Problems with your IT systems can be very disruptive to your business. If your security becomes compromised or your system fails, it can be financially detrimental and it can waste precious time.
Carrying out IT audits regularly can help you to eliminate the risks of a system failure or a cybersecurity breach. These should be carried out regularly. But exactly what is an IT audit?
In this article, we’ll talk about IT audits and how they can benefit your small business.
What Is an IT Audit?
An IT audit is a regular assessment to ensure your business’s cybersecurity measures and IT systems are up-to-date and that your IT infrastructure is running smoothly. It can be carried out by your in-house IT audit manager, or you could look to outsource the task to an IT audit consultant.
Let’s explore what you should include in an IT audit.
What Should You Include In an IT Audit Checklist?
Four areas should be included in an IT audit checklist:
- Physical and logical security – This involves checking that your infrastructure (such as your server room and your wi-fi) is secure
- Data backups – This should involve testing your data backups to ensure they are adequate and measuring how long it would take for your data to restore
- Hardware – A complete inventory needs to be made of all of your hardware so that you can ensure it is replaced every three to five years
- Regulatory compliance – This is to ensure that your business meets all statutory regulatory compliance levels
The IT audit will measure the health of your IT environment. It will also verify that your IT infrastructure is aligned with your business objectives. Plus, it will verify that your data is both reliable and accurate.
How Often Should You Carry Out an IT Audit?
Did you know that 43% of businesses face some kind of cyberattack every year? Cybersecurity is something that all businesses should be concerned with. However, for many companies, this is a mere afterthought.
IT audits should be carried out at least once a year. Many companies will opt to carry out audits with a greater frequency to ensure they are safe at all times. You can either carry out the IT audit yourself or you can use an IT provider to carry out the assessment for you.
What Are the Benefits of Carrying Out an IT Audit?
There are several key benefits that you can get from having an IT audit. These include:
- Checking to see whether your current security measures are adequate
- Checking that any security training that you have in place is working
- Uncovering problems with your IT infrastructure
- Proving that your business is fully compliant with data protection regulations
Above all else, one of the most important benefits is that it helps to protect your business.
Carrying Out Your IT Audit
Now that you know the answer to the question ‘what is an IT audit,’ you can start to plan your own IT audit. If you feel this task is beyond you, don’t be afraid to seek help from an IT managed service provider.
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