Cybersecurity Gap Assessments: The Biggest Missing Link in the current context

Cybersecurity isn’t just for the regulated or the large-scale. Today’s breaches are opportunistic, automated, and indiscriminate, making it essential for every organization to know exactly where it stands. That’s where a Cybersecurity Gap Assessment plays a critical role.

The Reality: Threats Don’t Wait for Compliance

From phishing to ransomware, threat actors don’t check if you’re (ISO 27001 or RBI or USFDA or SEBI CSCRF)-compliant — they exploit:

• Unpatched systems
• Misconfigured networks
• Weak or default credentials
• Poor firewall rules
• Unsecured backups
• Unmonitored admin access

Knowing your internal security posture is the first step to cyber resilience, whether you’re a bank, an insurance company, a public limited entity, a pharma, or a manufacturing business.

What Does a Cybersecurity Gap Assessment Cover?

A Cybersecurity Gap Assessment is far more than a technical test (like VAPT). It’s a strategic and structured evaluation of your security ecosystem — covering controls, configurations, tools, and response readiness across multiple domains:

1. Network Design & Segmentation

• VLAN usage and segmentation by function (Users, Servers, IoT, Guests)
• SSID access separation and WPA3 enforcement
• Routing logic and ACL enforcement
• Detection of flat networks or lateral movement risks

2. Firewall & Gateway Policy Review

• Rule base hygiene and unnecessary open ports
• Use of geo-blocking, IDS/IPS, and rate limiting
• VPN security, logging, and access policies
• NAT configurations, admin access exposure

3. Operating System Hardening

• Benchmarked against CIS/NIST standards
• Disabled unnecessary services and open ports
• Patch cadence (OS & third-party)
• Secure local user configurations and password policies

4. Identity & Access Management

• AD structure review — groups, OUs, stale accounts
• MFA deployment status
• Privilege access audit
• Domain admin sprawl and role hygiene

5. Endpoint Security

• EDR/AV deployment & update consistency
• Tamper protection and uninstall prevention
• USB and application control
• Endpoint encryption (BitLocker/FileVault)

6. Backup & Data Resilience

• Immutable and air-gapped backups
• Retention policy alignment with business needs
• Restoration test evidence
• RPO/RTO vs. actual capability

7. Data Protection & DLP

(Subject to availability of DLP tools — or can be evaluated as a standalone exercise)

• DLP configuration in M365, endpoints, cloud storage
• File sharing and data exfiltration monitoring
• Access controls for confidential/classified information
• Shadow IT and third-party app exposure

 8. Logging, Monitoring & Incident Response

(Subject to presence of SIEM — else, partial analysis based on log availability)

• SIEM rule coverage and alert tuning
• Source log validation (firewalls, endpoints, AD, etc.)
• IR escalation process and runbooks
• Tabletop drills, ownership mapping

 9. User Awareness & Governance

• Employee cybersecurity training frequency
• Phishing simulation exposure
• Acceptable use policies
• Security roles and accountability in IT teams

Gap Assessment vs. VAPT

Many organizations assume that doing regular Vulnerability Assessments and Penetration Testing (VAPT) is enough to ensure security. But this only scratches the surface. VAPT focuses on what can be technically exploited — not on the process or design gaps that make you inherently weak.

That’s why both are essential, but they serve different purposes:

Best practice: Use both, but never skip the gap assessment.

“No Compliance? Still No Excuse.”

Still not mandated by your regulator? That’s exactly why you should act now. Gap assessments give you:

• A risk heatmap of your IT estate
• Early warning signals before attackers find them
• A ready blueprint for cyber insurance or certifications
• The ability to take ownership of your risk — not just outsource it to tools or vendors

Compliance or not — visibility matters.

At CyberVigilens, our Gap Assessment doesn’t stop at pointing out flaws —
We deliver a practical, actionable roadmap tailored to your current environment, tools, and compliance needs (if any).

Get a 360° Cybersecurity Gap Assessment with CyberVigilens.
Contact Us: sales@cybervigilens.com