You've decided to conduct a cybersecurity maturity assessment for your organization. Whether driven by rising cyber threats, customer requirements, insurance needs, or simple due diligence, you're ready to invest the time to evaluate your security posture.
But what exactly will you receive at the end of the assessment? Is it just a score? A report with recommendations? Something more actionable?
Understanding what you'll get from a cybersecurity maturity assessment helps you maximize the value and ensures you can act on the results effectively. This comprehensive guide breaks down every component you receive, what it means, and how to use it to build a stronger security program.
The Complete Package: 6 Key Components
A comprehensive cybersecurity maturity assessment delivers six critical components that work together to provide a complete picture of your security posture and path forward:
- Overall Maturity Score and Level Classification
- Domain-Specific Scores and Analysis
- Industry Peer Comparison and Benchmarks
- Personalized Improvement Roadmap with Prioritized Recommendations
- Estimated Costs and Timelines for Improvements
- Expert Consultation Option
Let's explore each component in detail.
1. Overall Maturity Score and Level Classification
What You Get:
Your assessment results begin with a clear, easy-to-understand overall maturity score—typically a numerical score (0-100) and a corresponding maturity level (1-5).
Example:
- Score: 42/100
- Level: Level 2 (Developing)
- Classification: "Your organization has established basic security controls but significant gaps remain in comprehensive coverage and consistent implementation."
Why It Matters:
This top-line score provides instant context:
- Executive communication: A single number leadership can understand and track
- Progress tracking: A measurable baseline to compare future assessments against
- Competitive context: Understanding where you stand compared to industry standards
- Risk visibility: Immediate sense of overall security posture strength or weakness
The 5 Maturity Levels Explained:
Level 1: Initial/Ad-hoc (Score: 0-20)
- Security is reactive and informal
- No documented policies or procedures
- High vulnerability to common attacks
- Status: Critical improvements needed immediately
Level 2: Developing (Score: 21-40)
- Basic security policies documented
- Some controls implemented inconsistently
- Awareness of security importance but limited resources
- Status: Foundational work in progress; major gaps remain
Level 3: Defined (Score: 41-60)
- Comprehensive security program established
- Controls consistently implemented across organization
- Regular security activities and monitoring
- Status: Mature security posture; focus on optimization
Level 4: Managed (Score: 61-80)
- Security processes quantitatively measured
- Proactive threat hunting and advanced monitoring
- Security integrated with business processes
- Status: Advanced capabilities; continuous improvement focus
Level 5: Optimizing (Score: 81-100)
- Continuous innovation in security practices
- Predictive analytics and automated response
- Industry leadership in security
- Status: World-class security; competitive differentiator
For Small to Medium-Sized Businesses:
Most SMBs start at Level 1 (14% of small businesses rate their security as highly effective, suggesting the majority are at Level 1-2). Reaching Level 3 represents a mature, defensible security posture and is a realistic goal for organizations with 10-200 employees.
How to Use Your Overall Score:
- Set improvement targets: If you're at Level 1.8, target Level 2.5 within 6 months, Level 3 within 12-18 months
- Communicate with stakeholders: "We're currently at Level 2; we need to reach Level 3 to meet customer security requirements"
- Track progress: Reassess quarterly to measure improvement
- Celebrate wins: Moving from 32 to 45 represents significant, measurable progress
2. Domain-Specific Scores and Analysis
While your overall score provides a snapshot, domain-specific scores reveal exactly where you're strong and where gaps exist.
