diff --git a/pkg/models/severity.go b/pkg/models/severity.go
index a66a39f..863480d 100644
--- a/pkg/models/severity.go
+++ b/pkg/models/severity.go
@@ -7,3 +7,32 @@ const (
 	SeverityLow      = "LOW"
 	SeverityUnknown  = "UNKNOWN"
 )
+
+var severityToInt = map[string]int{
+	SeverityUnknown:  0,
+	SeverityLow:      1,
+	SeverityMedium:   2,
+	SeverityHigh:     3,
+	SeverityCritical: 4,
+}
+
+func CompareSeverity(severity1, severity2 string) int {
+	val1, ok1 := severityToInt[severity1]
+	val2, ok2 := severityToInt[severity2]
+
+	if !ok1 && !ok2 {
+		return 0
+	} else if !ok1 {
+		return -1
+	} else if !ok2 {
+		return 1
+	}
+
+	if val1 < val2 {
+		return -1
+	} else if val1 > val2 {
+		return 1
+	} else {
+		return 0
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/models/severity_test.go b/pkg/models/severity_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f1dd23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/models/severity_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package models
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestCompareSeverity(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		severity1 string
+		severity2 string
+		expected  int
+	}{
+		{"INVALID", "HIGH", -1},
+		{"UNKNOWN", "CRITICAL", -1},
+		{"LOW", "CRITICAL", -1},
+		{"MEDIUM", "CRITICAL", -1},
+		{"HIGH", "CRITICAL", -1},
+		{"CRITICAL", "HIGH", 1},
+		{"HIGH", "MEDIUM", 1},
+		{"MEDIUM", "LOW", 1},
+		{"LOW", "UNKNOWN", 1},
+		{"CRITICAL", "UNKNOWN", 1},
+		{"HIGH", "INVALID", 1},
+		{"UNKNOWN", "UNKNOWN", 0},
+		{"LOW", "LOW", 0},
+		{"MEDIUM", "MEDIUM", 0},
+		{"HIGH", "HIGH", 0},
+		{"CRITICAL", "CRITICAL", 0},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		result := CompareSeverity(test.severity1, test.severity2)
+		if result != test.expected {
+			t.Errorf("CompareSeverity(%q, %q) = %d; expected %d", test.severity1, test.severity2, result, test.expected)
+		}
+	}
+}