Many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often lack the resources to implement full-scale vulnerability assessments. As a workaround, MSPs can execute lightweight cybersecurity self-assessment strategies to spot security blind spots and strengthen SMBs’ security posture.
Core security risk assessment categories and focus areas
Security risk assessments don’t always have to be complex; for SMBs, simplicity provides better visibility. Employing a strategy that generates insights in key areas helps SMBs take practical steps to mitigate vulnerabilities.
📌 Use Cases: Implement targeted, lightweight assessments on focus areas to know if they are implemented fully, partially, or not in place. This provides actionable insights regarding the security posture and quality of incident recovery plans for SMBs.
Governance and risk
Written security policies set baseline controls to maintain consistent policies across an environment. Without them, security decisions become ad hoc, harder to enforce, and more difficult to audit.
Security policies. Ensure policies such as password hygiene practices, patching compliance, and backup verifications are in place and reviewed annually.
Designated security contact. Check if clear ownership of security tasks is established to allow quick tracking of alerts and incident response coordination.
Incident response planning. Look for an incident response plan and verify if it has undergone tabletop exercises (simulated discussions of attack scenarios) to gauge client preparedness against attacks.
Access control
Most real-world breaches stem from phishing, weak or stolen passwords, and unpatched systems rather than complex over-the-air attacks. Assessing access control for SMBs tightens security policies by examining key access areas that can potentially funnel threats.
MFA. Review whether multi-factor authentication (MFA) is consistently enforced for all users to ensure user identity.
User deprovisioning. Prompt deprovisioning of inactive or unused accounts is critical to minimize an SMB’s attack surface.
Role-based access (RBAC). Confirm that the least-privilege access assigned to stakeholders matches their roles and groups.
Endpoint and network
Missing patches, firewall protection, and antivirus services open well-known entry points that attackers can exploit to move unseen within an organization. Healthy endpoints should have small attack surfaces to curb the likelihood of attacks and minimize their subsequent impact.
Patch status. Evaluations should verify whether operating systems and browsers are fully updated, as unpatched software is easier to exploit. The assessment should include the percentage of updated devices and the time since the last security patches were applied.
Antivirus/EDR. Ensure that antivirus or EDR solutions are consistently running in the background for better protection against threats.
Firewalls and VPNs. Verify if firewall services are up and running, and also assess VPN protection of administrative tools, such as remote access, as exposure to the internet can compromise organizational data.
Backup and recovery
Clear recovery objectives and reliable backups can turn major problems into manageable events. Good backup and recovery strategies can also quickly get an SMB back on its feet after an outage.
Backup frequency and storage. Confirm critical data and systems are regularly backed up, SLA compliant, and repositories adhere to the 3-2-1 backup rule.
Recovery testing. Make supplementary checks of restoration success rates, then compare measured restore times and data loss against RTO and RPO targets.
Encryption. Confirm if encryption for data in transit and at rest is in place for better organizational confidentiality.
Awareness and monitoring
Malicious actors can leverage directed attacks that compromise end-user activity, like phishing and social engineering. Information is a strong tool against these types of threats, and knowledgeable personnel are key to avoiding them.
Personnel training. Incorporate recurring training paired with simulated threats in assessments, then review metrics like report and click rates to gauge end-user awareness.
Logging and incident alerting. Check where security logs are stored for streamlined threat detection and investigation. Additionally, evaluate the capacity of existing alerting systems to respond quickly to threats.
Cybersecurity risk assessment delivery methods for SMB clients
SMBs vary in size, ranging from small teams to multi-department hierarchies that do not exceed 500 employees. Picking the appropriate delivery method is vital to maximize completion and accuracy, ensuring the collection of reliable data to support assessments.
📌 Use Cases: To get accurate results from SMB environments, leverage the delivery method that suits your client’s size, maturity, and relationship level.
Cybersecurity self-assessment worksheets
Self-assessment worksheets are ideal for tiny SMB teams and brand-new clients, as they’re quick and inexpensive to implement.
