Avoid Being A Victim Of Cyber Crime – Get Audited

The Coronavirus pandemic led to radical shifts in global business models and according to a 2021 Gartner Report 41% of employees at companies that went remote in 2020 plan to continue to work remotely. These changes to the global workforce have introduced a range of new cyber security threats.

Cyber attacks, including theft of intellectual property, can dramatically affect efficiency, credibility and company reputation and some experts have estimated that the total cost of cyber crime might have cost businesses a staggering $6 trillion in 2021. 

Regular security audits will paint a clear picture of your organisation’s cyber security risk environment and preparation for security threats like social engineering and phishing attacks. 

An attack can shut down a business’s operations for days, even weeks. Backup systems, business applications and important data sets can be compromised and be of little value in the response and recovery phases of the disaster. The aftermath of a cyber attack can wreak havoc on the company’s reputation and have unforeseen legal implications and may even close down an organisation permanently.

Businesses, both  large and small are beginning to understand the importance os good cyber security practices and this calls for a  focus on security auditing to get an insight regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their business operations.

A cyber security audit is a systematic and independent examination of an organisation’s cyber security. An audit ensures that the proper security controls, policies, and procedures are in place and working effectively. It can also save organisations large amounts of money. There are several different types of security audits that businesses should be carrying out, but risk assessment, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing and compliance audit comprise a personal cyber security checklist that cannot be ignored at any cost. 

• A cyber security audit is a comprehensive review of your organisation’s information systems to ensure they are operating smoothly and efficiently.

• A thorough audit typically assesses the security of the system's physical configuration and environment, software, information handling processes and user practices.

• Once the security audit steps are complete, make sure that the results are analysed and the audit is followed by a strategic planning session so that the business can be safeguarded and protected. 

• Make sure that you have your team properly aware and informed about the phases of information security audit and then proceed by hiring the right security and assessment audit company for your business needs.

Comprehensive international listings for cyber security service suppliers, including dozens of Audit Specialists, are to be found by searching this website's service supplier Directory 

Regulations in Europe such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)  can impose hefty penalties in the event of a breach that results in exploited data. A cyber security audit will help mitigate the consequences of a breach and demonstrate that your organisation has taken the necessary steps to protect client and company data.

A cyber health check is essential in establishing a solid foundation on which to build your security infrastructure. A cyber health check will help you identify your weakest security areas and recommend appropriate measures to mitigate your risks.

This includes vulnerability scans of critical external infrastructure and third party connections in the supply chain. 

The objective of a cyber security audit is to provide an organisation’s management, vendors, and customers, with an assessment of an organisation’s security posture. A cyber security audit focuses on cyber security standards, guidelines, and policies. 

What Does An Effective Cyber Audit Comprise?

Unlike a cyber security assessment, which provides a snapshot of an organisation’s security posture, an audit is a 360 in-depth examination of an organisation’s entire security posture.

•    IT management should meet regularly with all senior management to determine possible areas of concern.
•    Operational Security review of policies, procedures, and security controls.
•    Data Security review of encryption use, network access control, data security during transmission and storage.
•    System Security review of patching processes, hardening processes, role-based access, management of privileged accounts.
•    Network Security review of network and security controls, anti-virus configurations, SOC, security monitoring capabilities.
•    Physical Security review of role-based access controls, disk encryption, multifactor authentication, biometric data. 

What Are The Benefits Of A Cyber Audit? 

A cyber security audit is the highest level of assurance service that an independent cyber security company offers.
It provides an organisation, as well as their business partners and customers, with confidence in the effectiveness of their cyber security controls. An audit adds an independent line of sight that is uniquely equipped to evaluate as well as improve your security. Specifically the following are some benefits of performing an audit: 

•    Identifying security gaps.  
•    Highlight weaknesses.
•    Compliance.
•    Testing controls.
•    Improving security posture.
•    Staying ahead of bad actors.
•    Assurance to vendors, employees, and clients.
•    Confidence in your security controls.
•    Increased performance of your technology and security.
•    Particular improvements to your organisation’s cyber security employee cyber security training.

The British Government has recently launched a new UK National Cyber Strategy which is calling on all parts of society to play their part in reinforcing the UK’s economic and strategic strengths in cyberspace. This means more diversity in the workforce, levelling up the cyber sector across all UK regions, expanding our offensive and defensive cyber capabilities and prioritising cyber security in the workplace, boardrooms and digital supply chains.

National Audit Office:     Gov.UK:     Gartner:     Cyfor:    aNetworks:     ITGovernance:    FedTech Magazine: 

TechTarget:    Cybermatters:      AudditBoard:      AllSafeIT: 

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