Security Attestation: What is It? Do I need It? + Free template

Do you know where you stand in terms of your security status?
*Gulp*
If you just cried a little wondering a.) what I'm talking about and b.) if you're in big-time trouble, dry your eyes. We've got you covered. This blog will explain all you need to know about Security Attestation: What is it? Do you need it? And...if you do, we've included a free downloadable template (the exact one we use). We've also included an interview with Carol Bubar to explain further.

So, let's get started and find out what security attestation is and if you need it!

Key Takeaways

• Security attestation verifies an organization’s security posture and compliance with industry standards.
• It is essential for businesses in regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government contracting.
• Attestation can improve your organization's reputation, reduce security risks, and provide a competitive advantage.
• A security score is a numerical representation of an organization's cybersecurity strength, but formal attestation offers greater validation.
• Regular security assessments and attestations help businesses stay compliant and maintain trust with customers and partners.

What is Security Attestation?

So...what is this? To attest means to "declare that something exists or is the case or to certify formally" says ye old Webster's dictionary. A Security Attestation Letter, therefore, is proof, in an official capacity, of your security status. As your cybersecurity team, we monitor, evaluate and protect your company's security environment. We are able to provide benchmarks, improvement scores, and validation of your security standing.

You can probably think of 10 companies right now that have a lot of your sensitive data. Your hope would be that it's secure, right? A Security Attestation is proof that it is. Basically, it's like a health report for your company's security based on a multitude of rankings.

You might be wondering why Security Attestation is so important for your organization. Let’s find out why. 

Importance of Security Attestation in Regulatory Compliance

Security attestation is vital if your organizations operate in a highly regulated industry such as healthcare, finance, and government contracting. 

It serves as formal proof that your organization complies with established cybersecurity frameworks like CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2), and ISO 27001 (Information Security Management System Standard).

By providing a security attestation, you demonstrate to customers, partners, and regulatory bodies that you have implemented necessary security controls to protect their sensitive data. 

This not only helps in meeting legal and contractual obligations that you may face, but also improves your organization's reputation by showcasing a commitment to cybersecurity best practices.

Let’s help you understand why your organization needs security attestation and how you can benefit from it. 

Understanding Security Attestation

Security attestation involves an independent assessment by a qualified auditor, providing assurance that an organization's security controls are effective and compliant with established standards, and this is especially important in a variety of industries, such as healthcare, finance, and government contracting, as you can see below

Importance in Regulatory Industries

Healthcare, finance, and government contracting are just a few examples of the importance of security attestation in regulatory industries, although they are some of the most important to discuss. 

1. Healthcare: Compliance with standards like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is crucial. While HIPAA involves certification, security attestation can provide any potential clients with additional assurance regarding specific controls related to data privacy and security.
2. Finance: if you are a financial institution, security attestation is essential for meeting regulatory requirements such as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). This involves maintaining robust security standards to protect financial data.
3. Government Contracting: In government contracting, particularly when the Department of Defense is involved, frameworks like CMMC require your organization to demonstrate its cybersecurity maturity through attestation, ensuring you can securely handle sensitive government information.
4. Technology Sector: If you’re in the tech industry, especially as a cloud service provider or software vendor, security attestation is key. Certifications like SOC 2 show your customers and partners that you take security seriously and have the right controls in place to protect their data.
5. Retail & E-commerce: If your business handles a lot of customer data, security attestation helps you stay compliant with standards like GDPR and PCI DSS. It also reassures your customers that their payment details and personal information are in good hands.

Benefits of Security Attestation

There are many benefits of security attestation for your organization, including meeting legal and contractual obligations, improving your reputation, and reducing risk, among others. 

• Legal and Contractual Obligations: Security attestation helps your organization meet legal and contractual requirements by providing formal proof of compliance with cybersecurity standards.
• Reputation Enhancement: It boosts your organization's reputation by showcasing a commitment to cybersecurity best practices, which is critical for building trust with customers and partners.
• Risk Reduction: By implementing and attesting to robust security controls, your business can reduce the risk of cyber threats and protect sensitive data.
• Competitive Advantage: Security attestation can set you apart from competitors by demonstrating that your organization meets industry security standards. This can be a deciding factor for potential clients when choosing between vendors.

Request a free security assessment today! 

Examples of Security Attestation

To provide you with a better idea of what security attestation looks like, here are some common examples, including SOC reports, CMMC attestation, and ISO 27001 certification. 

