The organisation had security controls in place, but its leaders needed a joined up view of how well they worked, where the gaps were and what to address first. The engagement used the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework to establish that picture, then connected it to governance, technical assurance and incident preparation.
The challenge
The client carried out a public function and wanted an objective understanding of its cyber maturity. Existing controls and documents did not give leaders one account of the organisation's position. Policies needed updating, technical defences needed checking and the teams involved in an incident needed to know how they would make decisions together.
What changed
A principal cyber security consultant assessed the relevant objectives and principles of the Cyber Assessment Framework. The work identified strengths and gaps across the organisation, then set out a prioritised plan. Leaders could see which improvements needed action, who should own them and where decisions about risk or investment were required.
The assessment was supported by technical assurance. The consultant reviewed perimeter controls and oversaw an independent penetration test, making sure the results were checked and turned into remediation work. This gave the organisation evidence about how controls operated in practice as well as how they were described in policy.
Incident exercises brought IT leaders and operational analysts into realistic scenarios. They tested escalation, communication and decision making, then fed the lessons into improvement plans. A revised set of security policies covered governance, operational security and user responsibilities, with support to put them into use.
The different strands of work were brought back to the same question for leadership. What did the evidence say about the organisation's position, which risks mattered most and what needed to happen next? That kept the CAF review connected to decisions and delivery across the business.
The result
The organisation gained an evidence based view of its CAF maturity and a practical order for improvement. Technical issues were validated and assigned for remediation. The incident exercises exposed gaps in procedures and gave leaders and analysts a clearer understanding of their roles under pressure.
Revised policies and a plan for their adoption gave the organisation a stronger basis for governance. Leaders could discuss cyber risk with a fuller picture of its controls, its readiness to respond and the work still outstanding.
Want a clearer view of your organisation's cyber position? Talk to Wuluf about assessment services, governance and incident exercises.