When it comes to a company’s IT security, managers and executives must pay special attention to the processes involving this topic. Making sure that data will travel quickly and securely — without the danger of leaks, espionage, or blockades — is quite a relief for the entire institution. To achieve this, companies must always perform a network security audit in order to be aware of possible communication bottlenecks and figure out how to resolve them.
However, it is necessary to closely monitor the execution of audits to ensure that the evidence found by the auditor is convincing and relevant to improving network security.
What are the benefits of performing a network security audit?
First of all, you need to know how your company will benefit from a well-executed audit and, consequently, from building a safer and more reliable network for employees and customers. Having good technical support and monitoring is already a great initial step.
The goal of a network security audit is to identify risks to the technology platform, reviewing not only the organization’s internal policies and procedures, but also the network and system configurations.
Based on the “findings„ obtained through the research and analysis carried out by the auditor, a detailed report is drafted regarding system vulnerabilities and how to correct them. We will talk more about this report later.
Therefore, among the benefits of performing a network security audit are:
- Preventing future problems caused by invasions and corruption of important data;
- Save on expenses generated by failing to create a secure environment for the network;
- Identifying current system vulnerabilities and resolving them;
- Reviewing security policies and procedures to adapt them to rapidly evolving technology;
- Receiving a detailed report on the specificities of your system and how to bring it into compliance with the latest market standards;
- Gaining the trust of investors and customers. A company with a secure network conveys much more credibility.
How to manage a successful security audit?
Having external analytical eyes looking at all the minutiae and “holes” in your network may seem scary at first. However, an outside analysis can uncover flaws that went unnoticed by your entire IT team.
But this does not mean there is no work on the part of the IT manager and their team regarding all audit processes. In fact, you need to pay attention to several points so that the contracted service is well done and executed according to the client’s needs.
Prepare for the audit
Okay, your company has decided that a network security audit is necessary and you are in charge of this operation. How do you prepare for the activities? A good practice to guide all the work is to create specific checklists for before, during, and after the audit.
Your planning list should include questions about the skills and experience of the team that will perform the audit and what training can be given to your employees to anticipate issues, as well as letting managers from other sectors know that a thorough analysis of network security will take place.
For the moment the audit is performed, you can put central points on your checklist regarding it, such as: what is the purpose of this investigation? How long should it last? What type of access will be required by the audit team? Plan weekly or biweekly meetings with the auditor to discuss progress and schedule a final conference before the final report is delivered.
Involve unit managers
Nobody likes to be caught by surprise in the workplace, especially with something that involves internal and external communication. During the process, the auditor may request access to folders and files from various departments and, when executing security tests, may, even if minimally, “invade” the space of your colleagues.
Therefore, involve unit managers in conducting the audit and ask them to specify restrictions regarding access times and testing methods that would least impact production sectors.
Choose auditors with market experience
Give preference to auditors with extensive experience in network and computer security. A major differentiator is if the auditor or their team has already developed security projects, rather than just performing audits, as this experience can be the key to executing a more intuitive and innovative analysis for your company.
Pay attention to the credentials of the audit team, but remember that this alone is not enough. Always take the auditor’s experience into consideration. If applicable, employ two different audits to confirm the findings. It is expensive, but it can be worth it.
Make the audit’s objectives and scope clear
It is important to always make your objectives, scope, and areas to be analyzed clear to the auditors. This is good for keeping auditors more focused on certain aspects of your network.
Keep an eye out to see if the auditor will use a system vulnerability scanner and if they use tools to confirm their findings. An experienced auditor will have the necessary intuition to move beyond the obvious and better prepare your company for the unexpected.
Remember that a well-done audit must include penetration testing and a review of policies and procedures, using research, testing, and analysis as its basic methodology.
The auditor should start by reviewing security policies to determine acceptable risks. Then, they should check for unauthorized implementations and confirm whether the environment matches management’s inventory (i.e., whether the auditor has sufficient experience on the team to handle different OSs).
Continue to monitor after the audit
Even after the audit is over, some measures can be taken to keep your network secure. Discuss the report with your team and indicate what corrective measures must be taken to resolve the issues. Provide tri-monthly or semi-annual reports on the network’s status to make monitoring easier.
What should the final report look like?
A well-made report must be clearly tailored to your company’s specificities. The auditor must interpret the data obtained by the tools used well and be intuitive in resolving bottlenecks.
Pay attention to various points in the text, which should contain: the source of the threat; the probability of it happening; the impact of exposure (how much money will be lost or how much of the company’s reputation is at stake); recommended actions to resolve the problems; potential legal issues; and the risk of suffering an outage, such as a DoS attack.
If you deem it necessary, one way to confirm the findings contained in the report is to have your IT team prove them.
Why establish a good security foundation through annual audits?
Technology, along with its countless solutions and dangers, grows and evolves at a speed that is difficult to keep up with. And when it comes to business policies and security procedures, we have a major discrepancy regarding how well one item adapts to another. Falling behind in technological evolution is one of the most common mistakes in IT management.
Given this, it is essential that the IT manager perform annual external audits on their network, with the aim of constantly renewing the technologies employed in their security and staying up to date regarding the best practices used in the market.
When it comes to your company’s network security, the most imprudent thing is to think at any point that it is free from flaws or openings. Organizations grow, and their security structures must change proportionally, which is why establishing annual audits will give your company the necessary compliance to have a reliable and secure network.
So? Ready to perform a network security audit in your company? Leave your comment below and share your thoughts on the subject with us!
