Article
Cybersecurity & Compliance Readiness: The Assessment Framework
The framework Webb uses to get SMEs audit-ready for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR — gap analysis, risk register, and a prioritized remediation roadmap.
Enterprise buyers, insurers, and regulators increasingly ask the same question: can you prove your security? For most SMEs the honest answer is "partly." This framework closes that gap and produces the evidence trail an audit needs.
── WHO THIS IS FOR ──
Companies that need to pass security questionnaires to close deals, prepare for a SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audit, or demonstrate GDPR compliance — without hiring a full security team.
── THE FRAMEWORK ──
1. SCOPE & TARGET
Confirm the framework(s) in scope (SOC 2 Type I/II, ISO 27001, GDPR) and the
systems, data, and people boundary being assessed.
2. GAP ANALYSIS
Assess current state against control domains:
• Access control & identity (MFA, least privilege, joiner/mover/leaver).
• Data protection (encryption at rest/in transit, retention, classification).
• Application & infrastructure security (secure SDLC, patching, config).
• Logging, monitoring & incident response.
• Vendor & third-party risk.
• Governance, policies & training.
Each control is rated: met / partial / missing, with evidence noted.
3. RISK REGISTER
Gaps become risks, scored by likelihood × impact, with an owner and a target
date. This is the artifact auditors and boards actually want to see.
4. REMEDIATION ROADMAP
Prioritized, sequenced, and costed:
• Now (0–30 days) — MFA everywhere, backups tested, incident-response plan,
access review, core policies.
• Next (30–90 days) — logging/monitoring, vendor reviews, SDLC controls,
staff training, evidence collection.
• Later (90+ days) — audit engagement, penetration test, continuous monitoring.
5. POLICY & CONTROL SET
A starter pack: information security policy, access policy, data protection &
retention policy, incident response plan, acceptable use, and a vendor
register — tailored to your business, not generic templates.
── SAMPLE OUTPUT (illustrative) ──
A 25-person SaaS company, assessed for SOC 2 Type II readiness:
• 62 controls assessed: 24 met, 21 partial, 17 missing.
• 9 high risks, 14 medium, the rest low.
• Highest risks: no centralized logging, inconsistent MFA, untested backups,
no formal incident response.
• Roadmap: audit-ready in ~4 months following the Now/Next/Later plan.
── WHAT YOU RECEIVE ──
• Gap analysis against your target framework.
• A scored risk register you maintain.
• A tailored policy & control set.
• A costed remediation roadmap and audit-readiness timeline.
Engagements typically range $10,000–$50,000 depending on scope and framework. The readiness assessment is independent of any remediation work — you own the findings.
Preparing for an audit or an enterprise security review? Book a scoping call.
Jul 2, 2026
Case study
AI Automation Opportunity Assessment: Our Methodology & Sample Report
How Webb identifies 20–30 automatable workflows, scores them by ROI, and turns them into a costed 12-month roadmap — with a worked example.
Most businesses know AI can help them, but not *where* to start. The AI Automation Opportunity Assessment answers that with evidence, not opinion. This is the exact methodology we use, and a sample of what you receive.
── WHY AN ASSESSMENT FIRST ──
Automating the wrong workflow is expensive: you pay to build something that saves little, and you lose trust in AI internally. The assessment de-risks that. In 2–3 weeks we produce a prioritized, costed roadmap so your first automation pays for itself and builds momentum for the rest.
── THE FOUR PHASES ──
1. DISCOVERY (Week 1)
• Stakeholder interviews across each function (sales, finance, support, ops).
• Systems inventory: CRM, accounting, helpdesk, docs, spreadsheets, email/chat.
• Time-and-motion capture: where do hours actually go?
Output: a validated map of 40–60 candidate workflows.
2. SCORING (Week 1–2)
Each candidate is scored on five axes:
• Volume — how often it happens.
• Time cost — loaded hours consumed per month.
• Automatability — how much can be safely automated (rules vs. judgment).
• Data readiness — is the input structured and accessible?
• Risk — error and compliance sensitivity.
We combine these into an ROI score and an effort estimate.
3. PRIORITIZATION (Week 2)
Workflows are plotted on an impact-vs-effort matrix. The output is three tiers:
• Quick wins — high impact, low effort. Build these first.
• Strategic bets — high impact, higher effort. Sequence deliberately.
• Park — low impact. Documented but not recommended now.
4. ROADMAP (Week 3)
For the top 8–12 workflows we deliver: scope, integration list, expected
monthly savings, build cost, monthly run cost, payback period, and a
month-by-month implementation plan with owners.
── SAMPLE FINDINGS (illustrative) ──
A 40-person professional-services firm, assessed across sales, finance, and support:
• 47 candidate workflows identified; 11 recommended for automation.
• Estimated 320 hours/month of recoverable labor across the top 11.
• Top quick win — invoice + AP processing: ~55 hrs/mo recovered, ~$4,500 setup,
~$800/mo run, payback in ~2 months.
• Strategic bet — support ticket triage + drafting: ~90 hrs/mo recovered,
higher setup, payback in ~4 months, plus faster response times.
• Year-one net value across the roadmap (illustrative): $180k–$240k.
── WHAT YOU RECEIVE ──
• A written report (findings, scoring, matrix, roadmap).
• A workflow register spreadsheet you keep.
• An executive readout to align leadership.
• Optional: a fixed quote to implement the quick wins.
Engagements are typically $5,000–$20,000 depending on company size and scope. The assessment stands alone — you own the roadmap whether or not Webb builds it.
Want your own assessment? Book a scoping call and we'll confirm scope and price.
Jul 2, 2026