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Risk Assessments: The Foundation of Solid Cybersecurity
You can’t scale what you haven’t secured, and you can’t secure what you don’t understand.
That’s the foundation of our “Cybersecurity for Growth” mindset. It also explains why we talk about cybersecurity risk assessments less as compliance checkbox and more as the foundation for making smarter security decisions, aligning with strategic priorities and protecting the long-term health of your business.
“In a lot of ways, risk assessments are the front door to better cybersecurity,” said Inverstion6 CISO Jack Nichelson. “They give you the blueprint for everything that comes next—what to prioritize, how to invest and how to get ahead of the risks that could hurt your business.”
What Is a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment?
A risk assessment is a comprehensive review of your organization’s cybersecurity posture. It evaluates your environment across governance, compliance, incident response, technology and operational processes.
At Inversion6, we follow the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, which includes 110 best-practice controls and maps your maturity across the five core security functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover.
Rather than diving super deep into one system or set of vulnerabilities, a risk assessment takes a mile-wide, inch-deep approach.
“Penetration tests go deep. That’s what they are built for, and they do it well,” said Nichelson. “Risk assessments are meant to go wide. They show you the systemic issues: broken patching programs, missing policies, program-level gaps etc. It’s about identifying the patterns, not just the symptoms.”
When Should You Conduct a Risk Assessment?
Risk assessments aren’t just for audit season. They’re especially valuable:
After leadership or structural changes
Before or after major compliance reviews
When preparing for M&A, investor due diligence or cyber insurance renewals
In response to changing regulations or evolving threat landscapes
They also play a critical role in responding to complex customer security questionnaires and demonstrating third-party oversight to boards and business partners.
“Many of our clients have told us proof of consistent risk assessments is one the first things insurance providers and large customers ask for,” says Nichelson. “It’s becoming the baseline for showing you take cybersecurity seriously.”
What the Process Should Look Like
Every risk assessment Inversion6 performs is interview-based and collaborative. We engage with stakeholders across IT, security and business leadership to:
Map your environment — systems, vendors, users and data flows
Assess maturity — using NIST 2.0 and CMU’s maturity model
Identify risks — and rank them by likelihood and impact
Score your program — in each NIST domain
Deliver a clear plan — including a Gantt chart, budget and resource guidance
We then provide a detailed executive summary with the top 4 risks and top 4 recommended actions—framed in business language your leadership team can act on.
“The goal isn’t to overwhelm people with findings,” says Nichelson. “The goal is to give them a clear, actionable roadmap. That means we lay out what to do, when to do it, how long it should take and what resources they’ll need.”
When performed properly, a risk assessment does more than diagnose problems. It enables better decisions.
You should walk away with:
A defensible, standards-based approach
A clear, prioritized roadmap for the next 12–18 months
A benchmarked scorecard to track progress over time
Alignment across teams and leadership
“Bottom line, a risk assessment should help you understand where you are today and what’s worth fixing first,” Nichelson adds. “It’s not about doing everything at once—it should help you break down the right things in the right order.”
How Inversion6 Helps
We specialize in helping growing businesses make strategic cybersecurity decisions that protect their operations, customers and future.
Our team brings:
Deep knowledge of the NIST CSF 2.0
Real-world insight into industry-specific threats
A collaborative, no-jargon approach that builds trust across the organization
Whether you’re preparing for compliance, planning for growth or responding to an evolving threat landscape, a cybersecurity risk assessment is the best place to start.
Let’s talk about your risks—and more importantly, your opportunities.
