Baseline Security Sprint
A practical starting point if you want to understand where you are exposed and what to fix first.
The Baseline Security Sprint is a short, focused engagement we run to establish where your security exposure is concentrated and what to fix first.
It is based on your real systems and working practices.
Unlike traditional assessments, it ends with an ordered action plan. It is designed for small and mid-sized organisations that want to improve security without launching a large, complex and expensive programme.
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Baseline Security Sprint – at a glance
The Sprint gives you clarity, priorities, and a clear plan you can act on.
Format:
A time-limited review followed by a practical, prioritised action plan.
Focus:
Identifying and prioritising security risks that matter most, and avoiding unnecessary work.
Output:
A clear set of actions your team can implement, with or without support. The Sprint does not certify compliance, but it will flag material compliance gaps where they create real risk.
Who it is for:
Organisations that want to reduce risk sensibly before investing in larger security initiatives.
What the Sprint gives you
- Clear visibility. You understand where your biggest security risks actually are.
- Risk-based decisions. You can explain why certain actions come first, and why others can wait.
- Clear priorities. You know what to fix first, and what can safely wait.
- Practical recommendations. Actions that fit your systems, your budget, and your capacity.
- Useful documentation. Material you can use for internal reporting, customers, or insurers.
What is usually covered
Coverage is driven by risk and exposure, not by a fixed checklist. The exact scope is agreed during the initial call.
The Sprint typically looks at:
- Identity and access. MFA use, admin access, privilege levels, remote access, and account management.
- Servers and endpoints. Patch practices, exposed services, baseline configuration, and admin access paths.
- Email security. SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup, mailbox protection, and phishing risk reduction.
- Backups and recovery. What is backed up, how restores work, and basic ransomware resilience.
- Logging and visibility. What activity you can see today and where visibility is missing.
- Incident readiness. Simple steps so people know what to do if something goes wrong.
How the Sprint works
- Initial call. We agree objectives, constraints, and what success looks like.
- Discovery. Short discussions, documentation review, and agreed access to gather facts.
- Analysis. Findings are consolidated into risks and practical actions.
- Playback. We review the results together and agree next steps.
What you receive at the end
- A prioritised action plan. Clear steps, in the right order.
- Quick wins. A small number of changes you can make immediately.
- Practical guidance. Notes to help you maintain improvements over time.
- An evidence pack. Useful for assurance conversations and internal sign-off.
Typical results
- Reduced exposure from weak defaults and unnecessary access.
- Better control over administrative and privileged activity.
- More confidence in backups and recovery.
- A clear plan your team can follow without guesswork.
Why clients find this useful
- It is time-limited. You get value quickly without a long-running project.
- It is practical. Focus stays on actions, not theory.
- It is clearly explained. Engineers get detail, leaders get clarity.
- It is independent. Advice is not driven by product sales.
- It reduces risk fast. The Sprint reduces risk faster by preventing time and budget being spent on low-impact or premature controls.
What the Sprint deliberately does not do
To keep the Baseline Security Sprint focused and effective, there are clear boundaries on what it covers.
- It is not a compliance audit.
- It is not an inventory-building exercise.
- It is not an implementation project.
These boundaries exist to avoid scope creep, keep effort focused on real risk, and ensure the Sprint ends with clear, usable decisions.
Read what we don’t do and why ->
Common questions
Do we need to commit to a big security programme?
No. The Sprint gives you a short, ordered plan. You decide how much to implement and when.
Will this disrupt our day-to-day work?
Discovery is planned and lightweight. We agree access and timing in advance, and nothing changes in your environment without explicit approval.
Can our own team implement the recommendations?
Often yes. The plan is written so an internal IT team can work through it. Support is available if you want additional help or capacity.
Can you also support implementation?
Yes, if you want. Implementation is always scoped separately. You can implement internally, use your existing suppliers, or request support from KW Cybersecurity.
Next step
If you want a clear view of your current security position and a sensible plan for the next 90 days, book a short discovery call.