Introduction

Over 50% of organisations and businesses across the world reported losing a staggering $300,00 in cyber attacks in Q1 of 2024!

Why cyber security important?

Well, the figures above are scary enough to highlight the significance of a tight cybersecurity protocol for businesses and organisations today.
And it all starts with a comprehensive cyber security audit.
Industries across the globe are stressing the importance of cyber security audit and investing heavily to hire talent for strengthening infrastructure. Irrespective of the business size, conducting a security audit is crucial to determine the security status of your venture and plan risk-mitigating strategies. As global businesses are encountering massive cyber assaults, the need for regular cybersecurity audits is becoming critical.
If you're an entrepreneur, IT professional, or just curious about cybersecurity, understanding the critical role of these audits in today's threat-prone digital environment is a must. Don't miss out on this essential read!

Importance of cyber security audit

Cyber security audit is vital for ensuring that an organisation’s digital infrastructure is secure and compliant with regulations. By assessing security policies, controls, and procedures, the audit process identifies vulnerabilities and applies strategies to strengthen defence mechanisms against cyber threats. It provides insights into gaps that could expose sensitive data, ensuring proactive risk management.
Regular audits not only help businesses to thwart digital breaches but also develop trust with clients by reflecting their commitment to safeguarding their data. In other words, the audit process builds the first line of defense for cyber security for business.

Types of Cyber Security Audit

Cyber security audits are generally performed by either the internal security team (pen testers & ethical hackers) or external 3rd party security service providers. Both parties apply various tools and techniques to effectively conduct cyber security audits. Let’s explore some of the types in detail.

• Compliance audits: Compliance audits involve a thorough evaluation of whether an organisation meets required cybersecurity standards or regulations. These audits are generally cost-effective and quicker to complete. However, they are less effective at uncovering security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
• Penetration Audits: Penetration testing is a security audit that replicates real attack vectors to find vulnerabilities. These audits are generally more expensive and take longer than Compliance Audits. But also, they deliver a more complete evaluation of security measures, exposing gaps that might be overlooked in the former.
• Risk Assessment Audits: This security audit mechanism focuses more on recognising potential vulnerabilities and gauging the chances of the threats occurring. While these assessments can reveal security weaknesses, they might not offer a fully comprehensive security analysis. Additionally, they are typically more expensive and take longer than other types of audits.
• Threat Modelling: Modern software development hinges on achieving three critical objectives: accelerated releases, shorter development cycles, and producing higher-quality code. For code to meet high-quality standards, security must be embedded into the development process, ensuring it does not compromise the speed of delivery.

Integrating security within the DevOps workflow requires evaluating potential security risks early on through threat modelling. This approach analyses business logic and system requirements to identify possible security vulnerabilities.
Threat modelling specifically focuses on 4 key areas:

• System design and pattern of data flow
• Identifying potential flaw points
• Strategising mitigation
• Effectiveness of modelling and defense mechanisms

What does the audit process cover?

The security audit process covers the following areas:

• Assessment of firewalls, network defenses, antivirus configuration, and network surveillance systems
• Review of encryption methods, network access control
• Data protection, both in transit and at rest
• Analysis of antivirus and anti-malware protections on individual devices
• Review of protective measures for data centers and essential infrastructure
• Examination of security protocols and operational policies
• Assessment of input sanitisation, output encoding, session controls, and identity/access management.
• Review and implementation of on password protocols, user training, and security awareness.

How to choose a cyber audit service provider?

Identifying and mitigating sophisticated cyber threats is no cakewalk. So, here we present a list of concrete tips for choosing an information security and audit service provider.

• Experience matters, so invest considerable time in choosing an experienced and credible cyber audit service provider backed by great reviews.
• The concerned cyber security audit service provider must be accredited by national and global certifications by leading regulatory bodies like EC-Council, CompTIA etc.
• Your chosen cyber security audit provider should offer versatile and comprehensive range of audit services. The broader the range of services, the better is the credibility of the company in its area of domain.
• Look for an audit provider that is flexible to support your business with customisable and scalable services.
• Ensure the company fosters open communication to address and resolve your concerns as needed.

Conclusion

A cybersecurity audit is crucial for identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring compliance, and strengthening an organisation’s defense against cyber threats. As mentioned above, with cyber attacks on rise, there is huge demand for security audit experts. Put simply, cybersecurity is one of the promising career paths today. Join DataSpace Academy's cyber security certification course to master the most in-demand security audit skills and build a rewarding career as a security expert.
Become a cyber warrior to safeguard sensitive data from illicit breaches, ensuring long-term security resilience.