Utilize worksheets to gather insights regarding potential security flaws by collecting basic information, such as MFA coverage and backup frequency. The generated results provide MSPs with a baseline for remediating minor issues and formulating strategies for major ones.
⚠️ Important: Unclear wording in worksheets can lead to misinterpretation, leading to inaccurate data. (See ⚠️ Things to look out for.)
Guided security assessment interviews between MSPs and clients
Alternatively, MSPs can conduct guided interviews with their SMB clients to ensure clarity and data accuracy. Structured interviews help identify security vulnerabilities while offering better accuracy over self-reporting through worksheets.
Create a tight agenda that prioritizes key assessment categories and areas, such as MFA, backups, patching, and cyber hygiene practices. During these calls, MSPs can translate jargon for clients, resolve any ambiguities, and spot issues at a glance.
Light RMM integration
If a client has existing monitoring tools, MSPs can leverage RMM platforms to compare raw data with worksheet or interview data. This can help pull accurate metrics like patch and backup status to minimize blind spots in assessments.
💡 Note: Keep the RMM integration scope to avoid the inclusion of sensitive client data. (See ⚠️ Things to look out for.)
Support assessment results through PowerShell automation
Aside from RMM integration, technicians can also run PowerShell scripts to gather insights into a client’s security posture. Below are sample automation scripts you can use to pull accurate patching and MFA metrics from clients.
Sample script to query patch version:
Missing and outdated patches are indicators of security risk, as outdated devices can potentially be vulnerable to threats. MSPs can use the sample script and pair it with target patch baselines to identify outdated devices.
(Get-HotFix | Sort InstalledOn -Descending | Select -First 1).InstalledOn
💡 Note: The script above displays the date of the most recent hotfix installed on the system. Compare this information with your patch management baseline to spot which systems require additional updates.
Sample script to identify users without MFA in Azure AD:
MFA prevents breaches through stolen passwords, and visibility regarding MFA coverage helps generate swift actions to minimize account takeover risks. The sample script identifies users without MFA, allowing MSPs to measure MFA coverage across an environment.
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.Read.All","Directory.Read.All","UserAuthenticationMethod.Read.All"
Get-MgUser -All -Property Id,UserPrincipalName |ForEach-Object {$methods = Get-MgUserAuthenticationMethod -UserId $_.Id$hasMfa = $methods.AdditionalProperties.'@odata.type' -match `'microsoftAuthenticatorAuthenticationMethod|phoneAuthenticationMethod|fido2AuthenticationMethod|softwareOathAuthenticationMethod|windowsHelloForBusinessAuthenticationMethod|temporaryAccessPassAuthenticationMethod'if (-not $hasMfa) { "{0} has no MFA" -f $_.UserPrincipalName }}
⚠️ Important: Script syntax and accuracy are crucial when leveraging PowerShell. (See ⚠️ Things to look out for.)
Report cybersecurity self-assessment results and action plans
Visual reporting transforms data and metrics into actionable insights. Creating a simple report with visual cues highlights risks and threats, helping SMBs prioritize remediation without wading through jargon.
Build a color-coded scorecard with simple, matched remediation
Put focus areas and categories within the rows of the scorecard, and for each row, track 2-3 signals like the latest patch date and MFA coverage. Pair each signal with simple remediation steps for clarity.
