September 2, 2022

Why IT Security Audits are Required

The business landscape has evolved over the years due to rapid advances in technology hence why IT security audits are required to keep your business safe from hackers.

Companies can become vulnerable to cyberthreats and hackers as they build their IT infrastructure. To keep your data secure, your reputation protected, and your uptime maximized, IT security audits are required. Cybercrime and new hacking techniques have steadily increased over the last decade and become a moving target.

How does an IT security audit work?

In an IT security audit, your organization’s cybersecurity measures are thoroughly evaluated by a managed IT services provider (MSP) or managed security services provider (MSSP). By performing a proactive IT security audit, you can actively assess vulnerabilities in your networks. A network penetration test will measure how well your IT infrastructure can defend against various cyberattacks and hacker by scanning for cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The results of these tests will be able to help customize security policies and achieve compliance based on the results of these tests with your IT solutions provider and IT department.

What types of IT security audit are there?

Internal IT security audit

An internal IT security audit is conducted by a company’s IT department or a managed IT services provider with a third-party auditor if in a regulated industry to determine if your cybersecurity policies and procedures are compliant.

External IT security audit

In this type of IT security audit, this is completely conducted by external auditors and managed IT services providers to ensure compliance with industry standards, government regulations, and possible industry specific regulations.

What are the benefits of an IT security audit?

An IT security audit helps your company identify key cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the organization. Your organization will be able to see where it meets and where it does not meet important cybersecurity criteria. For businesses handling sensitive and confidential personal data, IT security audits are essential for risk assessment and prevention. Proactive cybersecurity management greatly reduces your chances of a data breach.

How does an IT security audit work?

The following areas will be examined during an IT security audit:

Security vulnerabilities in networks

Any network component that has vulnerabilities can be exploited by cybercriminals to access valuable information. Instant messages, emails, and network traffic are all examples of unsecured access points.

Controls for cybersecurity

Managed IT services providers or auditors will check the effectiveness of a company’s cybersecurity controls in this part of the audit. To do this, it is necessary to assess how well existing policies and procedures are being implemented to protect the company’s information and infrastructure as well as to determine if the proper measures are in place and that everyone adheres strictly to the cybersecurity measures. An auditor may evaluate an organization’s existing cybersecurity policy on data breaches.

Encryption of data

In this way, you will be able to verify whether your company has controls in place to manage the encryption process effectively. When digital data is stored on site, in the cloud, on portable devices, or in transit, it must be protected and kept confidential.

What about perimeter security and hackers?

Cyber security professionals are confident when it comes to perimeter cybersecurity to protect from hackers.

Here are some statistics on cybersecurity:

94 percent of IT professionals feel their cybersecurity policies will keep unauthorized users out.
58 percent reported their data would be secure if there was a data breach.
46 percent report they only use passwords to protect their systems making it easier for hackers.
75 percent of an organizations data was unencrypted by hackers.
8 percent of breached companies report data being encrypted globally.
68 percent report unauthorized users have access to their networks despite cybersecurity policies.
55 percent of companies do not know where sensitive customer data is stored.
33 percent report the do not encrypt payment or customer data.
53 report their organization would not be ready to pass Cybersecure Canada