It's clear that cybersecurity is no longer just a technical concern, but a business imperative in today’s hyper-connected digital landscape. Yet, many organizations still struggle to answer a fundamental question: How much risk are we carrying? That’s where cyber risk quantification comes in, and why Mastercard Cyber Quant is leading the way.
The Rising Importance of Cyber Risk
Over the last couple of years, organizations have been heavily investing in security tools and resources. In fact, 55% of security leaders have 20 or more security tools at their disposal.¹ Despite these increased investments, the number of attacks and costs associated with breaches continues to rise. Verizon's Data Breach Incident Report recorded +30k security incidents in 2024, which is a record-high.² These breaches have a consequential impact across all fronts, including reputation - 75% of consumers would sever ties with a business if they experienced a data breach.³
What Is Cyber Risk Quantification?
Cyber risk quantification is the process of translating cyber risks and vulnerabilities into financial terms. Instead of vague assessments like “high risk” or “medium risk,” organizations can now understand the potential dollar impact of a breach. This shift empowers security leaders to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Risk quantification helps organizations answer the following key questions:
- Which security gaps pose the greatest risk to your business?
- What is the financial impact of security breaches on your organization?
- How can your business and security leaders better determine where to invest?
Why It Matters to CISOs
For CISOs and security leaders, the ability to quantify cyber risk is a game-changer. It enables:
- Prioritization of investments: Allocate budget to the areas with the highest financial exposure.
- Executive alignment: Communicate risk in monetary terms that the board understands.
- Scenario planning: Model different threat scenarios and their cost implications.
Enter Mastercard Cyber Quant
Cyber Quant evaluates processes, technology, and workforce security practices and provides recommendations for the future. It provides a strategic cyber risk dashboard of your organization through its contextual risk assessment and integration capabilities. Cyber Quant sums the risk from over 10,000 threat scenarios to all company assets and provides your organization with:
- Flexible assessment options that allow you to decide the detail and accuracy of your risk assessment.
- Remediation recommendations to improve security posture
- Standard maturity assessments to streamline assessment goals and efforts
The Strategic Advantage
Quantifying cyber risk transforms security from a reactive function to a strategic business enabler. It allows CISOs to:
- Justify cybersecurity budgets with hard data
- Build trust with stakeholders through transparency
- Drive proactive risk reduction strategies
In a world where cyber threats are escalating and budgets are scrutinized, Cyber Quant gives security leaders the clarity and confidence they need.
Ready to See Cyber Quant in Action?
Discover how Mastercard Cyber Quant can help your organization turn cyber risk into strategic insight. Request a demo today and take the first step toward smarter, quantified security.
Sources:
1. Forrester: Forbes Report, How CISCOs Will Navigate The Threat Landscape Differently in 2025
2. Verizon: Data Breach Incident Report, 2024
3. Verizon: Consumer Trust & Research Report, 2023
