional fees | 293,408 | 284,511 | 695,023 | 685,821 | ||||||||||||
Advertising and marketing | 254,026 | 30,488 | 471,721 | 104,058 | ||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 2,085,720 | 1,020,765 | 5,241,095 | 2,235,041 | ||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | 1,251,635 | 392,661 | 2,981,523 | 1,062,000 | ||||||||||||
Loss on write-off of account receivable | 40,264 | - | 55,528 | 15,000 | ||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 3,925,053 | 1,728,425 | 9,444,890 | 4,101,920 | ||||||||||||
Loss from operations | (3,158,398 | ) | (1,030,383 | ) | (6,920,167 | ) | (2,418,912 | |||||||||
Other income (expense): | ||||||||||||||||
Other income | 169 | 751 | 2,553 | 10,751 | ||||||||||||
Interest expense, net | (75,470 | ) | (5,567 | ) | (209,806 | ) | (12,285 | |||||||||
PPP loan forgiveness | 980,800 | - | 980,800 | - | ||||||||||||
Total other income (expense) | 905,499 | (4,816 | ) | 773,547 | (1,534 | |||||||||||
Net loss | $ | (2,252,899 | ) | $ | (1,035,199 | ) | $ | (6,146,620 | ) | $ | (2,420,446 | |||||
Net loss per common share - basic | $ | (0.02 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | (0.02 | |||||
Net loss per common share - diluted | $ | (0.02 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | (0.02 | |||||
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic | 118,856,026 | 113,174,336 | 117,801,672 | 110,305,671 | ||||||||||||
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted | 118,856,026 | 113,174,336 | 117,801,672 | 110,305,671 |
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Working Capital Surplus
Our working capital surplus as of September 30, 2021, in comparison to our working capital surplus as of December 31, 2020, is summarized as follows:
As of | ||||||||
September 30, | December 31, | |||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Current assets | $ | 5,484,029 | $ | 6,346,008 | ||||
Current liabilities | 4,838,200 | 3,863,594 | ||||||
Working capital surplus | $ | 645,829 | $ | 2,482,414 |
The decrease in current assets is primarily due to a decrease in cash and cash equivalents of $2,467,451, offset by an increase in accounts receivable of $1,261,999. The increase in current liabilities is primarily due to the increase in accounts payable and accrued expense, and the current portion of lease liabilities of $684,355 and $157,720, respectively.
Cash Flows
Our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, in comparison to our cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, can be summarized as follows:
Nine months ended September 30, | ||||||||
2021 | 2020 | |||||||
Net cash used in operating activities | $ | (4,312,312 | ) | $ | (1,157,976 | ) | ||
Net cash provided by investing activities | 662,176 | 254,180 | ||||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 1,182,685 | 1,443,158 | ||||||
Increase (decrease) in cash | $ | (2,467,451 | ) | $ | 539,362 |
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $4,313,312 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and was primarily due to cash used to fund a net loss of $7,124,149, adjusted for non-cash expenses in the aggregate of $2,631,683 and additional cash outlaid by changes in the levels of operating assets and liabilities, primarily as a result of an increase in accounts receivable and other current assets. Net cash used in operating activities was $1,157,976 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and was primarily due to cash used to fund a net loss of $2,420,446, adjusted for non-cash expenses in the aggregate of $1,170,094, partially offset by cash generated by changes in the levels of operating assets and liabilities, primarily as a result of an increase in accounts payable.
Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities of $662,176 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, was due to cash acquired in the VelocIT acquisition. Net cash provided by investing activities of $254,180 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, was due to cash acquired in the Techville and Clear Skies Acquisitions.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was $1,182,685, which was primarily due to cash received from the sale of the Company’s common stock of $3,250,000 and offset by the payment of loans of approximately $2,000,000. Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $1,443,158 and was due to cash received from the sale of the Company’s common stock of $790,000 and proceeds from PPP loans of $709,600.
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Liquidity
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates realization of assets and satisfying liabilities in the normal course of business. At September 30, 2021, the Company had an accumulated deficit of approximately $11,013,000 and working capital surplus of approximately $646,000. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company had a loss from operations of approximately $6,920,000 and negative cash flows from operations of approximately $4,312,000. Although the Company is showing positive revenues and gross profit trends, the Company expects to incur further losses through the end of 2021.
