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Don’t Overspend on Your Gap Assessment: 4 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t want to waste money on a bad security Gap Assessment?

Not sure how to avoid overspending?

We’ve seen it happen too many times, whether you’re doing FedRAMP, CMMC, or another NIST or FISMA framework, a consultant sells you a very expensive gap assessment. But, if it’s the wrong gap assessment, it doesn’t guide you through implementation and leaves you with more questions than answers on how to actually get compliant.

Your gap assessment should provide a roadmap to help you correct your gaps and reach your compliance goals. Read on to find out steps to take for an effective gap assessment and how you can avoid common pitfalls.

What is a Gap Assessment?

A gap assessment is a report that shows the differences, or gaps, between where your security is now and where it needs to be to meet your compliance goal — like FedRAMP or CMMC.

It should also estimate the time and resources needed to bridge that gap.

Watch to learn more:

Common Gap Assessment Problems

Inadequate planning and preparation can lead to inefficient and overly costly assessments.

1: Spending too Much:

Some organizations think they don’t need to go into a gap assessment with a clear understanding of their data flows, processes, and scope. They may rely on consultants to figure everything out.
But, doing this leads to extensive interviews and time consuming investigations that make the assessment really, really expensive.

2: Undefined Scope:

Failing to define the specific scope of the gap assessment (e.g., focusing on a particular part of the organization rather than the entire company) results in an overly broad and costly assessment.

3: Lack of Specific Goals:

Not clearly defining the target compliance goal (e.g., FedRAMP High vs. SOC 2) leads to misalignment.

For example, assuming SOC 2 compliance makes FedRAMP easy is a mistake, as the requirements are significantly different in rigor and data handling.

4: Inexperienced Assessors:

Inexperienced consultants can produce suboptimal results. You might risk wasting tons of money and not end up improving your organization’s position in a significant way if you hand the entire process over to an inexperienced team.

Steps for an Effective Gap Assessment:

Define the Scope: Clearly outline the data flows, people, processes, and technology involved.
Providing this information upfront prevents costly, broad assessments where consultants interview everyone without focus.
Be Specific with the End Goal: Know exactly what you’re aiming for. Different certifications (e.g., FedRAMP High, SOC 2) have vastly different requirements.
For example, FedRAMP demands strict data encryption and secure enclaves, unlike the more lenient SOC 2.
Leverage Experience: Work with groups and teams that have a proven track record of helping teams make progress.

→ Paramify includes a unique gap assessment that simplifies the process and provides a clear map to meet your goals.

What is Paramify’s Compliance Road Map?

We’ve seen many companies and security teams lose time and money in the implementation process. Our Gap Assessment works as a compliance roadmap to guide and streamline implementation, so you stay on track and meet goals fast.

Here’s how it works:

→ Schedule your full Paramify demo today

Step 1: Intake

After a 45-60 minute meeting with your team we generate a dashboard that shows the gaps you need to address to meet your framework goal.

Step 2: Living Gap Assessment

Your dashboard:

Provides a guided, efficient security strategy to help you meet your goals fast.
Tracks your status as you implement solutions to gaps.

→ Get your dashboard after a fast, easy Gap Assessment with Paramify

Step 3: Automated Compliance Documentation

Paramify automatically creates your SSP(s) and appendices as you implement.

You’ll take note of your solution and Paramify will automatically update it everywhere it’s relevant in the documentation.

Once your implementation is finished, so is your SSP. Your accurate documentation is ready to generate at any time.

Any changes you need to make down the road are fast and easy. Update once to update everywhere necessary.

→ Learn More: Automated Documentation vs SSP Templates

Traditional Gap Assessment vs Paramify

Gap Assessment Format Options:

Traditional gap assessments require many interviews and deep dive into your systems. After this you’ll likely receive a static deck or spreadsheet that states your gaps. This report may also provide the cost and resources you’ll need to get compliant.

With Paramify you’ll receive a living dashboard to guide implementation, suggest solutions and their costs, and track progress.

How Long Does a Compliance Gap Assessment Take?

A traditional gap assessment for a framework like FedRAMP or CMMC takes anywhere from 2-8 weeks.
Paramify’s one-of-a-kind, automated assessment requires 45-60 minutes to complete the process.

How Much Does a Gap Assessment Cost?

Traditional Gap Assessment costs $10,000 - 50,000+ for CMMC and $30,000 - $150,000+ for FedRAMP (depending on level and complexity of your system). From here you’ll still need to pay implementation and documentation fees.
Gap Assessment and compliance roadmap is included with Paramify at no extra cost. The yearly fee also includes your SSP and other documentation.

→ Check out Paramify’s affordable pricing

Get Your Fast, Inexpensive Gap Assessment & Compliance Roadmap

Wasting money on an ineffective security gap assessment can derail your compliance journey, leaving you with unclear next steps and mounting costs.

Paramify solves this by offering a fast, affordable, and automated gap assessment that delivers a living dashboard to guide your implementation and streamline documentation.

Don’t risk overspending on outdated methods — schedule your Paramify Gap Assessment demo today and take the first step toward efficient, cost-effective compliance!

Sign up for your demo of Paramify:

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