Security Audits Are More Crucial Than They Seem

Data Integrity Audits are an excellent way to establish a baseline for your company's data security. It is also a good way of finding out if there are any security holes in your system before they're exploited by hackers.

Annual audits are necessary to maintain system integrity and uphold quality security posture. Businesses should use system checks with internal controls to identify any potential security gaps, and ensure that they're doing everything in their power to prevent them from happening,.

Assess, assign, and audit are the three key steps of an audit. A systematic approach to the audit process makes sure you don't miss any important details. Each stage must be given equal attention if thorough and complete audits are to be achieved for maximum security measures.

Have your IT partner check out the security policies and systems you currently use. Every computer and server in your office needs to be checked, as does every software package and every user. An assessment should provide you with an overview of how secure you're currently, along with any weaknesses that need to be fixed. Once the assessment has been completed, you may begin assigning Solutions and Solution Providers. Talk to your IT provider about any gaps in your network or system. If there are any issues that they cannot handle, ask them if they would be willing to allow you to use their whitelist of partners instead.

At the end of your audit cycle, you conclude by looking at your system again before releasing it back into the wild. Ensure that installations, patches, updates, and upgrades are integrated smoothly and working well. You'll also want to keep track of any changes made to software and hardware during this audit cycle for future reference.

When conducting an audit for a business, look at these three things:

Your security situation is never static, and it’s always changing. Why? According to the Clark School at the University of Maryland, hackers attempt to break into computers every 39 seconds. And that's not counting other types of attacks such as phishing, ransomware, and malware. With today’s short expirations, systems security needs to be audited more frequently than ever before.

The changes made - The key to having long-term data integrity is continuity planning - and not just one that addresses serious business disruptions such as those caused by natural disasters or manmade catastrophes. A true continuity plan addresses every conceivable risk realistically, including those that could trip up business operations, like cyberattacks. If you understand what kinds of hardware and software constitute your system, then you can determine whether they're up to date and which ones need improvement.

Who has access to which data — Data systems — even proprietary ones — should allow adminis­trators some control over who sees which. Total accessibility is a really scary idea, especially when business today is increasingly dependent on online presence. A security audit will allow you to check on user access so you can make any necessary adjustments to protect your personal data.

If you're looking for help developing a security strategy for any aspect of your business, contact us to see how our managed services can help.