To date the Company has been funding operations primarily through the sale of equity in private placements and revenues generated by the Company’s services. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company received $3,250,000 from private placements of the Company’s common stock.
Based on its current cash resources and commitments, the Company believes it will be able to maintain its current planned development and corresponding level of expenditure for at least twelve months from the date of the issuance of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, although no assurance can be given that it will not need additional funds prior to such time
Effects of Inflation
We do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our business, revenues or operating results during the periods presented.
Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements included herein for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2021.
Fair Value Measurement
The fair value measurement guidance clarifies that fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in the valuation of an asset or liability. It establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under the fair value measurement guidance are described below:
Level 1 - Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2 - Quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; or
Level 3 - Prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable (supported by little or no market activity).
Business Combination
The Company allocates the purchase price of an acquired business to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. The purchase price allocation process requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions, especially at the acquisition date with respect to intangible assets. Direct transaction costs associated with the business combination are expensed as incurred. The allocation of the consideration transferred in certain cases may be subject to revision based on the final determination of fair values during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date. The Company includes the results of operations of the business that it has acquired in its consolidated results prospectively from the date of acquisition.
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If the business combination is achieved in stages, the acquisition date carrying value of the acquirer’s previously held equity interest in the acquiree is re-measured to fair value at the acquisition date; any gains or losses arising from such re-measurement are recognized in profit or loss.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of the acquired business over the estimated fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at least annually at year end, at the reporting unit level or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting level by first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the reporting unit does not pass the qualitative assessment, then the reporting unit’s carrying value is compared to its fair value. The fair values of the reporting units are estimated using market and discounted cash flow approaches. Goodwill is considered impaired if the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. The discounted cash flow approach uses expected future operating results. Failure to achieve these expected results may cause a future impairment of goodwill at the reporting unit.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
We will periodically evaluate the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used when events and circumstances warrant such a review and at least annually. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the anticipated undiscounted cash flow from such asset is separately identifiable and is less than its carrying value. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. Fair value is determined primarily using the anticipated cash flows discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk involved. Losses on long-lived assets to be disposed of are determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced for the cost to dispose.
Revenue Recognition
The Company’s agreements with its clients are primarily service contracts that range in duration from a few months to one year. The Company recognizes revenue when control of these services is transferred to the client for an amount, referred to as the transaction price, which reflects the consideration to which the Company is expected to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.
A contract with a client exists only when:
● | the parties to the contract have approved it and are committed to perform their respective obligations; | |
● | the Company can identify each party’s rights regarding the distinct services to be transferred (“performance obligations”); | |
● | the Company can determine the transaction price for the services to be transferred; and | |
● | the contract has commercial substance, and it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration to which it will be entitled in exchange for the goods or services that will be transferred to the client. |
For the majority of its contracts, the Company receives non-refundable upfront payments. The Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component since the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between the time of transfer of the promised goods or services to the client and the time the client pays for these goods or services to be generally one year or less. The Company’s credit terms to clients generally average thirty days, although in some cases payments are required in 15 days.
The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with original expected duration of one year or less.
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Disaggregation of Revenue
