Many companies consider theaudit in general, and security audits in particular, as a stressful and intrusive process: the idea of an auditor wandering around the premises, distracting everyone and intruding into the company's daily activities often puts them off to the point of giving up on conducting audits.
So, what is the real purpose of these audits? How should you proceed? Answers in this article.
What is the purpose of an IT security audit?
Moreover, the very usefulness of audits is sometimes called into question: a regular assessment of risks isn't it sufficient to develop a security strategy and ensure the protection of sensitive data ? Besides, since companies are now subject to compliance rules regarding the security of private data, they will inevitably face an official audit sooner or later.
Wouldn't it therefore be preferable to wait rather than conduct an IT security audit yourself?
No: audits are very useful, as they provide benefits for a company. Indeed, audits allow:
- Establishing a security baseline: The results of audits carried out over the years serve as a reliable reference for assessing security performance.
- Verifying the proper application of regulations and security best practices: An audit ensures that the cybersecurity measures implemented in the company are applied and monitored to the letter.
- Determining the security posture and formulating a strategy for the future: The audit presents the situation at a specific point in time, much more detailed than a simple risk assessment. It does not merely highlight missing elements but also takes existing processes into account and shows why and how they should be improved.
Overall, an audit is a useful tool for assessing cybersecurity or ensuring that the company is ready for a compliance audit.
What is an IT security audit?
A security audit is a Comprehensive evaluation of the information system of a company: as a general rule, this assessment measures the security of an IT system against a list of best practices, established external standards, or legal regulations.
A full security audit will assess an organization's security controls regarding the following elements:
- The physical components of the information system
- The environment in which the system is hosted.
- Applications and software (including security patches that system administrators have already implemented).
- Network vulnerabilities (including evaluations of information as it travels between different points inside and outside the organization’s network)
- The human factor, for example How employees collect, share, and store sensitive information.
1. Define the scope of the IT security audit
The first thing to do is define the scope of the audit: whether it is to check the company's overall security posture or to carry out an audit specific to network security, you must know what should be examined and what should be ignored.
To do this, draw a perimeter as small as possible and include all valuable assets owned by the company that need to be protected. The audit should check everything inside that perimeter and not touch what lies outside it.
To define the security perimeter, simply list all the assets the company owns. This is a difficult task because companies often omit key items like internal documentation detailing company policies and procedures. It is (wrongly) assumed that these documents have no value to a potential attacker, but this information is valuable to the company itself, and if these documents are lost or destroyed (for example, due to hardware failure, an employee error, or a breach), it will take time and money to recreate everything.
2. Identify the threats the company faces
Once the security perimeter is accurately established, create a list of threats facing the data contained within it. Try to find a balance between the likelihood of a threat and the impact it would have if it occurred.
For example, the likelihood of a natural disaster is relatively low, but it can be devastating: therefore it should be included on the list.
Here is a list of the most common threats that should be included in most cases:
Natural disasters
As mentioned above, although this is something that rarely occurs, the consequences of such a threat can be enormous: it's better to prepare for it, just in case.
Malware / hacking
The hacker attacks are arguably one of the greatest threats to data security and should always be taken into account in a security audit.
Ransomware
This type of malware has become more prevalent in recent years and deserves its own bullet point in this list, especially if the company operates in healthcare, education, or finance.
Denial-of-service attacks
The rise of the Internet of Things has led to an increase in botnet networks. Distributed denial-of-service attacks are now more widespread and more dangerous than ever. If the company depends on an uninterrupted network service, this should be considered.
Malicious staff
This is a threat companies do not always take seriously, but one all face: employees (or third-party suppliers) with access to the IT estate can easily leak or misuse data without detection. Again, it's better to be prepared and include it in the threat list.
Human error
Not all data leaks are malicious: there are also clumsy, incompetent, or unaware employees who may make a mistake and disclose data accidentally. This has become common, so it is a risk to take into account.
Phishing
This ties into the previous point: an attacker can try to access a network by targeting employees using social engineering techniques, prompting them to voluntarily give their login credentials.
This is a threat not to be taken lightly.
3. Calculate cybersecurity risks
Once the list of potential threats that the data within the perimeter may face has been compiled, each of those threats should be assessed for risk.
This assessment will assign a “price” to each threat and will allow priorities to be established regarding which security points to strengthen. To do this, you must take into account:
The past
Whether a specific threat has been encountered before (or not) can affect the likelihood of encountering it again in the future. If the company has already been the target of a hack or a denial-of-service attack, it is likely to happen again.
The present
What are the current trends in cybersecurity? Which threats are becoming more popular or frequent? Are there any new emerging threats? What are the best current security solutions?
The environment
Are direct competitors being targeted by attacks, and what threats is this sector facing?
For example, if you work in the healthcare sector, you will be more worried about phishing attacks or ransomware, whereas if you are a retailer, denial-of-service attacks or other malware are more to be feared.
4. Assess the company's IT security
Once the risks associated with each duly identified threat are established, the final step is to create a checklist of security controls to implement. If controls are already in place they may need improving; if none exist to address a threat, they must be implemented.
The most common security measures are the following:
Physical security of servers
If the company owns its own servers, it is absolutely necessary secure physical access to them.
At the same time, all connected devices in the company must have their default passwords changed and their physical access secured to prevent any hacking attempts.
Data backup
Data backup is very effective in the event of a natural disaster, or an attack by malware that corrupts or locks access to data (ransomware).
All backups should be made as frequently as possible, and accompanied by a restoration procedure.
Firewalls and antivirus
It's basic cybersecurity, but the network must be protected with properly configured firewalls, and the computers with antivirus.
Spam filter
A spam filter can prove useful for combating phishing attacks and malware sent by email.
Even if employees are properly trained and know not to click links in a suspicious email, it's better to be cautious.
Access control
There are several ways to control access and it's preferable to implement them all. First, you must control users' privilege levels and adopt the principle of 'least privilege' when creating new accounts.
Moreover, two-factor authentication has become essential, as it significantly strengthens connection security and allows you to know who accessed the data, and when.
Employee awareness
To protect the company against phishing attacks, to reduce the frequency of errors, and to ensure that security procedures are followed, it's preferable to train employees in cybersecurity.
Inform employees about the threats that affect them and their company, as well as the measures put in place to counter those threats. Raising employee awareness is an excellent way to turn them from a 'weak point' into a strength.
Conclusion
You now know the different points to examine to audit your company's IT security.
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