What You Get:
Individual scores for each of the 9 critical security domains:
- Governance & Risk Management
- Asset Management
- Access Control
- Network Security
- Endpoint Security
- Data Protection
- Incident Response
- Security Awareness
- Third-Party Risk Management
Example Domain Scores:
- Governance & Risk Management: 35/100 (Level 2)
- Asset Management: 28/100 (Level 2)
- Access Control: 52/100 (Level 3)
- Network Security: 45/100 (Level 3)
- Endpoint Security: 58/100 (Level 3)
- Data Protection: 38/100 (Level 2)
- Incident Response: 22/100 (Level 1)
- Security Awareness: 40/100 (Level 2)
- Third-Party Risk Management: 15/100 (Level 1)
Why Domain Scores Matter:
Domain-level visibility shows:
- Where to focus first: You can see that Incident Response (22) and Third-Party Risk (15) are critical gaps requiring immediate attention
- Where you're strong: Access Control (52) and Endpoint Security (58) are relative strengths you can build upon
- Balanced vs. unbalanced programs: A balanced program has similar scores across domains; significant variation indicates resource allocation issues
- Specific recommendations: Allows for targeted improvements rather than generic security advice
Visual Representation:
Quality assessments provide charts showing your domain scores:
- Radar/spider charts: Visualize strengths and gaps at a glance
- Bar charts: Compare domains side-by-side
- Heat maps: Use color coding (red/yellow/green) to highlight critical gaps
How to Use Domain Scores:
- Prioritize low-scoring domains: Focus first on domains scoring below 30 (Level 1-2)
- Quick wins: Identify domains just below the next level threshold (e.g., Data Protection at 38, close to Level 3 at 41)
- Resource allocation: Direct budget and time to specific domains rather than spreading resources thin
- Team assignment: Assign domain ownership to specific team members
Common Domain Score Patterns:
Pattern 1: Strong Technology, Weak Process
- High: Endpoint Security, Network Security
- Low: Governance, Incident Response, Security Awareness
- Meaning: Good technical controls but lack strategic program management
Pattern 2: Good Foundations, Poor Monitoring
- High: Access Control, Asset Management
- Low: Incident Response, Third-Party Risk
- Meaning: Basic controls in place but can't detect or respond to threats
Pattern 3: Compliance-Driven
- High: Specific domains required by compliance framework
- Low: Domains not explicitly required
- Meaning: Meeting minimum compliance but leaving security gaps
3. Industry Peer Comparison and Benchmarks
Understanding your scores in isolation is useful; understanding them in context is transformative.
What You Get:
Comparison of your scores against:
Industry Averages:
- Small businesses (10-50 employees)
- Medium businesses (50-200 employees)
- Your specific industry (healthcare, finance, professional services, etc.)
Compliance Baselines:
- Minimum requirements for common frameworks
- CMMC Level 1: Score of ~30
- CMMC Level 2: Score of ~50
- NIST CSF Implementation: Score of ~45
- ISO 27001: Score of ~55
Best Practice Targets:
- Recommended maturity for your organization size
- Industry-leading organizations
- Target scores by domain
Example Benchmark Comparison:
Your Organization:
- Overall Score: 42
- Industry: Professional Services
- Size: 75 employees
Benchmarks:
- Professional services average (50-100 employees): 38
- Small business average: 35
- Recommended target: 50 (Level 3)
- Industry leaders: 62
Interpretation: You're performing above industry average but below recommended Level 3 target. Reaching 50 would put you ahead of 68% of peer organizations.
Why Benchmarks Matter:
- Competitive positioning: Understand if you're ahead or behind competitors
- Realistic goal setting: See what's achievable for organizations like yours
- Risk context: If you're below industry average, you're a more attractive target for attackers
- Sales enablement: Above-average security becomes a differentiator in competitive deals
- Insurance and compliance: Carriers and frameworks often expect industry-average or better performance
How to Use Benchmarks:
- Executive communication: "We're at 42 while our industry averages 38, but customers increasingly expect 50+"
- Goal setting: "Let's reach the 75th percentile for our industry within 12 months"
- Budget justification: "Investment in security will move us from bottom quartile to top quartile"
- Customer conversations: "Our security maturity exceeds industry average by 15%"
4. Personalized Improvement Roadmap with Prioritized Recommendations
The most valuable component of your assessment is the actionable roadmap for improvement.
What You Get:
A detailed, prioritized list of recommendations organized by:
Priority Level:
- Critical: Address immediately (0-3 months)
- High: Address soon (3-9 months)
- Medium: Plan for next phase (9-18 months)
- Low: Long-term optimization (18+ months)
Security Domain:
- Organized by the 9 critical domains
- Cross-referenced to show domain impact
Implementation Complexity:
- Quick wins (low effort, high impact)
- Medium complexity (moderate effort and resources)
- Major initiatives (significant investment and time)
Risk Reduction:
- High-impact controls that significantly reduce risk
- Medium-impact controls
- Low-impact optimization controls
Example Recommendation:
Recommendation: Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for All User Accounts
Domain: Access Control Priority: Critical (0-3 months) Complexity: Low-Medium Risk Reduction: High Estimated Cost: $3-8 per user per month Estimated Time: 2-4 weeks to implement Maturity Impact: +8 points in Access Control domain
Description: Currently, only administrative accounts use MFA. Implementing MFA for all user accounts significantly reduces the risk of account compromise from phishing attacks and credential theft—the #1 attack vector affecting small businesses.
Implementation Steps:
- Select MFA solution (Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, Duo, etc.)
