Security Ratings vs. Security Scores

Security ratings and security scores are terms often used interchangeably in the market, but they reflect meaningfully different approaches. Security scores typically refer to proprietary, black-box outputs where the underlying methodology is not publicly documented, making them difficult to explain, challenge, or act on. Security ratings, in Black Kite's definition, are built on open, auditable standards that allow organizations to understand exactly how a rating was derived and what specific findings are driving it. The distinction matters when organizations need to justify risk decisions to auditors, regulators, or boards.