Cyber risk has moved from being a technical problem to a leadership problem. Every organisation in the UK — private sector, public sector, regulated or not — is now connected to a threat landscape shaped by criminals, hostile states, supply-chain failures and simple human error.
This document sets out a straightforward blueprint for understanding and assessing cyber risk inside your organisation. It's written for decision-makers, not engineers, and presents cyber risk the way it should be seen: as a business and operational resilience issue.
1. Why Cyber Risk Matters (UK Context)
Cyber incidents now regularly affect councils, NHS trusts, financial institutions, schools, and SMEs. Attackers don't think in sectors; they think in opportunities. What used to be "IT's problem" is now embedded in national security conversations because:
- Operations can be stopped for days or weeks
- Sensitive data can be stolen or leaked
- Recovery can cost hundreds of thousands (sometimes millions)
- Regulators are increasingly involved (FCA, ICO, NHS England, etc.)
- Public confidence drops sharply after an incident
For most organisations, the biggest issue isn't a lack of tools — it's a lack of clarity. Leaders don't have a clear picture of "what's at risk" or "what we would actually do if something went wrong."
This blueprint fixes that.
2. A Realistic Example — How an Attack Actually Starts
To make this real, here's a situation that happens across the UK every week:
A small third-party supplier — maybe an IT support company, a maintenance contractor, or a payroll provider — has a staff member who falls for a phishing email. Their mailbox is compromised. No alarms go off. Nothing looks unusual.
The attacker spends a few days reading emails and understanding who the supplier works with.
They then send an email from the real supplier mailbox to your finance or operations team. It looks exactly like the supplier normally communicates. The attacker includes a link disguised as a shared document or invoice.
Someone clicks. Nothing appears to happen.
In the background, malware is installed. The attacker now has a foothold inside your organisation. They explore backup systems, map the network, steal credentials and quietly prepare a ransomware detonation.
When the encryption finally triggers:
- Systems go offline
- Backups fail because they were quietly disabled
- Staff can't work
- Your organisation is effectively frozen
This is not "elite hacking."
This is basic access + patience + poor supplier controls.
A modern cyber risk assessment exists to catch weaknesses like these before someone else does.
3. The Cyber Risk Assessment Blueprint
The blueprint focuses on the areas that genuinely matter for preventing disruption and avoiding damage. It's written in plain English and can be applied to any organisation.
1. Identity & Access
Questions we answer:
- Who has access to what?
- Is multi-factor authentication enforced everywhere it should be?
- Are there old accounts still active?
- How well-controlled are administrator privileges?
2. Data Security
We look at:
- Where your sensitive data lives
- How it moves
- Who can access it
- Whether the right controls are in place to keep it confidential and recoverable
3. Technology & Infrastructure
Focus areas:
- Patch management
- Endpoint protection
- Cloud configuration
- Network layout
Most incidents exploit basic configuration weaknesses, not exotic flaws.
4. Applications
We review:
- Externally facing systems
- Authentication mechanisms
- API exposures
- Software you may have built or customised
5. Third-Party & Supply Chain Risk
This is one of the biggest gaps in UK organisations.
We assess:
- Which suppliers have access to your systems or data
- Whether you have the right cyber expectations in contracts
- What assurance you get from critical vendors
- Single points of failure
6. Backups, Continuity & Operational Resilience
We evaluate:
- How often backups run
- Whether they've been tested
- If you could realistically recover from ransomware
- Your RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective)
7. Detection & Response
We check:
- Whether you have effective logging
- Who responds to alerts
- How incidents are escalated
- Whether your response plan is practical and known by staff
8. Governance, Reporting & Culture
Finally, we look at:
- How cyber risk is reported to leadership
- Whether people in the organisation are trained
- The quality and relevance of policies
- Overall maturity of governance
4. What You Receive (The Output)
A proper cyber risk assessment should leave leadership with:
- ✔ A clear, simple explanation of where the organisation is exposed
- ✔ A cyber risk heatmap that shows priority areas
- ✔ A practical remediation plan (next 90 days, 6 months, 12 months)
- ✔ A maturity rating aligned to recognised UK frameworks (NCSC, CE, NIST)
- ✔ A realistic view of how the organisation would fare in a real attack
- ✔ Straightforward language your board or SMT can act on immediately
No jargon. No drama. Just clarity.
5. Pricing
Essential — £4,995
For small organisations or first-time assessments. Covers all core areas with a board-ready report.
Standard — £9,995
For SMEs, public sector bodies, and regulated environments. Includes supplier risk and incident readiness.
Premium — £24,995
For multi-site or complex organisations. Includes deep supplier analysis, resilience testing, and a crisis workshop.
The value is simple:
One well-executed assessment reduces the likelihood and impact of a £250k–£5m cyber incident.
6. Why This Matters
Strengthening cyber risk management isn't just about protecting an organisation — it's about strengthening the wider UK ecosystem.
Every organisation with good cyber hygiene reduces overall national exposure.
Cyber is now part of operational resilience.
It's part of finance.
It's part of governance.
It's part of national security.
A Cyber Risk Assessment is where that understanding begins.