• SOC Reports: These reports, such as SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3, are common examples of attestation and provide assurance about the effectiveness of security controls you’ve implemented.
• CMMC Attestation: In government contracting, CMMC requires your company to undergo attestation to demonstrate their cybersecurity maturity and compliance with specific standards.
• ISO 27001 Certification: This internationally recognized standard requires an independent audit to verify that your organization has implemented an effective information security management system. Attestation to ISO 27001 demonstrates a strong commitment to data security.

Related to all of these attestations is your organization’s security score, an important factor when it comes to landing contracts that demand the highest level of security. 

What Is a Security Score?

A security score is a numerical representation of your organization’s overall cybersecurity posture, typically generated by automated tools that assess factors like vulnerabilities, compliance, and security incidents. 

While security scores provide a quick, high-level view of your risk, they don’t offer the same formal validation as security attestation, which involves an independent audit to verify that your security controls meet industry standards. 

However, undergoing security attestation can improve your security score by demonstrating compliance and strengthening your overall security framework. Together, these tools help build trust with customers, partners, and regulators. Keeping this in mind, how is a security score calculated? 

How Is a Security Score Calculated?

At BEMO, we use all of Microsoft's robust security features, integrating our apps to monitor and address vulnerabilities from a single platform. 

Your security score is based on Microsoft's Secure Score, which measures an organization's security posture by evaluating system configurations, user behavior, and other security-related aspects.

So, what’s Microsoft Secure Score? 

What Is Microsoft Secure Score?

Microsoft Secure Score is a quantitative tool that evaluates an organization's security posture across various Microsoft services, including devices, identities, apps, infrastructure, and data. It provides a comprehensive view by analyzing configurations, user behaviors, and security controls, offering actionable recommendations to improve security.

How Is Microsoft Secure Score Calculated?

The score is based on a points system, where each action taken to improve security contributes up to ten points. Implementing recommended security features, such as configuring multifactor authentication or strengthening third-party applications, increases the score. The score is dynamic and updates within 24 hours after an activity.

Key Components of Microsoft Secure Score

Five of the most important components of Microsoft Secure Score include controls, recommendations, score impact, implementation status, and historical trends. Here’s what you need to know:

• Controls: Specific security actions or settings that improve security posture, such as enabling multifactor authentication or configuring Advanced Threat Protection policies.
• Recommendations: Tailored suggestions based on the organization's environment, prioritized based on their potential to reduce risk and improve the secure score.
• Score Impact: Each action's effectiveness determines its score impact. For instance, enabling MFA for admins may have a higher score impact than creating a new security policy.
• Implementation Status: Tracks whether a recommended security action has been fully, partially, or not implemented, helping organizations prioritize their next steps.
• Historical Trends: Provides insights into how the Secure Score has changed over time, allowing organizations to measure progress and assess the impact of security improvements.

This score helps identify areas where users might benefit from further training and ensures that your system privileges are appropriately configured. By implementing recommended actions, organizations can improve their score, reflecting enhanced security measures and reduced risk.

Watch the rest of the video with Carol (2-minutes) to learn more:

Now that you know what it is, do you need security attestation?

Do I need Security Attestation?

Determining whether you need a Security Attestation depends on your organization's obligations to customers, vendors, or regulatory entities. If you are required to prove the safety and security of sensitive information, a Security Attestation Letter serves as formal evidence of your security posture—and BEMO can provide one for you. 

However, beyond merely fulfilling a requirement, the ultimate goal is to ensure your organization is genuinely secure. Effective security practices protect your business and clients, turning compliance into a strategic advantage rather than just a checkbox.

The moral of the story? Get out in front of it. Even if you don't need a Security Attestation letter, that doesn't mean that you don't need to be secure. Be one step (or heck, tons of steps) ahead of the game and get your security on point.

Keep reading if you’re wondering how to obtain a security attestation. 

How to Obtain a Security Attestation

Obtaining a security attestation is a systematic process that involves conducting a security assessment, implementing controls, engaging with an expert, preparing documentation, and being assessed. 

Below are the key steps involved in obtaining a security attestation:

1. Conduct a Security Assessment

A security assessment is crucial for evaluating your organization's current security posture against relevant cybersecurity standards and frameworks. This involves analyzing potential risks and identifying areas for improvement. Organizations often use frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) or COBIT to structure their risk assessments.

• Identify Goals: Determine your organization's security attestation goals and objectives. You must create a testing plan to guide the assessment process.
• Use Frameworks: Use established cybersecurity frameworks to ensure the assessment aligns with industry standards.

2. Implement Necessary Controls

After identifying gaps in the security posture, organizations must implement necessary controls to address these vulnerabilities. This includes refining security policies and ensuring compliance with relevant standards.

