Stop Guessing! The Security Health Check That Saves Your Bacon (and Budget)

You know that feeling when you think you've finally got a handle on your cyber security? You’ve got the shiny firewall, passwords that look like a cat walked across the keyboard, and enough policy documents to sink a small ship. We get it. Most organisations feel the same way.

The problem is, sometimes we only find the real cracks - the ones you could drive a truck through - when something bad happens. Maybe it's a frantic audit, a stomach-dropping breach, or losing a massive tender because you couldn't tick the right box. Ouch.

That's where the mighty Gap Analysis steps in to save the day (and your sanity).

So, What's a Gap Analysis, Anyway?

Think of a gap analysis as a health check for your company's information security, but without the scratchy paper gown.

It's a structured review that basically asks, "How are we doing compared to the gold-standard grown-up rules?" (Things like ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, DORA, NIS2, or NHS DSPT).

The goal isn't to play "gotcha." It's to give you a genuine map: showing you where you're already rock-solid and, more importantly, where you've got room for improvement. It's like checking the oven before the smoke detector goes off.

Why Should You Care (Besides Avoiding Panic)?

• Save Money in the Long Run: Spotting a weakness before it turns into a five-figure incident is always a good investment. Think of it as pre-emptive financial hygiene.

  
  

• Win More Work: Seriously, you can’t swing a compliance cat these days without a client or tender asking for some sort of Cert. So is a 'Get certified, get the contract' vibe these days.

  
  

• Ultimate Peace of Mind: Knowing your risks and priorities are clearly mapped out is a much better sleep aid than a warm cup of milk.

Without a proper gap analysis, you might end up spending a fortune fixing the wrong thing, or worse, staring blankly at an auditor who just asked you a question you really, really should have the answer to.

The Common 'Oops' Moments We See

Working across sectors like health, tech, and defense, we've noticed the same security gaps pop up again and again. They're like that one relative who always shows up late to Christmas dinner.

• Missing or Ancient Risk Registers: If your risk register still lists 'Y2K bug' as a high priority, it might be time for an update.

  
  

• Policies that are 'In-Place-But-Not-In-Practice': You have a policy, but nobody actually follows it. This is like owning a gym membership and thinking it counts as exercise.

  
  

• Weak Supplier Due Diligence: Assuming your third-party tools are secure because they look pretty. Narrator: They were not.

  
  

• Inconsistent Incident Response: That plan you wrote in 2019? Have you actually practiced it?

  
  

• Technical Controls Not Fully Rolled Out: The CEO doesn't use MFA because it's "fiddly." The marketing team is using a decade-old backup system.

Here's the good news: These aren't failures-they’re opportunities. The earlier you find them, the easier and cheaper they are to fix.

Ready for the Roadmap?

Even if you’re not ready to commit to the full certification pilgrimage of ISO 27001 or a Cyber Essentials audit, a gap analysis gives you the essential roadmap.

You'll stop guessing, know exactly where you stand, and have a clear list of what to prioritise. No more sinking time and money into the wrong security projects.

Ready to find out if your cyber posture is a majestic warrior or just wearing its trousers backwards?

Check out our mini gap analysis checklist to get a sense of where you're at:

Free Cyber Security Gap Analysis Checklist

This quick checklist highlights 6 common gaps we see across Health, Tech, and Defence sectors. Use it to see where your organization might have immediate blind spots.

Area of Concern	We Do This Now? (Yes/No)	Do We Have a Written Policy? (Yes/No)	Our Gap/Next Step
Risk Register	Is your core Risk Register reviewed and updated at least every 6 months?	Is there a documented procedure for identifying, assessing, and treating new risks?
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)	Is MFA enforced for all staff on all remote access (VPN, cloud services, email)?	Is there a policy stating MFA is mandatory for all access to sensitive systems?
Incident Response	Have we formally tested our incident response plan (e.g., a "tabletop" exercise) in the last 12 months?	Is there a clear, up-to-date plan detailing roles, communication, and containment steps?
Supplier Due Diligence	Do we formally assess the cyber security of new and critical suppliers before signing a contract?	Is there a policy requiring minimum security standards (e.g., ISO 27001) for key vendors?
Data Backups	Are we certain our backups are stored off-site and have we successfully tested a full restore in the last 3 months?	Is there a clear policy defining what data is backed up, frequency, and retention periods?
User Training	Have all staff received mandatory, role-specific cyber security awareness training within the last 6 months?	Is there a formal policy for mandatory initial and recurring cyber security training for all employees?

Ready to Turn These Gaps into Strengths?

This simple checklist is just the tip of the iceberg!

A professional Gap Analysis compares your current state against recognised industry standards (like NHS DSP Toolkit, Cyber Essentials, DORA, NIS2 or ISO 27001) to provide a precise, prioritised roadmap.

Stop playing guesswork with your security. Let's schedule a brief chat about your results and how we can help you build a resilient, compliant cyber security posture.

Get in touch today!

Jeff Pullen CISSP, CCSP, ACIIS

Information Security Consultant