IT Perfection · IT Infrastructure Assessment Tools

Free Security Awareness Assessment

Security Awareness Assessment from IT Perfection helps business owners, IT managers, and technical teams review training, phishing, policies and related operational risk.

Created by Ali Hassani, CISO - 25+ years of IT, cybersecurity, compliance, Microsoft infrastructure, network security, and IT operations experience.

Assessment overview

What this tool reviews

Security Awareness Assessment from IT Perfection helps business owners, IT managers, and technical teams review training, phishing, policies and related operational risk.

The scorecard is built for business owners, IT managers, and administrators who need to confirm evidence quality, access boundaries, logging coverage, exception status, and remediation priority before a project, audit, renewal, or support review.

Important disclaimer

This tool is for initial guidance only and does not replace a professional cybersecurity audit, compliance assessment, penetration test, architecture review, or legal/compliance review.

Interactive scorecard

Security Awareness Assessment scorecard

Answer each item using available configuration records, access lists, logs, ticket history, screenshots, backup evidence, or vendor console data. Results are calculated locally in the browser and are not submitted to IT Perfection.

1. Training

Role-based learning plans tied to recurring simulation and measurement. Evidence to review: collect current-state screenshots or exports for training, plus ownership, exception, and change records.

Do the records for training identify the control owner, approved baseline, evidence location, and most recent validation date?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

People-based controls rely on awareness quality, and weak training reduces the effectiveness of even the best technical controls. Review evidence for control objective, evidence trail, exception handling, review cadence, owner accountability, validation record.

Business impact

Under-trained teams are more likely to trigger avoidable incidents and inconsistent incident reporting. Exposure increases when exceptions lack owners, alerts are not reviewed, or recovery evidence is missing.

What Training is

Training is the security awareness assessment control area that defines expected configuration, ownership, supporting evidence, and review cadence. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For training, the relevant evidence usually includes collect current-state screenshots or exports for training, plus ownership, exception, and change records. Review the related control objective, evidence trail, exception handling, review cadence, owner accountability, validation record, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include admin console, ticketing system, monitoring platform, configuration export, documentation repository.

2. Phishing

User-level threat controls around impersonation, links, and payload delivery. Evidence to review: identify systems that create, receive, maintain, or transmit ePHI; review audit logs, access lists, BAAs, encryption, and remediation tracking.

Can the team prove that phishing matches the intended configuration and was reviewed after material changes?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

Phishing remains a top initial access method, so this is directly linked to account compromise and ransomware outcomes. Review evidence for HIPAA Security Rule, ePHI, access controls, audit controls, integrity controls, transmission security, BAAs, risk analysis evidence.

Business impact

Gaps here cause user credential theft and social-engineering abuse that bypasses many technical controls. Exposure increases when exceptions lack owners, alerts are not reviewed, or recovery evidence is missing.

What Phishing is

Phishing is the operating area where policy, configuration, monitoring, and support records need to agree with the actual environment. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For phishing, the relevant evidence usually includes identify systems that create, receive, maintain, or transmit ePHI; review audit logs, access lists, BAAs, encryption, and remediation tracking. Review the related HIPAA Security Rule, ePHI, access controls, audit controls, integrity controls, transmission security, BAAs, risk analysis evidence, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include EHR admin console, firewall/VPN logs, M365 audit logs, backup reports, HIPAA risk register, vendor contract file.

3. Policies

Policy governance maturity, versioning, and ownership accountability. Evidence to review: compare deployed policy against an approved baseline, inspect exception lists, confirm endpoint/server coverage, and review last successful update timestamps.

Are exceptions, ownership, monitoring records, and response evidence for policies documented well enough for audit or incident response?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

Policies set enforceable expectations and provide defensible evidence for governance, operations, and compliance. Review evidence for security baseline, policy inheritance, CIS/Microsoft baselines, tamper protection, sensor health, vulnerability exposure, exception management.

Business impact

Outdated or unmanaged policy documents produce uneven enforcement and weak accountability during incidents. Exposure increases when exceptions lack owners, alerts are not reviewed, or recovery evidence is missing.

What Policies are

Policies are the technical and administrative control set used to prove this part of the environment is configured, maintained, and reviewed. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For policies, the relevant evidence usually includes compare deployed policy against an approved baseline, inspect exception lists, confirm endpoint/server coverage, and review last successful update timestamps. Review the related security baseline, policy inheritance, CIS/Microsoft baselines, tamper protection, sensor health, vulnerability exposure, exception management, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include Group Policy Management Console, Intune, Microsoft Defender portal, vulnerability dashboards, patch reports, endpoint health exports.

4. Documentation

Operational runbooks, evidence repositories, and procedure accuracy. Evidence to review: sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners.

Do the records for documentation identify the control owner, approved baseline, evidence location, and most recent validation date?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

Documentation must be traceable to an approved configuration, named owner, and dated validation record. Without that evidence, teams cannot prove the control is configured as intended or determine whether exceptions are still justified. Review evidence for SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs.

Business impact

Weak documentation controls can leave stale access, unmonitored changes, unsupported assets, or untested recovery paths in production. The result is longer triage time, weaker audit evidence, and higher remediation cost. It often becomes visible during audits, renewals, or outside reviews.

