Cybersecurity is a huge priority for businesses. A business becomes a victim of a ransomware attack every 14 seconds. The cost of such attacks is immense, not just for productivity, but for your business’ reputation.
How can you make sure that you keep your systems up to date to prevent cyberattacks? Perform a cybersecurity audit.
A cybersecurity audit is a systematic approach to assess your IT infrastructure. It gives you a checklist of items to evaluate so you know what your vulnerabilities are and how to manage them.
Do you want to know which items you need to have on your cybersecurity checklist? Read on to find out.
1. Check and Update IT Policies
Every business, including small businesses, has to have a written IT policy. This governs internet usage, device usage, and how cybersecurity issues get handled in the business.
If you don’t have an IT policy, it’s time to create one. For those that do have written policies, review them and update them if necessary.
2. Review Compliance Measures
Businesses are increasingly responsible for protecting the sensitive data of consumers and face fines and lawsuits for exposing such data.
Use the cybersecurity audit to review compliance measures in your industry. Note any changes in the law and what you need to do to comply.
3. Inspect Servers and Logs
Put your servers under a thorough inspection. Review server logs for any irregularities. This is a sign that a cyberattack occurred.
Data breaches go undetected for months, and this step lets you know if there’s one.
Penetration testing is an ethical form of hacking into your systems. You deliberately try to break into your systems to discover vulnerabilities and viruses.
Don’t forget about the cloud as part of your infrastructure. Conduct penetration testing on your cloud systems.
How can you identify a computer virus? Check out this article for several tips to help you detect a virus in your network.
4. Prioritize Vulnerabilities
Testing should uncover points where your systems are incredibly vulnerable. You may have discovered several areas to address in your network.
Prioritize your list and attack the most important ones first. You can then address the low-priority items.
5. Audit Regularly
A cybersecurity audit isn’t a one-time activity. It’s something that you have to perform on a regular basis. Create a checklist of activities that you do weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
You can install software updates weekly, educate employees monthly, and review your policies on a quarterly basis.
A Simplified Cybersecurity Audit
Performing a cybersecurity audit on a regular basis ensures that your business is ready to prevent and detect cyberattacks.
Follow the steps in this guide and you’ll be able to complete a cybersecurity audit in no time. Make sure that you do them regularly to keep your business up to date on new threats.
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