Why Is An IT Audit Important?

An Information Technology (IT) audit involves an in-depth review of, amongst other things, a company’s entire IT system to ensure that there are no errors or risks, leaving the company vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The IT audit inspects the IT operations, control processes and communication infrastructure such as; applications, software, security and networks. It also enables companies to determine what infrastructure, hardware or software is needed or outdated.

There are three types of IT audits that are mainly undertaken;

• A performance audit.
• A financial audit.
• A compliance audit.

What are the Objectives of an IT Audit?

Although the main objectives of an IT audit are to address risks related to the integrity and confidentiality of  the IT processes and equipment, these audits are also used as follows;

• To evaluate the effectiveness of existing IT controls.

IT audits highlight possible vulnerabilities within the system to enable actions to be taken to improve the reliability and efficiency of the company’s network and to ensure that the entire IT system is effectively protected.

• To evaluate the reliability of data.

Data that is lost, tampered with or corrupted by unreliable IT systems can have a significant and negative impact on a company’s reputation, as well as its revenue.

• To evaluate compliance with all relevant laws and policies.

A professional IT audit will ensure that the company is fully compliant in terms of IT governance relating to laws, policies and regulations.

Weak IT systems substantially impact on a company’s business as the likelihood of unrestricted access to company data, (which can result in possible security breaches), and exposure to hackers, viruses and malware becomes a distinct possibility.

How is an IT Audit Performed?

To ensure that a comprehensive background review of the company IT infrastructure takes place, it is essential to engage an IT support company that is experienced and reliable. A comprehensive IT audit will always offer valuable insight into the company’s existing and future IT processes. Westech is a professional and experienced IT company that has been providing reliable IT support and managed services since 1994.

Roy Westfehling, CEO of Westech, explains how the company approaches its IT audits for businesses. “Before any work can commence, it is imperative first to establish what the objectives of the audit are, as well as the scope of work,” he says. “Only once this has been ascertained, will Westech develop an IT Audit Plan that is aimed at achieving the objectives.”

These objectives will take the following risks into account:

• Determine the possibilities or extent of hacking, malware, phishing and ransomware activities.
• What will happen in the event of a physical breach or natural disaster?
• How secure is the company data for inadvertent or malicious use by employees?

Firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spam and user privileges will also be checked, as well as data back-ups and the physical security of the server.

After the Audit Plan has been drawn up, Westech will proceed to gather all the necessary information before it initiates tests on the key IT processes and infrastructure identified in the Audit Plan. Issues will be addressed, and the entire system is rechecked to ensure that all deficiencies are rectified. After the audit findings are implemented or new IT systems are put into place, Westech offers a tailored IT SLA Support and Maintenance plan in which you can either have in-house or outsourced professional IT Support staff at your disposal.

Dealing with potential risks is not something that a company should take lightly or leave to an internal IT department. This is a task that needs to be addressed by external specialists to provide an impartial perspective and valuable feedback.

Westech’s pragmatic approach to conducting IT audits assists companies to reduce business security risks and improve performance.

Contact Westech for a consultation or to set up an IT audit with one of their experienced and certified IT Consultants.