Assess and Address Your Security Shortcomings
Enable stakeholders to prioritize security threats with our comprehensive NIST-based risk assessment services. Identify gaps, quantify risks, and build a roadmap for resilient security.
Our Risk Assessment Process: Methodical and Transparent
Risk assessments shouldn't be mysterious black-box exercises. Here's our proven four-phase methodology for identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing security risks across your organization.
Asset Inventory & Scoping
Timeline: Days 1-3
Your Involvement: 2-4 hours of interviews
We begin by cataloging your critical assets—systems, data, applications, and infrastructure. Through stakeholder interviews and automated discovery tools, we document what you have, where it lives, who uses it, and what data it processes. This becomes the foundation for identifying what needs protection and where vulnerabilities might exist.
Threat & Vulnerability Analysis
Timeline: Week 2
Methods: Scanning, testing, review
Our team evaluates threats relevant to your industry and organization, then conducts vulnerability scanning, configuration reviews, and control testing across all four assessment categories (Administrative, External, Internal, Physical). We identify gaps in policies, technical controls, and security processes using both automated tools and manual verification.
Risk Scoring & Prioritization
Timeline: Week 3
Deliverable: Risk matrix and heat map
Each identified vulnerability is scored using NIST's likelihood and impact methodology. We calculate risk ratings considering threat probability, vulnerability severity, existing controls, and potential business impact. You receive a risk matrix showing which issues demand immediate attention versus those that can be scheduled for remediation based on your operational priorities and budget.
Remediation Roadmap
Timeline: Week 4
Support: 30-day Q&A included
We deliver a comprehensive report with executive summary, technical findings, and a prioritized remediation roadmap. Each recommendation includes implementation guidance, estimated effort, and expected risk reduction. You'll understand exactly what to fix, why it matters, and how to remediate it—whether you use our team or handle it internally.
What You'll Receive
📊 Executive Report:
- • Overall risk posture summary and trends
- • Risk heat map showing severity distribution
- • Board-ready presentation deck
- • Comparison to industry benchmarks
🔧 Technical Report:
- • Detailed findings with evidence and screenshots
- • Step-by-step remediation instructions
- • Risk scores and prioritization methodology
- • Compliance gap analysis (if applicable)
What is a Risk Assessment?
Easily Identify Security Program Gaps and Prioritize Investment
A cybersecurity risk assessment is a systematic process to identify, analyze, and evaluate security risks facing your organization. Guarded Cyber's risk assessment methodology follows NIST frameworks to provide quantifiable risk ratings that help you make informed security investment decisions.
Our comprehensive risk assessments evaluate threats, vulnerabilities, and potential business impacts across your entire technology environment. We provide actionable recommendations prioritized by risk severity, helping you allocate security resources where they'll have the greatest impact on reducing organizational risk.
NIST-Based Methodology
Our risk assessment process aligns with NIST SP 800-30 (Risk Management) and incorporates elements of CIS Controls, ISO 27001, and industry-specific frameworks. We deliver detailed reports with risk matrices, heat maps, and executive summaries that communicate security posture to both technical teams and business stakeholders.
Assessment Categories
Comprehensive evaluation across four critical security domains
Administrative
Evaluation of policies, procedures, governance structures, and administrative controls. We assess your security documentation, incident response plans, business continuity procedures, and compliance frameworks to ensure comprehensive administrative security.
External
Assessment of internet-facing assets including websites, email systems, DNS, and public-facing applications. We identify vulnerabilities that external attackers could exploit, test perimeter defenses, and evaluate your external attack surface.
Internal
Analysis of internal network security, access controls, segmentation, and insider threat risks. We evaluate lateral movement risks, privilege escalation paths, data protection controls, and internal security monitoring capabilities.
Physical
Evaluation of physical security controls including facility access, environmental controls, hardware security, and physical asset protection. We assess physical risks to your IT infrastructure, data centers, and business operations.
Why Our Risk Assessments Deliver Real Value
Many risk assessments generate reports that sit on shelves collecting dust. We deliver actionable intelligence that drives real security improvements and enables informed decision-making.
Quantified Risk, Not Just Findings Lists
We don't just list vulnerabilities—we quantify their risk to your organization. Using NIST's likelihood and impact scoring, we help you understand which risks warrant immediate investment versus those you can accept or mitigate over time. This enables data-driven budget discussions and realistic security roadmaps based on actual organizational risk, not fear or guesswork.
Business Context, Not Just Technical Jargon
Our reports speak to both technical teams and business stakeholders. We translate technical vulnerabilities into business impact—lost revenue, regulatory fines, reputational damage, operational disruption. Executives understand why security matters, while IT teams get the technical details they need for remediation. One assessment, multiple audiences, everyone aligned on priorities.
Remediation-Focused, Not Audit-Focused
Every finding includes specific, actionable remediation guidance. We don't just say "implement MFA"—we recommend specific solutions appropriate for your environment, estimate implementation effort, and prioritize based on risk reduction. You can hand our report directly to your IT team or MSP and they'll have clear direction on what to fix and how to fix it.
Compliance-Mapped Assessments
If you're subject to compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, etc.), we map assessment findings to relevant controls and requirements. This gives you both a security risk assessment and a compliance gap analysis in one engagement. You'll know which risks also create compliance exposure and can address both simultaneously rather than treating them as separate initiatives.
Fixed-Price, Transparent Scoping
Risk assessments are quoted as fixed-price engagements based on your environment size and complexity. We scope based on number of locations, systems, users, and applications—not billable hours. You know the total cost upfront with no surprise fees for additional findings or remediation consultation during the 30-day support period.
Typical engagement pricing: $5,000-$15,000 for small-to-mid-market organizations, $15,000-$35,000 for complex environments with multiple locations or compliance requirements. We'll provide an exact quote after a brief scoping call to understand your specific needs.
Complementary Security Services
Explore our complementary services to build a comprehensive security program
Compliance Services
Turn risk findings into compliance-ready security programs. Expert guidance for SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and financial regulations.
Penetration Testing
Validate your risk assessment findings with real-world attack simulations. Ethical hacking to identify exploitable weaknesses.
Tabletop Exercises
Test your incident response capabilities with realistic cyber incident simulations based on your risk profile.
Get Your Free Security Assessment
Start with a complimentary security scan to identify critical vulnerabilities. Our free assessment provides immediate insights into your security posture and risk areas.