- Enable MFA for administrative accounts (completed)
- Pilot MFA with IT team (1 week)
- Roll out to all users in phases (2 weeks)
- Provide user training and support (1 week)
- Establish exception process for special cases
Success Metrics:
- 100% of active accounts have MFA enabled
- Reduction in successful phishing attacks
- User satisfaction score above 3.5/5
Why Roadmaps Matter:
Without a clear roadmap, organizations often:
- Feel overwhelmed by the scope of improvements needed
- Make haphazard security investments without strategic direction
- Miss quick wins while pursuing complex, long-term initiatives
- Waste budget on low-impact controls while neglecting critical gaps
A prioritized roadmap transforms assessment from diagnostic to prescription—telling you not just what's wrong but exactly how to fix it.
How to Use Your Roadmap:
- Create 90-day action plan: Select 3-5 critical recommendations to address in next quarter
- Budget planning: Use cost estimates to develop annual security budget
- Resource allocation: Assign recommendations to specific team members or vendors
- Stakeholder communication: Show leadership a clear path from current state to desired state
- Progress tracking: Mark recommendations as complete and watch maturity score improve
Typical Roadmap Structure:
Phase 1: Critical Gaps (0-3 months) - Quick Wins
- Enable MFA for all accounts
- Deploy password manager
- Implement basic security awareness training
- Establish basic logging and monitoring
- Document incident response procedures
- Expected Impact: Move from Level 1.8 to Level 2.3
Phase 2: Foundation Building (3-9 months)
- Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR)
- Implement automated patch management
- Establish data classification scheme
- Deploy email security and anti-phishing tools
- Conduct quarterly phishing simulations
- Expected Impact: Move from Level 2.3 to Level 2.8
Phase 3: Maturity Development (9-18 months)
- Implement network segmentation
- Deploy SIEM for centralized monitoring
- Establish formal vendor risk assessment process
- Conduct tabletop incident response exercises
- Implement data loss prevention (DLP)
- Expected Impact: Move from Level 2.8 to Level 3.2
5. Estimated Costs and Timelines for Improvements
Understanding not just what to do but how much it will cost and how long it will take is essential for planning.
What You Get:
For each recommendation and for overall improvement phases:
Cost Estimates:
- Software/SaaS licensing costs
- Hardware investments
- Professional services and consulting
- Training costs
- Internal labor estimates
Example Cost Breakdown for Phase 1 (0-3 months):
| Initiative | Software Cost | Services Cost | Internal Time | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MFA Deployment | $600/year | $1,000 | 40 hours | $3,600 |
| Password Manager | $400/year | $500 | 20 hours | $1,900 |
| Security Awareness | $1,200/year | $2,000 | 30 hours | $4,700 |
| EDR Deployment | $3,000/year | $2,500 | 50 hours | $8,500 |
| Policy Documentation | $0 | $3,000 | 60 hours | $6,000 |
| Phase 1 Total | $5,200/year | $9,000 | 200 hours | $24,700 |
Timeline Estimates:
Quick Wins (0-3 months):
- MFA: 2-4 weeks
- Password Manager: 1-2 weeks
- Basic Awareness Training: 2 weeks
- Total: Can be completed in 3 months
Foundation Building (3-9 months):
- EDR: 4-6 weeks
- Patch Management: 4-8 weeks
- Data Classification: 8-12 weeks
- Total: Can be completed in 6 months
Major Initiatives (9-18 months):
- Network Segmentation: 2-4 months
- SIEM: 3-6 months
- DLP: 2-3 months
- Total: Requires 12-18 months
Why Cost and Timeline Estimates Matter:
- Budget planning: Knowing you need $25,000 in Year 1 and $35,000 in Year 2 enables proper budgeting
- ROI calculations: Compare investment to breach costs ($140,000 average) and insurance savings
- Realistic expectations: Understanding that reaching Level 3 takes 12-18 months prevents frustration
- Resource planning: Knowing you need 200 internal hours in Quarter 1 allows for workload management
- Executive approval: Concrete numbers enable informed decision-making
How to Use Cost and Timeline Information:
- Phased budget requests: Rather than asking for $60,000 at once, request $25,000 for Phase 1 with demonstrated ROI before requesting Phase 2 funding
- Priority adjustment: If budget is limited, focus on high-impact, low-cost quick wins first
- Staffing decisions: If internal hours required exceed capacity, justify hiring or MSP engagement
- Timeline management: Communicate realistic timelines to leadership and customers
Typical Investment by Maturity Level:
Level 1 to Level 2:
- Cost: $15,000-$30,000
- Timeline: 6-9 months
- Focus: Basic controls and documentation
Level 2 to Level 3:
- Cost: $25,000-$50,000
- Timeline: 9-15 months
- Focus: Comprehensive implementation and monitoring
Level 3 to Level 4:
- Cost: $40,000-$100,000+
- Timeline: 12-24 months
- Focus: Advanced capabilities and automation
6. Expert Consultation Option
The final component is often the most valuable: access to experts who can help you interpret results and plan implementation.
