It’s unwise to set up cybersecurity tools and forget about them. New threats will emerge and can eventually compromise the most secure networks if they aren’t kept up to date.
Protecting your business from the latest cyberthreats means understanding your network security’s condition, and to do this, you need to conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
What happens in cybersecurity audits and vulnerability assessments?
A cybersecurity audit is a full examination of your IT network’s cybersecurity, access control, monitoring, and communication tools to determine if they are up to date and working as intended. In larger enterprises, the IT department has the time and resources to perform these full audits, but smaller businesses typically rely on the keen eye of managed IT services providers.
Cybersecurity audits generally include the following components at minimum:
- Security and reporting policy review
- Access audit to determine who can access sensitive data and tools
- Disaster recovery plan and data backup testing
- Compliance auditing to determine if your cybersecurity aligns with current regulations
Vulnerability assessments are more targeted and test different components of your network to determine if they are open to attack. These assessments typically include:
- Scans of operating systems, firmware, and software to check whether they’re running the latest updates
- Auditing access points to find any potential backdoor vulnerabilities
- Attack simulations and penetration testing to see how your network would fare in the event of a cyberattack
- Cataloging and categorizing of known risks to help make an action plan
Why are regular security audits and vulnerability assessments important?
The insights you gain from regular security audits sets you up for increased efficiency and productivity later, and could be the difference between surviving a data breach and closing down your business for good. Here are some of the main benefits of regular audits and assessments:
Improved compliance
Compliance regulations are updated all the time, and regulators don’t take ignorance as an excuse as to why you aren’t compliant. Regular audits check your compliance efforts against the most current standards to avoid costly penalties.
Proactive risk management
The best time to fix vulnerabilities in your network was yesterday, but the second best time is now. Waiting until there’s an actual security problem to do anything will exponentially increase the time and money cost to fix it.
Better decision-making and budgeting
Security audits show you where you are strong and where you are lacking in terms of cybersecurity. This information will assist you in making informed decisions about your IT budget and operations, thanks to a clearer picture of the risks you face.
Improved reporting and incident response
Cybersecurity assessments are a great time to test your team’s response to security events. If they’re constantly falling for phishing attacks or taking too long to respond to incidents, then you know where you need to focus your training efforts. Ultimately, cyberattack simulations and security awareness training will pay dividends when the real thing comes.
Better IT budgeting
Regular cybersecurity audits save you countless dollars by helping you prevent attacks before they occur, and they also save you money by assisting with budgeting and forecasting.
Having a good idea of where your security tools are in their life cycle and identifying areas of improvement helps with your budget planning for the year. This way, you aren’t blindsided by necessary upgrade costs that you didn’t see coming and won’t have to readjust your budget on the fly, potentially throwing your whole spending plan out the window.
Want to find out what valuable information an expert security audit and vulnerability assessment can provide for your business? Contact outsourceIT’s experienced cybersecurity consultants, and we’ll perform a meticulous inspection of your services, then make recommendations to maximize your network’s efficiency and security while maintaining your budget.
