Good cybersecurity service providers use high-level techniques to ensure their clients have a robust security plan. An automated assessment is just one element of a solid cybersecurity plan.

What is an Automated Assessment?

Assessing cybersecurity risks is an important component of an overall cybersecurity plan. But today’s cyber risk management must involve a comprehensive integrated strategy that first includes understanding your risk with regular vulnerability assessments. However, manual processes can get tedious and may not provide a complete picture—enter automation. Automated assessments check for vulnerabilities in both external and internal environments using one convenient platform that manages a variety of scan types, including:

  • External Infrastructure
  • Certificate
  • Dark Web
  • Cloud
  • Web Application (e.g. Cloud, Microsoft 365, Web App)
  • Internal Network
  • Agent
  • Asset / Discovery

Upon completion of the scans, the results are streamlined and presented in simplified aggregated reports. Clients can easily see how mitigation actions are prioritized according to risk severity. This process makes it easier to determine what threats are more likely and how resources should be used.

Problems Associated with Manual Risk Assessments

Many small business leaders incorrectly assume that frequent and ongoing automated assessments are costly. Or they don’t know where to start with finding a cybersecurity solutions provider—and they think they can manage their assessments manually.

We’ve learned over the last few decades that manual workflows are generally inefficient, hence the consistent integration of technology for various tasks.Unfortunately, manual processes are often risky since the human eye doesn’t necessarily detect certain details and patterns automated systems can. These potentially missed risks equate to bigger threats, especially if they go undetected for extended periods of time.

Aside from the power of automated scanning, manual risk assessments also increase the risk factor because different variables could potentially negatively impact the accuracy of an assessment. For example, staff turnover, human errors, subjective views, or demanding workloads are just a few elements that could affect the result of an assessment. On the other hand, conducting an automated assessment removes those variables to provide an objective result, since no potential human bias is present. If any components of a risk assessment do require a human touch, these can be done alongside automated assessments.

Bottomline, an automated assessment ensures nothing is inadvertently missed. When it comes to cybersecurity, you don’t want to overlook a thing.

How Cybersecurity Services Providers Make Assessments Easier

Partnering with an expert cybersecurity service provider can help you better protect your company from the threat actors that actively target small and medium-sized businesses. If your company is like most SMBs, you have the need for stronger security, but not the budget, staff, and technology resources to provide the robust level of protection required to combat cybercriminals.

This is where an expert third-party can help in the form of a fractional or virtual Chief Information Security Officer—known as . This highly experienced professional is not only able to assess the threats you face and ascertain the largest risks, but they can also provide mitigation consulting. The consultation process includes completing in-depth risk surveys and compliance audits, along with creating and implementing programs for cyber risk management and secure software development.

They can also prepare your company for SOC 2® attestation or ISO 27001 certification, among other cyber risk management services.

Most SMBs don’t have expert personnel who are equipped to run the assessments they need while still running the day-to-day tasks associated with technology.Connecting with a company that has both the knowledge and tools can go a long way towards safeguarding your company with a comprehensive cyber risk management program.

Looking for personal cybersecurity services for your company? To learn more, contact Trava today.

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