Benchmark your cybersecurity against peer organizations.

CRITICALSTART® Quick Start Risk Assessments are built from NIST CSF guidelines and benchmark your data against over a thousand industry peers. In just a few minutes, you’ll gain clear insight into your risk profile and benchmark your data against industry peers, measure your security maturity against expected levels, and gain the insight you need to prioritize your next steps toward security improvement.

Quick Start Risk Assessments FAQs

Who can use Quick Start Risk Assessments?

Quick Start Risk Assessments is available to Critical Start and non-Critical Start customers.

What is included with Quick Start Risk Assessments?

Quick Start Risk Assessments is a 15-question, brief version of the full NIST CSF assessment. The survey analysis includes security maturity ratings against best practices and Peer Benchmarking.

What is the difference between Quick Start Risk Assessments and Risk Assessments Essentials?

Quick Start Risk Assessments

Risk Assessments Essentials

Free, 15-question Quick Start Risk Assessments
Includes Peer Benchmarking
For anyone, even if they are not a Critical Start customer

PAID Critical Start 108-question guided NIST CSF Assessment (quantitative maturity answers)
Prescriptive definitions for each Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Maturity Level (available only for the NIST CSF Guided Assessment)
Multiple quantifiable dimensions for each Maturity Level
Prepare with a self-assessment, including the ability to attach evidence, assign reviewers, and set target dates
Import previous assessments to Critical Start Platform for peer benchmarking, historical trends, and to get prioritized risk reduction recommendations.
A more comprehensive assessment because of a greater number of questions and framework alignment
Support for other frameworks and models like CIS, NIST CSF, ISO, etc., as a part of the same subscription
Includes peer benchmarking

How long does it take to complete Quick Start Risk Assessments?

The Quick Start Risk Assessments questionnaire can be completed in minutes. There are 15 quantifiable, multiple-choice questions.

When conducting a risk assessment, what systems should be considered?

All endpoint, cloud, software, hardware, and physical systems and devices that move data and traffic into, out of, and across your network should be considered when conducting cyber risk assessments.

Are IoT and non-IT devices like HVAC systems considered physical systems?

Yes, all the physical systems through which a cyber threat can potentially be passed on to any software/hardware asset and can move onto a network should be considered in the assessment. 

How often can Quick Start Risk Assessments be performed?

Organizations can take fill out as many Quick Start Risk Assessments questionnaires as desired, as often as they want.

What is the benefit of Quick Start Risk Assessments?

Quick Start Risk Assessments maps to 75% of the NIST CSF, revealing relevant information across many coverage areas for relatively little effort. You get peer benchmarking and prioritized Risk-Ranked Recommendations by just spending a few minutes.

What will the user see upon completing a Quick Start Risk Assessments questionnaire?

A non-Critical Start customer will see standalone recommendations and data elements of the completed survey that flow into the Cyber Risk Dashboard. The risk overview will only have one widget and a call to action on what to do to increase security posture, including adding MDR to their security tool portfolio.

A Critical Start customer will see a more unified view within the Cyber Risk Dashboard, tying into other licensed and unlicensed offerings with additional calls to action.

How long does it take to provision access to Quick Start Risk Assessments?

After completing the sign-up process, your access to Quick Start Risk Assessments will be provisioned within 24 hours. You’ll receive an email notification once your access is ready.

Critical Start Risk Assessments

This page offers services for cyber risk management, featuring risk assessments, industry benchmarking, and tools for data-driven improvement. It includes educational webinars, whitepapers, and more information around strategic cybersecurity decision-making and continuous improvement.

Shifting Paradigms: Redefining Cyber Risk Assessments for Tangible Outcomes

This whitepaper redefines cyber risk assessments, focusing on strategic, actionable insights beyond compliance. It highlights the importance of benchmarking, aligning investments with risk tolerance, and measuring security improvements, advocating a transformative approach for continuous enhancement of cybersecurity posture.

The Power of Risk Assessments: Increasing Cyber Risk Posture with Peer Benchmarking

This webinar explores the Risk Assessments tool for cyber risk management. It emphasizes peer benchmarking, NIST CSF application, and risk quantification. Discussions include actionable risk mitigation strategies, navigating risk/compliance frameworks, and insights from the Cyber Risk Landscape Peer Report for forward-looking cybersecurity strategies.