Revenue consists of the following by service offering for the nine months ended September 30, 2021:
Security Managed Services | Professional Services | Total | ||||||||||
Primary Sector Markets | ||||||||||||
Public | $ | 3,179,047 | $ | 44,579 | $ | 3,223,626 | ||||||
Private | 3,607,146 | 2,178,545 | 5,785,691 | |||||||||
Not-for-Profit | 192,953 | 52,313 | 245,266 | |||||||||
$ | 6,979,146 | $ | 2,275,437 | $ | 9,254,583 | |||||||
Major Service Lines | ||||||||||||
Compliance | $ | 3,336,795 | $ | - | $ | 3,336,795 | ||||||
Secured Managed Services | 3,134,269 | - | 3,134,269 | |||||||||
SOC Managed Services | 352,535 | - | 352,535 | |||||||||
vCISO Services | 155,547 | - | 155,547 | |||||||||
Technical Assessments | - | 1,844,496 | 1,844,496 | |||||||||
Forensics & I/R | - | 265,567 | 265,567 | |||||||||
Training | - | 149,529 | 149,529 | |||||||||
Other CyberSecurity Services | - | 15,845 | 15,845 | |||||||||
$ | 6,979,146 | $ | 2,275,437 | $ | 9,254,583 |
Revenue consists of the following by service offering for the nine months ended September 30, 2020:
Security Managed Services | Professional Services | Total | ||||||||||
Primary Sector Markets | ||||||||||||
Public | $ | 2,498,371 | $ | 5,068 | $ | 2,503,439 | ||||||
Private | 1,024,744 | 1,001,748 | 2,026,492 | |||||||||
Not-for-Profit | 89,374 | 9,000 | 98,374 | |||||||||
$ | 3,612,489 | $ | 1,015,816 | $ | 4,628,305 | |||||||
Major Service Lines | ||||||||||||
Compliance | $ | 2,519,958 | $ | - | $ | 2,519,958 | ||||||
Secured Managed Services | 752,371 | - | 752,371 | |||||||||
SOC Managed Services | 301,760 | - | 301,760 | |||||||||
vCISO Services | 38,400 | - | 38,400 | |||||||||
Technical Assessments | - | 190,825 | 190,825 | |||||||||
Forensics & I/R | - | 554,069 | 554,069 | |||||||||
Training | - | 58,625 | 58,625 | |||||||||
Other CyberSecurity Services | - | 212,297 | 212,297 | |||||||||
$ | 3,612,489 | $ | 1,015,816 | $ | 4,628,305 |
Practical Expedients
As part of ASC 606, the Company has adopted several practical expedients including the following: (i) the Company has determined that it need not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component since the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when the Company transfers a promised service to the customer and when the customer pays for that service will be one year or less and (ii) the Company recognizes any incremental costs of obtaining a contract as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of the asset that the entity otherwise would have recognized is one year or less.
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Reimbursed Expenses
The Company includes reimbursed expenses in revenues and costs of revenue as the Company is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified service, including the integration of the related services into a combined output to the client, which are inseparable from the integrated service. These costs include such items as consumables, transportation and travel expenses, over which the Company has discretion in establishing prices.
Costs of Revenue
Costs of revenue include (i) compensation and benefits for billable employees and consultants directly involved with delivering services offerings and engagements; (ii) consumables used for the services; and (iii) other expenses directly related to service contracts such as professional services, meals and travel expenses.
Volatility in Stock-Based Compensation
The volatility is based on historical volatilities of companies in comparable stages as well as the historical volatility of companies in the industry and, by statistical analysis of the daily share-pricing model. The volatility of stock-based compensation at any point in time is based on historical volatility of similar companies in the industry for the last two to five years.
New and Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Any new and recently adopted accounting pronouncements are more fully described in Note 2 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements herein for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to stockholders.
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DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS; CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our Directors and Executive Officers. The age of each Director and Executive Officer listed below is given as of September 30, 2021.
Name | Age | Position | ||
David G. Jemmett | 54 | Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
Bryce Hancock | 45 | Chief Operating Officer & President | ||
Deb Smith | 51 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
Stephen Scott | 53 | Director | ||
Ret. General Robert C. Oaks | 84 | Director | ||
R. Scott Holbrook | 72 | Director | ||
Andrew McCain | 54 | Director | ||
Sandra Morgan | 42 | Director | ||
Kiki VanDeWeghe | 62 | Director |
Our Executive Officers
David G. Jemmett – Chief Executive Officer & Director
Mr. Jemmett has been our Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company since its formation. He also founded GenResults, LLC in 2015, which now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. From January 2014 through December 2014, Mr. Jemmett served as CEO of NantCloud, LLC, a provider of secure cloud-hosted applications for healthcare customers, and CTO of NantWorks, LLC, a parent company for the “Nant” family of companies. From 2005 to 2013, Mr. Jemmett was founder and CEO of ClearDATA Networks Corporation, a HIPAA compliant hosting company specializing in healthcare. He has been a guest speaker on CBS, CNN, MSNBC and CSPAN, and has spoken before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Internet Security regarding internet technologies in 1998.
Mr. Jemmett is qualified to serve as a director of the Company due to his extensive business background, his experience in the cybersecurity industry, and his significant equity ownership in the Company.