What You Get:
Free Consultation Offer:
- 30-60 minute consultation with cybersecurity experts
- Review of your specific assessment results
- Discussion of your organization's unique context and constraints
- Clarification of recommendations
- Implementation guidance
- Professional services options (if desired)
Why Expert Consultation Matters:
Your assessment report provides tremendous information, but context matters:
- Industry-specific guidance: Healthcare organizations face different priorities than professional services firms
- Budget reality: Experts can help you prioritize when you can't afford everything
- Implementation support: Knowing what to do and knowing how to do it are different things
- Vendor selection: Guidance on choosing security tools and service providers
- Quick wins identification: Experts spot opportunities you might miss
How to Use Expert Consultation:
- Prepare questions: Review your report and note areas of confusion or concern
- Provide context: Share budget constraints, upcoming initiatives, and business priorities
- Get specific: Rather than general discussion, focus on your top 3-5 priorities
- Explore options: Ask about different approaches to achieve the same security outcome
- Follow up: Take notes and request additional resources or references
No-Obligation Approach:
Quality assessments offer consultation without pressure to buy services. The goal is helping you improve security, whether you do it yourself, hire the assessment provider, or engage a different vendor.
Putting It All Together: Using Your Assessment Results
With all six components in hand, here's how to maximize the value:
Week 1: Review and Digest
- Review overall score and domain scores
- Compare to benchmarks
- Read through recommendations
- Identify surprises or concerns
Week 2: Leadership Presentation
- Present results to executive leadership
- Highlight critical gaps
- Share benchmark comparison
- Request budget for Phase 1 recommendations
Week 3: Detailed Planning
- Prioritize recommendations based on your specific context
- Create 90-day action plan
- Assign owners to initiatives
- Schedule expert consultation if needed
Week 4: Implementation Kickoff
- Begin Phase 1 quick wins
- Procure necessary tools and services
- Communicate plan to broader organization
- Establish progress tracking
Ongoing: Monitor and Reassess
- Track completion of recommendations
- Measure impact through metrics
- Conduct quarterly self-assessments
- Adjust roadmap based on results and changing threats
The Real Value: Risk Reduction and Business Enablement
Beyond the specific deliverables, a cybersecurity maturity assessment provides strategic value:
Risk Reduction:
- Organizations at Level 3+ reduce breach costs by 15-25% compared to Level 1-2
- Mature incident response reduces breach containment time from 204 days to under 30 days
- Proper controls prevent 85-95% of common attacks
Business Enablement:
- Win contracts requiring security assessments or certifications
- Qualify for cyber insurance or reduce premiums by 20-30%
- Accelerate sales cycles by proactively addressing security concerns
- Enable cloud adoption and digital transformation with confidence
- Attract and retain security-conscious customers
Cost Avoidance:
- Average small business breach: $140,000
- Ransomware attack recovery: $150,000-$300,000
- Regulatory fines: Varies widely, but can exceed $1 million
- Reputation damage: Difficult to quantify but potentially business-ending
Investment of $20,000-$50,000 to reach Level 3 vs. potential breach cost of $140,000+ makes the ROI clear.
Getting Started: Claim Your Assessment Results Today
Now that you understand exactly what you'll receive from a cybersecurity maturity assessment—from overall maturity scores and domain-specific analysis to industry benchmarks and personalized roadmaps with cost estimates—the only question is when to start.
With cyber incidents rising 16% in 2025, ransomware attacks up 126%, and 43% of attacks targeting small businesses, every day without clarity on your security posture is a day of unnecessary risk.
The good news? You can complete a comprehensive assessment in just 15-20 minutes and receive all six components immediately:
- Overall maturity score and level
- Domain-specific scores across 9 critical areas
- Industry peer comparison and benchmarks
- Personalized improvement roadmap
- Cost and timeline estimates
- Expert consultation option
Ready to discover where you stand and receive your personalized security roadmap? Take our free Cybersecurity Maturity Assessment now. In less time than your morning coffee break, you'll have a complete picture of your security posture and a clear path to improvement.
Don't wait for a breach to learn where your gaps are. Invest 15 minutes today to protect your business tomorrow.
