Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Cyber Risk Assessment Tool for Small Businesses

Cybersecurity is no longer optional for small businesses. Even companies with fewer than 10 employees are targeted by phishing attacks, ransomware, credential theft, and data breaches. The problem? Most small businesses don’t have a dedicated security team — and enterprise risk tools are expensive and complex. In this guide, we’ll build a simple Cyber Risk Assessment Tool using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. By the end, you’ll have a working calculator that: Evaluates risk using Likelihood × Impact Assigns risk levels (Low, Medium, High, Critical) Works entirely in the browser Requires no external libraries Let’s get started. 1. Understanding Cyber Risk Scoring At its core, risk assessment is based on a simple formula: Risk Score = Likelihood × Impact Where: Likelihood = Probability that a threat will occur Impact = Damage if the threat occurs For small businesses, we can use a 1–5 scale: Score Meaning 1 Very Low 2 Low 3 Moderate 4 High 5 Very High This keeps things simple and practical. 2