What Documentation is

Documentation is the security awareness assessment control area that defines expected configuration, ownership, supporting evidence, and review cadence. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For documentation, the relevant evidence usually includes sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners. Review the related SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include ticketing system, documentation portal, change calendar, asset inventory, monitoring alerts, configuration exports.

5. Monitoring

Telemetry collection, alert thresholds, and escalation workflows. Evidence to review: inspect zone changes, resolver paths, DHCP scope utilization, alert thresholds, log retention, NTP synchronization, and monitoring coverage gaps.

Can the team prove that monitoring matches the intended configuration and was reviewed after material changes?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

Monitoring must be traceable to an approved configuration, named owner, and dated validation record. Without that evidence, teams cannot prove the control is configured as intended or determine whether exceptions are still justified. Review evidence for forwarders, secure dynamic updates, DHCP failover, reservations, lease scope utilization, syslog, SNMP, NetFlow, SIEM correlation.

Business impact

Weak monitoring controls can leave stale access, unmonitored changes, unsupported assets, or untested recovery paths in production. The result is longer triage time, weaker audit evidence, and higher remediation cost. It can increase remediation cost and delay recovery.

What Monitoring is

Monitoring is the operating area where policy, configuration, monitoring, and support records need to agree with the actual environment. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For monitoring, the relevant evidence usually includes inspect zone changes, resolver paths, DHCP scope utilization, alert thresholds, log retention, NTP synchronization, and monitoring coverage gaps. Review the related forwarders, secure dynamic updates, DHCP failover, reservations, lease scope utilization, syslog, SNMP, NetFlow, SIEM correlation, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include DNS/DHCP consoles, SIEM, syslog server, network monitoring dashboards, packet captures, availability reports.

6. Ownership

RACI clarity for approvals, maintenance, and review obligations. Evidence to review: sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners.

Are exceptions, ownership, monitoring records, and response evidence for ownership documented well enough for audit or incident response?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

Ownership must be traceable to an approved configuration, named owner, and dated validation record. Without that evidence, teams cannot prove the control is configured as intended or determine whether exceptions are still justified. Review evidence for SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs.

Business impact

Weak ownership controls can leave stale access, unmonitored changes, unsupported assets, or untested recovery paths in production. The result is longer triage time, weaker audit evidence, and higher remediation cost. Risk increases when ownership, evidence, or exceptions are not documented.

What Ownership is

Ownership is the technical and administrative control set used to prove this part of the environment is configured, maintained, and reviewed. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For ownership, the relevant evidence usually includes sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners. Review the related SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include ticketing system, documentation portal, change calendar, asset inventory, monitoring alerts, configuration exports.

7. Testing

Validation frequency, test evidence quality, and remediation verification. Evidence to review: sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners.

Do the records for testing identify the control owner, approved baseline, evidence location, and most recent validation date?

Review guidance, technical context, and business impact
Why it matters

Testing must be traceable to an approved configuration, named owner, and dated validation record. Without that evidence, teams cannot prove the control is configured as intended or determine whether exceptions are still justified. Review evidence for SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs.

Business impact

Weak testing controls can leave stale access, unmonitored changes, unsupported assets, or untested recovery paths in production. The result is longer triage time, weaker audit evidence, and higher remediation cost. Risk increases when ownership, evidence, or exceptions are not documented.

What Testing is

Testing is the security awareness assessment control area that defines expected configuration, ownership, supporting evidence, and review cadence. A reviewer should be able to confirm the current state from system exports, admin-console settings, monitoring records, tickets, and maintained documentation. For testing, the relevant evidence usually includes sample recent tickets and changes, verify approval and rollback records, compare documentation against production, and confirm named owners. Review the related SLA, RACI, change advisory review, rollback plan, runbook accuracy, configuration management, evidence repository, operational KPIs, then confirm which systems or users are affected, which logs prove the control is operating, and how exceptions are approved, tracked, and revisited. Common review sources include ticketing system, documentation portal, change calendar, asset inventory, monitoring alerts, configuration exports.

Printable report

Downloadable and printable Security Awareness Assessment report

Free Security Awareness Assessment Report
Ali Hassani, CISO and IT infrastructure consultant

Ali Hassani, CISO

Created by Ali Hassani, CISO - 25+ years of IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and infrastructure experience.

Certifications: CISSP, CCISO, CCNP, CCNA, MCSE, MCSA Security, MCITP, MCP, and MCTS. View Ali's IT Perfection profile.

Complete the assessment and calculate results to populate this report with your score, findings, recommendations, and priority roadmap.

Client support resources

IT Perfection can review the evidence, validate findings, and help prioritize remediation for managed IT, Microsoft 365, Azure, endpoint security, backup, servers, network infrastructure, and co-managed IT.

Disclaimer: This free tool is a preliminary self-assessment and educational resource. It does not replace a professional cybersecurity audit, compliance assessment, penetration test, or legal/compliance review.

Ali Hassani, CISO and IT infrastructure specialist

Ali Hassani expertise

Security Awareness Assessment guidance backed by real infrastructure experience

Ali Hassani is a cybersecurity consultant, virtual CISO, network security engineer, and IT infrastructure specialist with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations design, secure, audit, and support business IT environments.