Microsoft Security Assessment Tool 4.0

The Microsoft Security Assessment Tool (MSAT) is a risk-assessment application designed to provide you with information and recommendations about best practices for security within your information technology (IT) infrastructure. This application is designed to help organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees better understand potential security issues. It will help identify personnel, processes, resources, and technologies that are designed to promote good security planning and risk mitigation practices within your organization.

The risk assessment will evaluate your IT environment on core areas of information security risk. The assessment uses the Defense-in-Depth (DiD) concept to evaluate the effectiveness of your security strategy. Defense-in-Depth is the implementation of layered defenses that include technical, organizational, and operational controls. This assessment is based on accepted standards and best practices that reduce risk in information technology environments. The assessment process is repeatable and can be used to assess progress in achieving organizational security goals within your IT infrastructure over time.

Business risk, technology, processes, and personnel policies will be evaluated against defined Areas of Analysis to identify security risks in your organization’s IT environment. Recommendations for managing those risks, based on industry best practices, will be provided upon completion of the assessment. These recommendations are meant to provide preliminary guidance to assist your organization in moving along a path to industry-recognized IT security best practices.