Security Rating like Credit Score: Why is cybersecurity rating becoming as important as credit score?
In finance, no one gives a limit „on the word of honor.” There is a history, there are indicators, there is a credibility assessment. Security level assessments in cyber have long worked the other way around: a survey once a year or not, a few PDFs, a signature on the security policy, and „let's go.”.
Risk assessment has one advantage: it is simple to use and it is an ongoing process
Cybersecurity ratings work similarly:
- gives a quick picture of „what hygiene looks like” for the organization,
- allows to compare suppliers among themselves,
- shows the trend: whether someone is improving or falling apart,
- Helps set priorities without the „who's right” pushback.
This is important especially when you have hundreds of suppliers and there is always not enough time for analysis.
In 2026, the supply chain has become a viable attack vector. Why has this topic suddenly become urgent?
The example with Notepad++ was brutally simple: a popular tool, and the problem is not in the code itself, but in the delivery of updates and trust in the process. For the company, this means one thing: risk often comes not through the main door, but through a „small element” in someone along the way.
And this is where the security rating begins to act like a credit score in a loan portfolio:
- does not replace an audit,
- but allows you to quickly catch where the risk is growing,
- And where the tough questions are worth asking.
What in ratings is really useful (and what is confusing)?
The greatest value is not in someone getting the right letter or score (everyone needs some measure and reference to that measure). The value is in that, of which it results and whether it can be translated into decisions.
In practice, three things matter:
- External signals that can be monitored continuously
Service exposures, configurations, certificates, known vulnerabilities, traces of leaks. Not „statements,” just observable facts. - Breakdown into categories that say „what to fix”
A good rating is not just an assessment. It's a list of topics: what's at risk, where and at what cost to close it. - Trend and comparison to peers
In finance, it matters if a company is worsening metrics. In cybersecurity, the same is true. A one-time snapshot can sometimes be misleading. The trend is much more honest.
„Fourth parties” and why security rating is the only real leverage?
In conversations about supply chain risk, the question „who else is my supplier using?” is often asked. And there is usually silence.
Because even if the supplier is honest:
- has subcontractors,
- has hosting,
- has integrators,
- has the tools to update,
- has libraries and components.
You won't identify this with a survey. You need continuous monitoring of signals and early warnings. Rating is one of the few mechanisms that can be plugged into a process like onboarding, reviews, contract terms, monitoring.
When does a cybersecurity rating start to make business sense?
The watershed moment is when you connect the rating to the question: „how much can it cost?”
Then cybersecurity stops being a dispute of opinions and becomes a conversation like in finance:
- What is the cost of downtime,
- What is the cost of a data incident,
- What is the cost of response,
- and what will change if the supplier improves a particular area.
This is the practical quantification of risk: less „fear,” more decision.
My thesis for today
The cybersecurity rating will be to companies what the credit score is to banks: a simple, mass decision-making filter. Not perfect. But good enough to reduce risk at scale. A tool available to many departments, not just security or IT.
And if your organization still relies primarily on surveys and declarations to evaluate suppliers, it's worth asking yourself one question: will this approach withstand another „Notepad++ moment” and other threats from its suppliers?
If you would like to learn more about DORA, NIST CSF and CIS requirements, contact the author and schedule a free consultation: https://outlook.office.com/book/Konsultacjewobszarzeaplikacjibiznesowych@ISCG.onmicrosoft.com/s/fKddgNyppECh3KThb8VNMw2?ismsaljsauthenabled