• Gap Analysis: Conduct a thorough gap analysis to pinpoint areas where security measures need improvement.
• Control Implementation: Implement required security controls, such as incident response plans and access controls, to strengthen the organization's cybersecurity posture.

3. Engage with a Compliance Expert

Partnering with a compliance service provider such as BEMO can guide you through the attestation process. These experts help ensure that all steps are correctly executed and that your organization meets the necessary compliance requirements, therefore boosting your credibility with potential clients. 

4. Prepare Documentation

Compiling evidence of security controls and practices is essential for demonstrating compliance during the attestation process. This documentation should include detailed records of security assessments, control implementations, and ongoing monitoring activities.

Gather logs, configurations, and data from key points in your organization's security operations to maintain transparency and accountability. Next, ensure that all attestation data is stored securely using encrypted, access-controlled mechanisms to protect against unauthorized access.

5. Formal Attestation

The final step involves acquiring a formal security attestation letter or report from an authorized body. This document certifies your organization's compliance and security status, providing stakeholders with an objective review of its cybersecurity risk management program.

• Attestation Report: The attestation report should include details about the organization's risk management program, incident response plans, and security controls. It may be customized based on the organization's size and industry.
• Independent Verification: Ensure that the attestation process includes independent verification to maintain objectivity and credibility.

Additional Considerations

For some industries, like financial institutions using SWIFT, annual security attestation is required to maintain compliance with evolving cybersecurity threats.

Moreover, you should maintain transparency throughout the attestation process by regularly updating stakeholders on progress and findings.

So you know what a security attestation letter should include, let’s take a look at an example. 

Use BEMO to help get your security attestation faster. 

Security Attestation Letter Example

Curious what a Security Attestation Letter looks like? Look no further! Here's a downloadable version of the one we use every day at BEMO. You're welcome to use it, or if you'd like us to provide you with a letter, please reach out using the chat in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. Here's what the template looks like (click to view in browser and download):

The Importance of Security Attestation: The Bottom Line

Security attestation is a crucial step in verifying an organization’s cybersecurity posture, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and maintaining trust with stakeholders. 

Whether you're in healthcare, finance, government contracting, or technology, proving your security readiness can set you apart from competitors and protect sensitive data from cyber threats. 

Conducting regular security attestations not only helps you meet regulatory requirements but also strengthens your overall security framework.

Well, there you have it! Everything you needed to know about Security Attestation, what it is, if you need it, + a free template. The main takeaway? Whether you're required to produce a letter or not, businesses these days deal in uber-sensitive information hackers are licking their chops over. Make sure to secure your company's and your customer's data. If you need help, we are here for you.

Questions? Comments? Leave yours below 👇

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Security Attestation?

Security attestation is the process of verifying and validating the security posture of a system or application. It involves assessing and managing configurations, compliance with security policies, and the overall trustworthiness of the environment.

Why Is Security Attestation Important?

Security attestation helps organizations identify vulnerabilities, ensure compliance with regulations, and build trust with stakeholders. It provides assurance that systems are secure and that sensitive data is protected against unauthorized access.

How Is Security Attestation Performed?

Attestation can be performed through various methods, including automated tools, manual assessments, and third-party audits. Organizations may use frameworks like ISO 27001 or NIST SP 800-53 to guide their attestation processes.

Who Should Conduct Security Attestation?

While internal teams can perform self-assessments, it is often beneficial to involve external auditors or security experts for an unbiased evaluation. This helps ensure comprehensive coverage and adherence to best practices.

How Often Should Security Attestation Be Conducted?

Regular attestation is recommended, typically on an annual basis or whenever significant changes occur in the IT environment. This ensures ongoing compliance and risk management.

Glossary of Key Terms

• Security Attestation: A formal declaration or statement confirming that an organization's security measures meet specific standards or requirements. This can involve audits or assessments to ensure compliance with security regulations or standards.
• Microsoft Secure Score: This is a metric provided by Microsoft to assess an organization's security posture based on system configurations and user behaviors. It helps organizations identify areas for improvement and enhance their overall security.
• CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification): CMMC is a standard developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to implement cybersecurity across the defense industrial base. It aims to ensure that contractors can protect sensitive information by implementing various cybersecurity practices at different maturity levels.
• SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2): SOC 2 is a compliance standard for service organizations that manage customer data. It focuses on five trust principles: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. The purpose is to ensure that service organizations have appropriate controls in place to protect customer data.
• ISO 27001: This is an international standard that outlines best practices for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). It provides a framework for organizations to manage their information security risks effectively, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data.