For better visibility, organize the assessment of focus areas using a color-coded scoring model like the example below:
Legend:
- 🟢 Implemented (meets target)
- 🟡 Partially Implemented (needs improvement)
- 🔴 Not in Place (high risk)
| Category | Status | Key signals | Actions to take | Owner |
| Governance and risk | 🟡 | Policies were reviewed recently; the last tabletop was 10 months ago. | Schedule a 30-minute incident table top. | Ops Manager |
| Access control | 🟢 | MFA at 100% coverage and all unused accounts deprovisioned. | N/A | IT Lead |
| Endpoint and network | 🟡 | Critical patch age is at 18 days, and EDR is at 88% coverage. | Push patches within 7 days and deploy EDR for 100% coverage. | RMM Admin |
| Backup and recovery | 🔴 | Outdated backup and last restore test not found | Back up the device and run a restore test after. | Operations |
| Awareness and monitoring | 🟢 | Phishing simulation at 0% click rate; logs retained for 90 days. | N/A | MSP |
Summarizing the report
Summarize everything into a simple, one-page report that highlights security risks, potential impact, and steps taken to mitigate said risks. Document summaries to measure progress across QBRs, keeping everyone aligned without having to dive into pages after pages of reports.
Governance and follow-up strategies to maintain security posture
A good self-assessment strategy doesn’t end after a single report; it should be an easily repeatable process. Incorporate the following lightweight governance loop to quickly spot and mitigate cracks in an SMB’s security strategy.
Conduct quarterly or semi-annual assessments
Repeat cybersecurity risk assessments every 3 to 6 months, or sooner after organizational changes like office transfers and new tools. Regularly running assessments assists in proactively checking drifts and vulnerabilities, allowing them to surface early before they cause outages.
Delegating task ownership
Tasks may stall without clear task ownership, as everyone gets a say on what needs to be done. A client-side owner can approve policy changes, set priorities, and nudge staff to ensure smooth assessments. Meanwhile, MSP-side owners can take action to mitigate issues and coordinate technical work.
Document results within PSAs for efficient roadmapping
Leverage Professional Services Automation (PSA) solutions as a shared to-do list. Creating tickets aids in tracking assessment progress, making progress visible and reportable. At QBRs, MSPs can show what they were able to achieve and their roadmap to strengthen a client’s security posture.
Compare summaries to track trends over time
Plot the data across key assessment areas every quarter to identify trends. A clear view of trends helps troubleshoot gaps in assessment, justify costs, and prove service delivery.
NinjaOne integration ideas for cybersecurity risk assessments
NinjaOne provides tools that help MSPs run and track lightweight cybersecurity checks across multiple clients from a single console.
- Remote monitoring and management. Leverage NinjaOne to use policies that monitor systems and trigger alerts, while automating checks for antivirus status, patch compliance, firewall enablement, and other key cybersecurity areas.
- Documentation. Consolidate the documentation of assessment summaries within a client’s asset records and share them with key personnel for unified access.
- Dashboard inventory alerts. Use status icons within dashboards to identify endpoint security status and issues at a glance.
- Vulnerability management. Get an environment-wide view of vulnerable systems per client. Identify endpoints with missing or outdated patches, patching disabled, known weaknesses, and absent antivirus software.
⚠️ Things to look out for
Here are common pitfalls you should keep an eye out for when implementing cybersecurity self-assessments:
| Risks | Potential Consequences | Reversals |
| Unclear wording in self-assessment worksheets. | Clients may misinterpret vague wording in worksheets, resulting in inaccurate responses. | Keep questions plain and accurately define terms to avoid misinterpretation. |
| Breaching privacy standards through RMM integration. | Deep RMM platform integrations in cybersecurity risk assessments can accidentally include sensitive client and end-user data. | Set integration to gather only related basic telemetry, such as the last OS patch date, backup agent installations, and local admin count. |
| Executing inaccurate scripts. | PowerShell scripts are syntax and case-sensitive; a wrong cmdlet can render logic invalid, leading to errors or misconfigurations. | Test scripts on a local machine and include error-handling logic to detect errors before deployment across endpoints. |
Assess the cybersecurity posture of SMBs through lightweight checks
A simple, targeted, and easily understandable cybersecurity risk assessment can help detect possible threats and prevent them before they happen. When repeated across fixed schedules, it generates a clear trend that clients can reference for future security strategies.
Proactive assessment of a client’s cybersecurity posture positions MSPs as strategic partners in risk reduction, helping clients take practical steps towards more resilient policies.
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