With the cost of data breaches increasing to an average of $3.8 million according to a study by security research organisation Ponemon Institute, no company can really afford to ignore the digital threats that exist today.
From installing anti-virus software and introducingemail filtering to coming up with a fool-proof employee password policy, there are various steps and measures you can take in order to beef up and bolster your security.
However, the only way of knowing whether these actions are enough is to conduct an IT security audit. Along with finding out whether your company’s confidential or sensitive information is adequately protected against, a security audit can also bring about several additional advantages. These may not be immediately apparent to the layperson but it is important that you do understand the full ramifications of performing one.
So,how can companies actually benefit from a security audit? Here to explain is penetration and website security testing specialists Security Audit Systems.
Get rid of unnecessary services
On account of the fact that any service running on an organisation’s network can be used to attack the system, it is imperative you only use what you require. But with a security audit, unnecessary services can be identified and then removed as they are naturally redundant.
Change access permissions
There is every chance that your important files and folders are accessible to anyone, which could be seen as an open invite to any hackers out there. Conduct a security audit however and you can change the access permissions of shared information. Restricting access to important and valuable data is an obvious first step on the road to heightened system security!
Close open ports and shares
Just like running services, any open ports could be used in an attack against your network too. Relating open ports to the real world, they are akin to open doors and you wouldn’t leave your front door open to all and sundry these days would you?
Thankfully, these can be easily identified with a security audit and consequently closed to eliminate the risk of any uninvited entry!The same goes for open shares, which can also be easily exploited. Again, open shares should not be used unless they are essential.
Remove unknown users
With a security audit, you will be able to discover any old or unused user accounts, which could potentially be utilised to launch either an internal or external attack. What’s more, unearthing any unknown user accounts could be evidence that an attack has already taken place, providing food for thought!
Monitor unapproved devices
As long as they don’t pose any risk, unknown or unapproved devices such as smartphones and wireless access points aren’t necessarily a problem. However, they must be detected in a security audit, to verify their identity, and thus ensure the owner or administrator cannot compromise your security.
Uninstall dangerous applications
In addition to detecting dangerous applications that could be running on your system, a security audit can also come across software programs that launch automatically. You might not think this is very harmful, but they can be an indicator of a malware infection, which you would not want.
In spite of the innumerable benefits a security audit can provide, this exercise should be considered an ongoing responsibility, not just a one-off event. If you do not run regular security audits, new vulnerabilities won’t be discovered and patched to keep your network secure.
Therefore, create a schedule for continual security audits with a company specialising in this field, such as Security Audit Systems. For more information about its services, get in touch via phone or email.