Risk, Reputational Scores Enjoy Mixed Success as Security Tools

This article analyzes the rise and limitations of security scoring and reputation systems — from CVSS vulnerability scores to organizational posture ratings and open-source project scorecards — and how they are being used by boards, insurers, and development teams. It highlights the subjectivity and potential misuse of scores as KPIs, the value of checklists and contextualized risk assessment, and examples of vendors and services (Bitsight, SecurityScorecard, OpenSSF, Debricked) that are influencing decision-making and insurance underwriting.