Coverage describes a boundary
Coverage tells you which intended environments, sources, records, or controls were available for assessment. It does not mean every possible system was inspected, and it does not turn an unconnected area into a passing result.
Read a result together with its scope, source state, and assessment time. A complete result for a small approved scope can be accurate without representing the wider estate.
Common states and what they mean
- Current
- Evidence arrived within the expected time for that source.
- Stale
- The last successful evidence is older than expected and may no longer describe the environment.
- Partial
- Some intended evidence was assessed, while a stated portion was unavailable or incomplete.
- Degraded
- The source or workflow is operating with a known limitation that can affect the result.
- Not assessed
- Nova does not have enough approved evidence to make the stated assessment.
Before relying on a result
- Confirm the intended scope and the latest successful evidence time.
- Review exclusions, sampling, delays, and known source problems.
- Do not compare percentages unless their scope and assessment basis match.
- Resolve a stale or degraded source before using its absence of findings as reassurance.