Bryce Hancock – Chief Operating Officer
On December 14, 2020, the Company appointed Bryce Hancock as Chief Operating Officer and on July 16, 2021, the Company in addition to appointed Bryce Hancock as President. Mr. Hancock brings more than 20 years of C-Level and managerial experience to the Company. Most recently, from 2012 to 2018, he served as the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary at BeyondTrust, a global cybersecurity software company, where Mr. Hancock was responsible for many aspects of the BeyondTrust business, including finance, accounting and operations, leading up to its sale to Bomgar Corporation in 2018. Previously, from 2009 to 2012, he served as Chief Financial Officer at eEye Digital Security. He also serves on the board of directors of the Fiesta Bowl. Mr. Hancock received degrees in finance and accounting, magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona in 1998.
Deb Smith – Chief Financial Officer
On June 18, 2021, the Board of Directors appointed Deb Smith as Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Smith has served as Executive Vice President of Finance and Accounting at the Company since February 2021. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Smith served as Executive Vice President of Finance at Arrivia Inc. from January 2020 to February 2021 and Controller and, subsequently, Chief Accounting Officer at BeyondTrust from October 2016 to January 2020. Ms. Smith received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, Summa Cum Laude, from DeVry University and a Master’s degree in Counseling with Honors from Argosy University.
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Our Directors
Stephen Scott – Director
Mr. Scott was appointed as a director on April 11, 2019 and is a founder of the Company. Mr. Scott has been a Partner with Advisor ID (formerly BRI Partners), a financial services technology firm, since 2016. Mr. Scott was Managing Director of Longboard Asset Management from 2016 through 2017. From 2009 until 2016, Mr. Scott was at Van Eck Global, from 2009 to 2014, where he served as the Co-Head of the Alternatives Committee and as portfolio manager. Mr. Scott has founded and managed several investment partnerships focused on both private and public investment strategies since 1995.
Mr. Scott is qualified for service as a director of the Company due to his background in both the financial services and technology industries.
Ret. General Robert C. Oaks – Director
Ret. General Oaks was appointed as a director on May 1, 2019. He is a retired U.S. Air Force general who served as commander in chief of the U.S Air Forces in Europe, and commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe, with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He retired as a four-star General and Commander and Chief of U.S. Air Forces Europe and NATO Central Europe in 1994 after serving 34 years. Following his retirement, Oaks was employed at U.S. Airways as Senior Vice President. In 2000, Oaks resigned from this position when he was called to serve the LDS Church, where he served until 2009, when he was released as a general authority. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Military Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Ohio State University prior to graduating from the Naval War College. Ret. General Oaks currently serves as the official Liaison for the Church of Jesus Christ to the U.S. Armed Forces.
Ret. General Oaks is qualified for service as a director of the Company due to his experience with national security issues, including cybersecurity, through his extensive military service.
R. Scott Holbrook – Director
Mr. Holbrook was appointed as a director on May 1, 2019. He is a healthcare technology veteran, having served as the Executive Vice President of Medicity (a population health management companies with solutions for health information exchange, business intelligence, and provider and patient engagement.) from 2002 to 2013. In 1998 Mr. Holbrook founded KLAS where he remains as a board member. He has served in executive positions at IHC, GTE, Sunquest Information Systems, Integrated Medical Networks and is a founder of Park City Solutions. Since 2013, Mr. Holbrook has been a Principal at Mountain Summit Advisors (a specialty firm focused on mergers and acquisition of primarily healthcare technology and services) and a strategic advisor to Health Catalyst (a company focused on data analytics and warehousing primarily in healthcare). Mr. Holbrook is a HIMSS Fellow. He holds a Master of Science from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University.
Mr. Holbrook is qualified for service as a director of the Company as a result of his significant experience in the healthcare technology sector.
Andrew McCain – Director
Mr. McCain was appointed as a director on May 1, 2019. He is the President and Chief Operating Officer for Hensley Beverage Company, where he has served since 2014. Mr. McCain received his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in 1984 and an MBA in 1986 from Vanderbilt University. He is a board member of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, the Arizona 2016 College Football Championship Local Organizing Committee, Chairman of Hensley Employee Foundation and a Patrons Committee member of United Methodist Outreach Ministries’ New Day Centers. He is past Chairman of the Board of the Fiesta Bowl, past Chairman of the Anheuser-Busch National Wholesaler Advisory Panel and past Chairman of the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. McCain is qualified for service as a director of the Company due to his significant business experience and leadership.
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Sandra Morgan – Director
On February 1, 2021, our Board of Directors appointed Sandra Morgan as a director. Ms. Morgan, 42, has served as Chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board from January 2019 to November 2020 and as Commissioner of the Nevada Gaming Commission from May 2018 to Jan 2019. She also served as Director of External Affairs at AT&T from January 2016 to January 2018. Ms. Morgan also currently serves on the Board of Directors at Fidelity National Financial and holds a Juris Doctor, Law from UNLV.
