Cyber Security Audit
Consultancy Services
Cyber security is a process, not a product. Preparation is key; without the correct controls in place, a cyber-attack can have devastating effects on any organisation. It's not a matter of if, but when, a cyber-attack will happen.
Understanding the threats is crucial to defending against them. The key is to identify what data is being held, how the data is used, and what current controls are in place around it. This is why we recommend that any business wanting to truly understand the threat landscape should undertake a Cyber Security Audit.
Your Challenges
Evolving Threat Landscape
Cyber threats are constantly evolving with new malware, phishing techniques, and hacking methods. Businesses struggle to keep up with these changes and often lack the expertise to identify and mitigate new threats effectively.
Compliance Requirements
Many industries are subject to stringent regulatory requirements that mandate specific security practices and data protection standards. Non-compliance can result in legal penalties and damage to reputation.
Internal Vulnerabilities
Organisations often have internal vulnerabilities due to outdated systems, weak access controls, or inadequate employee training. These issues can create significant security risks and increase the potential for data breaches.
What is a Cyber Security Audit?
A cyber audit offers a clear assessment and overview of your organisation’s current security posture, reviewing existing plans and technical capabilities. It provides actionable insights and strategic guidance/direction to strengthen and mature your cyber defences.
Working with your organisation the audit process is a mixture of technical (penetration tests, phishing simulations, vulnerability scans…etc) and governance assessments that are conducted as a combination of interviews, workshops, policy, and process reviews. The cyber security audit can take between 4 – 12 weeks to complete and is dependent on the size and complexity of your organisation.
Why are cyber security audits important?
A cyber security audit helps by evaluating the current threat landscape and assessing the effectiveness of existing security measures. This allows businesses to update their defences and stay ahead of emerging threats.
An audit ensures that the business's security practices align with relevant regulations and standards. It helps identify gaps in compliance and provides recommendations for remediation, reducing the risk of legal issues and fines.
An audit identifies internal vulnerabilities and assesses the effectiveness of existing security controls. It provides actionable insights and recommendations to address these weaknesses, strengthening the overall security posture of your organisation.
Case Study: The Importance of a Cyber Security Audit
Background
A law firm experienced rapid growth, due to various mergers and acquisitions, leading to a significant increase in the volume and sensitivity of their data. Despite having basic security measures, the firm had not reviewed its cyber security posture in years.
The Challenge
The coming-together of multiple stakeholders and departments after the mergers has led to the segregation of processes and technologies, as well as unclear ownership of those processes, increasing their potential exposure to cyber threats. Without the successful integration of these legacy processes and technologies between teams and departments, various gaps and vulnerabilities will remain exposed.
The Solution
To address these concerns, the firm undertook a Cyber Security Audit. The audit aimed to identify the types of data held and its usage, technology in use, processes, and review current security controls.
The Cyber Security Audit uncovered several critical issues: outdated software, excessively complicated and overlapping infrastructure, excessive employee access to sensitive data, insufficient employee training on phishing and cyber threats, and non-compliance with industry regulations.
Benefits of the Audit
By conducting the Cyber Security Audit, the firm updated its patching process and consolidated its technology stack. restricted data access based on roles, introduced comprehensive cybersecurity training, and aligned their practices with industry regulations. This proactive approach safeguarded their data and ensured the firm's growth and stability.
Penetration Testing of Key Assets
A simulated cyber attack that aims to identify security vulnerabilities or misconfigurations before they can be by cyber criminals. Using the same tools and techniques as attackers, but in an authorised, controlled environment.
PureCyber Cyber Security Audit
Vulnerability Scanning (Internal and External)
Vulnerability scanning is completed by highly specialised software and experienced security professionals - interrogating IT systems to collect data which is then analysed for weaknesses and compared to a database of known flaws or vulnerabilities.
Real-World Phishing Attack Simulations
PureCyber's phishing simulation allows your organisation to create realistic, bespoke campaigns that closely mimic real attacks. Employees receive fraudulent emails, texts, or calls, using social engineering tactics to gain trust and prompt ill-advised actions.
12+ Month Improvement Roadmap
As part of the audit report, you’ll also receive a roadmap of steps you can take over the next 12-18 months; providing achievable milestones.
Dark Web Audit/Breached Credentials Audit
Carrying out investigations on the dark web to determine if your organisation has been the victim of a previous attack or breach, and what data might be available to malicious parties.
Governance Policy Reviews and Audits
Evaluating your current policies and recommending practical amendments, as well as suggesting any additional policies that might be necessary for compliance, or could provide a more rounded approach to cyber security.
Stakeholder-level Reporting
You’ll be provided with digestible and actionable feedback from the audit report - This provides the basis for which future cyber security recommendations and actions are recommended
Bespoke based on our client’s needs
Our reporting and feedback is always bespoke and tailored to each individual client without resorting to a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
Contact PureCyber
Reach out to PureCyber for consultancy services, cyber security audits, and tailored solutions.
Our team will work closely with you to enhance your security posture and address your specific needs effectively.
FAQs about Cyber Audits
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The technology an organisation uses to function can be split into two areas, the first being the technology used for day-to-day user activities such as workstations, printers, and servers. While the second is the technology used to protect them, firewalls, antivirus etc. These provide layers of defence but, any misconfiguration or error in any layer can expose those below to attack.
As a simplistic example, a firewall which is used to secure an organisation’s internet access is misconfigured, this could allow an external attacker in another building or even another country to gain access to the servers, workstations and thus the data without anyone noticing.
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The purpose of the technical review is to evaluate each layer to ensure they are configured correctly, functioning as expected and do not create an open window into the organisation’s defences.
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Governance is an often overlooked but vital element of a strong cyber defence, it describes the policies, procedures and processes that determine how an organisation detects, prevents, and responds to cyber events. The cyber audit examines the organisations existing systems and scores them against current industry standards.
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Once the technical and governance reviews are completed several reports will be created, each reflecting the findings of each exercise. This information will be summarised in an executive report that will analyse the findings highlighting key tactical and strategic recommendations that align the organisation to industry standards.
Cyber Audits as part of managed cyber security subscriptions
Foundation Subscription
Cyber Security Audits are included in our foundation subscription package.
Consultancy services provided to you by our expert team.
Core Subscription
Includes cyber security audit as part of our comprehensive cybersecurity services.
Consultancy service tailored to your needs is conducted by our experienced team.
Total Subscription
Offers complete cybersecurity coverage with detailed cyber security audit included.
Our expert consultancy team conducts thorough assessments aligned with your security goals.
Independent Service
Cyber security audits can be requested as a standalone service or a one-off project.
During onboarding, our team reviews and customises the consultancy approach to meet your specific requirements.
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The Dangers of not Preparing for a Cyber Attack
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