Maintaining a robust security posture is crucial for organisations, regardless of size or industry. As such, IT security audits play a big role in helping identify vulnerabilities, assess controls and ensure compliance. 

However, common pitfalls can turn a security audit sideways, with relatively inconspicuous mistakes making the security audit process more challenging. The good news is that they can be avoided with a bit of careful planning.

To help your organisation extract the maximum value from the IT audit process, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Armed with our insider tips and best practices, you’ll be well-equipped to strengthen your business’ cybersecurity through a more robust audit process. 

Let’s get started!

1) Inadequate Scope and Planning

A common mistake organisations make is failing to define a clear scope and objectives for their IT security audit. For maximum efficiency, you need to determine which systems, assets and processes need to be included alongside any specific compliance requirements.

Without clear goals and a complete understanding of the exact areas you need to examine, your security audit risks becoming unfocused and inconclusive. This leads to wasted time, resources and potentially overlooked vulnerabilities. 

Through comprehensive planning, you ensure all the necessary areas are covered and maximise the value of your IT security audit.

2) Overlooking Internal Threats and Insider Risks

Businesses often focus heavily on safeguarding against external threats while overlooking the risks posed by internal factors. By giving insufficient attention to internal threats, you may leave your organisation vulnerable to unauthorised access and data breaches, typically by accident rather than malicious intent. 

As such, you need to thoroughly assess internal security controls, user access privileges and employee awareness. Additionally, there are certain cybersecurity measures you could implement to mitigate insider threats, like proactive monitoring, periodic access reviews, and ongoing security awareness training for employees. 

3) Not Following Industry Best Practices and Regulatory Requirements

Cybersecurity threats and regulatory standards are always evolving. This is why organisations need to stay informed about the latest and best practices, requirements and guidelines. 

By relying on outdated information or practices, you potentially leave your organisation vulnerable to newer threats or non-compliance with regulations. 

To avoid this IT security mistake, regularly review and update your business’ IT security policies and procedures. Moreover, monitor any changes to relevant regulatory requirements and guidelines and make adjustments to your current practices as needed.

4) Ignoring Vulnerability Management

When performing an IT security audit, it’s easy to treat vulnerability assessment and management as a one-time activity instead of an ongoing process. However, by neglecting vulnerability management, you could be leaving your system exposed and vulnerable to exploitation by attackers.

To protect your system, you need to regularly assess and prioritise any vulnerabilities identified during cyber security audits and apply patches and updates promptly. This allows for continuous monitoring and rapid remediation of any vulnerabilities. 

5) Lack of Incident Response Planning

Failing to develop and test an incident response plan could lead to extended periods of downtime, as well as security incidents having a greater impact. By establishing a well-defined incident response management plan, you are better equipped to handle security incidents effectively. 

Begin by identifying key roles and responsibilities, defining incident categories and severity levels and establishing clear communication and escalation challenges. Then, systematically test and refine your incident response plan to ensure it is capable of effectively mitigating threats and minimising disruptions. 

6) Poor Access Controls and Privilege Management

Inadequate access controls and poor privilege management pose a significant risk to the security of many organisations. Granting excessive privileges or failing to revoke access when necessary both enhances the chances of data breaches and unauthorised system access.

When auditing your security, you have to regularly review user privileges to make sure they align with job responsibilities. Additionally, implementing strong access controls like multifactor authentication or role-based access control is also a good idea. 

By establishing better access controls, you minimise security risks and better protect your organisation’s sensitive data and assets.

7) Failing to Act on Audit Results and Feedback

One of the biggest IT security audit mistakes is conducting the audit, and then failing to implement any of the improvements suggested in the results and feedback. 

Your IT security audit is not the goal or end-point, rather it is a means to an end – improving your IT security and cyber posture. As such, you have to treat your security audit as an opportunity for continuous improvement and learning.

By acting on results and feedback from IT security audit tools, you can address any gaps and vulnerabilities identified in your system. Furthermore, you can then mitigate these risks more efficiently.

For IT Audits and Health Checks, Contact Redpalm Today! 

If you wish to maintain a robust cybersecurity posture, you need to ensure that your IT security audit is well-executed. Now that you are more aware of common pitfalls that may arise, you can avoid them to better navigate the audit process and strengthen your business’ defences. 

On your journey to protect your business from internal and external threats, consider choosing Redpalm as your partner for all your IT security needs.

At Redpalm, we provide managed IT services and security solutions to help you protect your business against cyber attackers and threats. 

Our Microsoft-certified experts are second to none and equipped with all the skills and expertise to identify and mitigate risks as swiftly as possible. 

We also offer services like technology procurement, endpoint management and security, and cloud and hybrid IT services to help your business run smoothly. 

To learn more about our services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today!