Ms. Morgan is qualified for service as a director of the Company due to her experience with regulatory and compliance issues.
Kiki VanDeWeghe – Director
On May 5, 2021, our Board of Directors appointed Kiki VanDeWeghe as a director. Mr. VanDeWeghe, 62, is a former American professional basketball player, coach and executive in the National Basketball Association. He has served as the Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations of the National Basketball Association since 2013. Prior to that, Mr. VanDeWeghe was the general manager of the Denver Nuggets and the New Jersey Nets, and a head coach of the New Jersey Nets. Prior to that he played professionally for the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets. Mr. VanDeWeghe attended UCLA where he received a degree in Economics.
Mr. VanDeWeghe is qualified for service as a director of the Company due to his business acumen and experience as an organizational leader.
Board of Directors
Our Board currently consists of seven (7) members. All directors hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to directors whose terms then expire are elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the next annual meeting following election.
Management has been delegated the responsibility for meeting defined corporate objectives, implementing approved strategic and operating plans, carrying on our business in the ordinary course, managing cash flow, evaluating new business opportunities, recruiting staff and complying with applicable regulatory requirements. The Board exercises its supervision over management by reviewing and approving long-term strategic, business and capital plans, material contracts and business transactions, and all debt and equity financing transactions and stock issuances.
Director Independence
Our Board is comprised of a majority of independent directors. In determining director independence, the Company uses the definition of independence in Rule 5605(a)(2) of the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market. The Board has concluded that each of Ret. General Oaks, Mr. Holbrook and Mr. McCain are “independent” based on the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market, having concluded that any relationship between such director and our company, in its opinion, does not interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.
Board Committees
The Board has three standing committees: the audit committee, the compensation committee and governance and nominating committee.
Audit Committee
We have a standing audit committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”) established in accordance with Rule 10A-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act. The members of our Audit Committee are Mr. McCain, Mr. Holbrook and Ms. Morgan. Each member of the Audit Committee meets the independence and other requirements to serve on our Audit Committee under The Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and the rules of the SEC. In addition, the Board determined that each of Mr. McCain, Mr. Holbrook and Ms. Morgan is considered an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rules of the SEC.
The Audit Committee was formed in 2021. The Board has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee, a copy of which is posted in the Corporate Governance section of our Internet website (https://www.cerberussentinel.com/charter-of- the-audit-committee/). The principal functions of the Audit Committee are to oversee our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of our consolidated financial statements, oversee our relationship with our independent auditors, including selecting, evaluating and setting the compensation of, and approving all audit and non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditors, and facilitate communication among our independent auditors and our financial and senior management.
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Compensation Committee
We have a standing compensation committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”). The members of our Compensation Committee are Mr. Holbrook, Mr. VanDeWeghe and Mr. McCain.
The Compensation Committee was formed in 2021. Each member of the Compensation Committee meets the independence and other requirements to serve on our Compensation Committee under The Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and the rules of the SEC.
The Board has adopted a written charter for the Compensation Committee, a copy of which is posted in the corporate governance section of our Internet website (https://www.cerberussentinel.com/charter-of-the-compensation-committee). The Compensation Committee has responsibilities relating to the performance evaluation and the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer, the compensation of our executive officers and directors and our significant compensation arrangements, plans, policies and programs, including our stock compensation plans. Certain of our executive officers, our outside counsel and consultants may occasionally attend the meetings of the Compensation Committee. However, no officer of the Company is present during discussions or deliberations regarding that officer’s own compensation.
Governance and Nominating Committee
We have a standing governance and nominating committee of the Board (the “Governance and Nominating Committee”). The members of our Governance and Nominating Committee are Ret. General Oaks, Mr. Holbrook and Ms. Morgan. The Governance and Nominating Committee was formed in 2021. Each of Ret. General Oaks, Mr. Holbrook and Ms. Morgan meets the independence and other requirements to serve on our Governance and Nominating Committee under The Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and the rules of the SEC.
The Board has adopted a written charter for the Governance and Nominating Committee, a copy of which is posted in the Corporate Governance section of our Internet website (https://www.cerberussentinel.com/charter-of-the-nominating-and- corporate-governance-committee). The Governance and Nominating Committee considers the performance of the members of the Board and nominees for director positions and evaluates and oversees corporate governance and related issues.
