Cybersecurity Audit: Everything You Need to Know

Having a hard time evaluating your organization’s cybersecurity systems and meeting compliance requirements? A cybersecurity audit will give you the insights you need.

Cybersecurity audits are fundamental for maintaining the security and integrity of your key business processes and data.

In this guide, we’ll help you understand what a cybersecurity audit is and why it’s vital for your organization. We’ll also give some tips on how to prepare for and conduct a cybersecurity audit, as well as the career prospects in this field.

What is a Cybersecurity Audit?

A cybersecurity audit is a process that includes the analysis of a company’s IT infrastructure for review and improvement.

The main purpose of a cybersecurity audit is to identify possible threats and vulnerabilities, test current protection systems, examine compliance, and identify opportunities for security improvements.

How Is It Helpful for Your Business? Why Is It Important?

A cybersecurity audit offers the following benefits for your organization:

• Spots security vulnerabilities
• Analyzes internal and external security practices
• Identifies cybersecurity gaps and areas of improvement
• Provides assurance for employees, customers, and stakeholders
• Tests cybersecurity measures
• Enhances security and technology performance

What Does a Cybersecurity Audit Cover?

The scope of a cybersecurity audit typically involves:

• Consistent vulnerability management
• Malware defense mechanisms
• Web and email protection
• Controlling administrative and permission-based access
• Inventory and control of hardware and software assets
• Secure configuration of hardware and software assets based on robust security standards
• Monitoring, maintenance, and analysis of audit logs
• Controlling network ports, servers, and protocols

A cybersecurity audit inspects and analyzes a company’s IT infrastructure, the devices that employees use, and software. Here’s an exhaustive list of what’s included in a cybersecurity audit:

• System security: patching and account and access control management
• Data security: encryption, network access controls, and managing sensitive data
• Network security: antivirus configurations and network monitoring and controls
• Physical security: physical devices and premises that contain critical data
• Operational security: information security controls and policies

Internal cybersecurity audits are carried out by in-house security auditors. They’re faster and more efficient than external audits. They also cost less. What’s more, an internal audit can be used as a preparation step for an upcoming external audit.

Both internal and external cybersecurity can be valuable for your organization. Depending on your company’s resources, it’s good practice to develop an audit strategy that contains both internal and external audits.