Don't let limited IT staff or budget leave you exposed. FrameworkMapper prioritizes the controls that give small businesses the highest security impact for the lowest cost — starting with CIS Controls IG1.
Why This Matters
Attackers know small businesses have fewer defenses — and the consequences of a breach can be business-ending.
Of cyberattacks specifically target small businesses
Source: Verizon DBIR
Of small businesses close within 6 months of a major cyberattack
Source: National Cyber Security Alliance
Cyber insurance premium increases — insurers now require documented security controls
Industry trend
CIS IG1 safeguards can prevent the majority of common attacks without enterprise tools
CIS Controls v8.1
Recommended Frameworks
FrameworkMapper supports all frameworks below, with SMB-tuned prioritization built in.
| Framework | Why It Applies | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CIS Controls v8.1 IG1 | The 56 foundational safeguards every organization should implement — designed for limited IT resources | Strongly Recommended |
| CIS Controls v8.1 IG2 | 74 additional safeguards for organizations with dedicated IT staff handling sensitive data | Recommended (when ready) |
| NIST CSF v2 | Risk management framework increasingly required by cyber insurance carriers and business partners | Recommended |
| CMMC Level 1 | Required if your business is in the DoD supply chain — even as a subcontractor | Conditional (DoD supply chain) |
How FrameworkMapper Helps
Many small businesses have more security coverage than they realize. The free Coverage Aggregator maps your existing tools against CIS IG1 safeguards so you know exactly where your gaps are — before spending anything new.
Launch AggregatorToolMapper filters by cost (including free and low-cost tools) and implementation group. Find what fills your IG1 gaps without breaking your IT budget.
Launch ToolMapperA CIS Controls assessment produces a scored roadmap with the highest-impact actions ranked first. Use it to guide your next IT purchase decision or satisfy a cyber insurance questionnaire.
View AssessmentsThe Universal Control Prioritization Algorithm uses seven factors, each weighted to reflect the realities of small business security programs.
| Factor | SMB Weight | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| T Threat Relevance | 0.20 | Common SMB threats (phishing, ransomware, credential theft) weighted |
| D Dependency Score | 0.15 | Foundation controls enabling others prioritized |
| E Effort-to-Value | 0.25 | HIGHEST weight — maximum impact for minimum cost and effort |
| B Blast Radius | 0.10 | Controls preventing business-stopping incidents |
| R Regulatory Criticality | 0.05 | Low weight — most SMB compliance is voluntary/insurance-driven |
| C Coverage Breadth | 0.15 | Controls addressing multiple attack vectors |
| A Asset Exposure | 0.10 | Controls protecting business-critical data and systems |
SMB is a natively defined UCPA weight profile (V23) — one of the five foundational profiles.
For small business, Effort-to-Value carries the highest weight (0.25) — because every dollar and every hour of IT staff time must generate maximum security return. The algorithm surfaces high-impact, low-cost controls first, giving resource-constrained businesses a realistic, achievable roadmap.
Read the Full UCPA MethodologyStart free with the Coverage Aggregator or run a full CIS Controls assessment tailored for small business implementation groups.