The goal of the Governance and Nominating Committee is to ensure that the members of the Board possess a variety of perspectives and skills derived from high-quality business and professional experience. The Governance and Nominating Committee seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on the Board. To this end, the Governance and Nominating Committee seeks nominees with the highest professional and personal ethics and values, an understanding of our business and industry, diversity of business experience and expertise, a high level of education, broad-based business acumen and the ability to think strategically. Although the Governance and Nominating Committee uses these and other criteria to evaluate potential nominees to the Board, it has no stated minimum criteria for such nominees. The Governance and Nominating Committee does not use different standards to evaluate nominees depending on whether they are proposed by our directors and management or by our stockholders. To date, we have not paid any third parties to assist us in this process.
The Governance and Nominating Committee will consider stockholder recommendations for director candidates. The Governance and Nominating Committee has established the following procedure for stockholders to submit such recommendations for which there has been no material change: the stockholder should send the name of the individual and related personal and professional information, including a list of references to our Governance and Nominating Committee, in care of the Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices, sufficiently in advance of the annual meeting to allow the Governance and Nominating committee appropriate time to consider the recommendation.
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires officers and directors of the Company and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent (10%) of the common stock outstanding to file initial statements of beneficial ownership of common stock (Form 3) and statements of changes in beneficial ownership of common stock (Forms 4 or 5) with the SEC. Officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all such forms they file.
Our records reflect that all reports which were required to be filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act were not filed on a timely basis.
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Involvement in Legal Proceedings
No officer or director has been involved in the last ten years in any of the following:
● | Any bankruptcy petition filed by or against any business of which such person was a general partner or executive officer either at the time of the bankruptcy or within two years prior to that time; | |
● | Any conviction in a criminal proceeding or being subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses); | |
● | Being subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting his involvement in any type of business, securities or banking activities; and | |
● | Being found by a court of competent jurisdiction (in a civil action), the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated. |
Code of Ethics
The Board has adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company, as required by applicable securities laws and the rules of the SEC. A copy of the Code of Ethics and Conduct is posted in the Corporate Governance section of our Internet website at https://www.cerberussentinel.com/code-of-ethics- and-business-conduct/.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of our executive officers has served as a member of the Board, or as a member of the compensation or similar committee, of any entity that has one or more executive officers who served on our Board or Compensation Committee during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 or thereafter.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The Board of the Company has appointed Semple, Marchal & Cooper, LLP (“SMC”) as our independent registered public accounting firm (the “Independent Auditor”) for the year ending December 31, 2020. The following table sets forth the fees billed to the Company for professional services rendered by SMC for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:
Services | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
Audit fees (1) | $ | 97,958 | $ | 53,207 | ||||
Audit-related fees (2) | 90,821 | 142,429 | ||||||
Tax fees (3) | 12,708 | 2,200 | ||||||
All other fees (4) | - | 4,845 | ||||||
Total fees | $ | 201,487 | $ | 202,681 |
(1) | Audit fees consist of billing for professional services normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings including (i) fees associated with the audits of the Company’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and, (ii) fees associated with quarterly reviews for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, June 30, 2020 and 2019 and September 30, 2020 and 2019. |
(2) | Audit related fees consist of billings for professional services for reviews of the various Form 10 filings, and the acquisition audits of Talatek, Techville and Clear Skies for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. |
(3) | The tax fees consist primarily of tax related advisory and preparation services. |
(4) | All other fees include general advisory professional services primarily related to potential acquisitions. |
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Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Our directors pre-approve all services, including both audit and non-audit services, provided by our independent accountants. For audit services, each year the independent auditor provides our directors with an engagement letter outlining the scope of the audit services proposed to be performed during the year, which must be formally accepted by the directors before the audit commences.
Prior to engagement of an independent auditor for next year’s audit, management will submit an aggregate of services expected to be rendered during that year for each of three categories of services to the Board for approval.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships between or among the directors and executive officers.
INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as that term is defined in Rules 13a-15I and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer who is also our principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing disclosure controls and procedures, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures. The design of any disclosure controls and procedures also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.
Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer who is also our principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation and subject to the foregoing, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that, our disclosure controls and procedures wer