The Cyber Risk Program powered by Stern Security's Velocity platform gives hands-on expertise from Cypress Technology Advisors, giving you an ongoing, analyst-verified view of your cyber risk instead of a one-time audit.
The program starts with a Verified Risk Analysis engagement and settles into a quarterly cadence where Stern Security and Cypress jointly review your posture, roadmap, and ROI.
Overview
Show Cyber ROI to the Board
Quantify security spend and demonstrate measurable risk reduction to executives
Evidence-Based Compliance
Analyst-verified evidence across 20+ frameworks for audits and requirements
Extend Your Security Team
Ongoing platform management and analyst support without adding headcount
Defensible Insurance Renewals
A current, evidence-based risk profile for your next underwriting cycle
Prioritized Remediation Roadmap
Findings convert into a scored, sequenced action plan that your team, or ours, can execute
Continuous Risk Visibility
Track your Velocity Score quarter over quarter, not just once a year
Analyst-Verified Accuracy
Every assessment is reviewed and verified by Stern Security analysts
Common Use Cases
Your team is stretched too thin to run a risk program on top of daily operations.
You want to establish a regular cadence to improve your security posture every quarter.
You need ongoing access to security experts without adding headcount.
You need to prepare for an upcoming cyber insurance renewal or audit.
Your team needs more security expertise than your headcount allows.
You need to show measurable risk reduction and evidence to leaders, customers, or partners.
Core Deliverables
Verified Risk Analysis Report
Analyst-verified baseline of your risk posture across 20+ frameworks, backed by evidence, not self-attestation.
Velocity Score & Dashboard
A live, trackable score (0–100) and interactive dashboards showing whether your posture is actually improving.
Quarterly Program Review
A recurring cadence pairing Stern Security's analysts with Cypress architects to drive the program forward.
Process Overview
The program starts with a one-time baseline engagement, then shifts into an ongoing quarterly cadence. Remediation support is available whenever you need it.
1
Verified Risk Analysis
Analyst-led baseline engagement including interviews, evidence verification, and full Velocity build-out. Typically 4–6 weeks.
2
Findings & Roadmap Delivery
You receive your Velocity Score, verified findings, and a prioritized roadmap for what to fix first.
3
Remediation (Optional)
Stern Security and Cypress can work alongside your team to close the highest-priority findings.
4
Quarterly Optimization
A recurring cadence of quarterly business reviews that keeps your roadmap, posture, and ROI story current.
About Stern Security
Stern Security is a Raleigh-based cybersecurity firm and the team behind Velocity. Since 2013, Stern has helped organizations in healthcare, financial services, and other regulated industries measure and reduce cyber risk. Its analysts verify every assessment and bring deep penetration testing and vCISO experience to the work.
Stern Security
Velocity by Stern Security
Velocity is an award-winning cyber risk quantification platform from Stern Security. It helps organizations assess internal and third-party risk, prioritize security investments, and show measurable improvement to executives and boards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Cyber Risk Program powered by Stern Security's Velocity platform?
The Cyber Risk Program is an ongoing cyber risk management program that pairs Stern Security’s Velocity platform and analysts with expert guidance from Cypress Technology Advisors. Stern’s analysts verify your controls with real evidence instead of self-reported answers, then build an accurate baseline of your security posture. From there, Stern and Cypress meet with your team each quarter to track progress, update your roadmap, and show measurable risk reduction over time.
It’s built for organizations that want steady security improvement without adding headcount, and that need more than a point-in-time assessment that goes stale a few months later.
It’s built for organizations that want steady security improvement without adding headcount, and that need more than a point-in-time assessment that goes stale a few months later.
What is Velocity by Stern Security?
Velocity is a cyber risk quantification platform from Stern Security that measures security posture, tracks improvement over time, and helps security leaders show the ROI of their programs. It supports more than 20 security frameworks, including NIST CSF, CIS v8.1, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, and NIST 800-171, and maps your answers across them so one assessment can serve several requirements.
Its Velocity Score, a 0 to 100 measure built from your assessment data, breach research, and threat intelligence, gives you a single number to track quarter over quarter. The license is owned directly by your organization.
Its Velocity Score, a 0 to 100 measure built from your assessment data, breach research, and threat intelligence, gives you a single number to track quarter over quarter. The license is owned directly by your organization.
What is a Verified Risk Analysis?
A Verified Risk Analysis is an evidence-based cybersecurity risk assessment where analysts confirm your controls instead of relying on self-reported answers. The engagement includes stakeholder interviews, evidence collection and verification, and a full build-out of your environment in Velocity. Scope scales with your organization’s size and complexity, and most engagements take four to six weeks. The result is your baseline Velocity Score, a set of verified findings, and a prioritized roadmap showing what to fix first.
Do we have to use Stern Security or Cypress for remediation?
No. Remediation is optional, and your roadmap is yours to execute however you choose. Many organizations close findings with their internal team, an existing provider, or a mix of both. If you need extra capacity, Stern Security and Cypress can work alongside your team on the highest-priority items.
As a vendor-neutral advisor, Cypress’s job is to help you reduce risk efficiently, not to steer you toward any particular provider or product.
As a vendor-neutral advisor, Cypress’s job is to help you reduce risk efficiently, not to steer you toward any particular provider or product.
Can this help with cyber insurance renewals and audits?
Yes. The program gives you a current, analyst-verified view of your security posture, which is the kind of evidence underwriters and auditors increasingly expect. Because Velocity maps controls across 20+ frameworks and centralizes supporting evidence, you can generate shareable reports instead of rebuilding documentation each cycle.
Quarterly reviews keep that profile up to date, so you’re not scrambling when a renewal questionnaire or audit request lands.
Quarterly reviews keep that profile up to date, so you’re not scrambling when a renewal questionnaire or audit request lands.
How do we learn more or get started?
Complete the interest form on this page and a member of the Cypress team will reach out to answer your questions and discuss next steps.
