A Cyber Security Audit

 

 

 

Now is the time to secure your organisation with a Cyber Security Audit and Cyber Security Intelligence can make it happen.

 

Investments in controls are often said to be necessary to protect organisations from increasingly sophisticated and widely available attack methods as cyberattacks, breaches and incidents can have damaging consequences however before an attack takes place and to reduce the chances of it happening a cyber security audit is the best step to take. Not only are attacks costly also GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) can impose hefty penalties in the event of a breach that results in exploited data. 

 

 

Cyber security audits are a very useful a valuable tool for organisations to get clear documented of their internal and external risks, vulnerabilities and threat exposure. It is also applicable to businesses that have expanded or downsized and have changes aspects of their IT systems by changing or including new systems or have implementing various new software and security controls. This whole process can be often overwhelming by the sheer volume of data being processed in daily communications.

 

 

The threat from cyberattacks is significant and continuously evolving. Many audit committees and boards have set an expectation for internal audit to understand and assess the organisation’s capabilities in managing the associated risks. 

Experience shows that an effective first step for internal audit is to conduct a cyber risk assessment and distill the findings into a concise summary for the audit committee and board which will then drive a risk-based, multiyear cybersecurity internal audit plan.

 

Business units and the information technology (IT) function integrate cyber risk management into day-to-day decision making and operations and comprise an organisation’s first line of defense. The second line includes information and technology risk management leaders who establish governance and oversight, monitor security operations, and take action as needed.

Increasingly, many companies are recognising the need for a third line of cyber defense–independent review of security measures and performance by the internal audit function. 

 

A regular Cyber Audit will play an integral role in assessing and identifying opportunities to strengthen enterprise security. 

At the same time, internal and independent audit have a duty to inform the audit committee and board of directors that the controls for which they are responsible are in place and functioning correctly, a growing concern across boardrooms as directors face potential legal and financial liabilities. 

 

Several factors are noteworthy as audit professionals consider and conduct a cybersecurity assessment:

 

1. Involve people with the necessary experience and skills. It is critical to involve audit professionals with the appropriate depth of technical skills and knowledge of the current risk environment. A tech-oriented audit professional versed in the cyber world can be an indispensable resource.

2. Evaluate the full cybersecurity framework. This evaluation involves understanding the current state against framework characteristics, where the organisation is going, and the minimum expected cybersecurity practices across the industry or business sector.

3. The initial assessment should inform further, more in-depth reviews. It is not intended to be an exhaustive analysis requiring extensive testing. Rather, the initial assessment should drive additional risk-based cybersecurity deep dive reviews.

 

A cyber security audit is designed to be a comprehensive review and analysis of your business’s IT infrastructure. It identifies threats and vulnerabilities, exposing weaknesses and high-risk practices. 

 

 

 

ITGovernance:           ISACA:       Cyfor:          Deloitte:

 

 

Cyber Security is Now Business Critical (£):