Cybersecurity and IS governance : Security and compliance audit
01
In 2022, nearly 9 out of 10 French companies suffered an attempted cyberattack with a success rate of 43%. In total, the amount of damage amounts to more than two billion euros. In this intense context, deploying cybersecurity solutions has become essential. But it is also necessary to conduct audits to assess the level of security of your Information System, as well as its compliance with the legislation in force.
02
A security audit consists of conducting a comprehensive review of the information system. This approach has two objectives: to identify all the existing cyber-risks on the IS and to measure the effectiveness of the processes and security solutions deployed.
In concrete terms, a security audit allows :
- To compile a comprehensive list of cyber-risks and to prioritize them in order of criticality
- Identify the vulnerabilities that require correction and the technical configurations to be optimized
- Prioritize the security actions to be taken
- Verify the implementation of the required measures and best practices
- Evaluate the overall security of the information system
- Optimize internal processes
In summary, the security audit is a process that enhances the overall level of protection by reducing the risks exposing your company to cyber threats and attacks.
03
The purpose of a compliance audit is to assess the level of compliance of your IS with the legislation in force. Indeed, it is mandatory that its infrastructure, applications and IT systems can comply with the laws governing personal data and cybersecurity.
In France, it is now the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD), in force since 2018 in Europe and in line with the Data Protection Act, which rigorously applies to public and private companies processing personal data (customers, employees, suppliers, service providers, etc.).
In addition, organizations belonging to specific and sensitive sectors of activity must further protect their personal data through certification. Examples include the pharmaceutical sector, where medical data must be stored with an HDS-certified hosting provider, and the banking sector, which is subject to the PCI DSS standard.
These standards and certifications help companies identify trusted hosting providers that can guarantee the security of the most sensitive data.
In summary, a compliance audit allows you to :
- Identify all non-compliance factors
- Assess the compliance rate of your IS
- Strengthen the trust of your partners and customers
- Avoid being penalized by financial and legal authorities
- Prepare for specific ISO certifications or standards
The measures taken following a compliance audit ultimately contribute to the reduction of your information systems' exposure to cyber threats.
04
Carrying out an IT security audit includes
- Review of technical configurations
- Vulnerability analysis (application flaws, access control, password management, network security, etc.)
- Configuration statements
- Review of Security Policies & Procedures
- Penetration Testing
- Code Auditing
- Comprehensive report on your organization's strengths and areas for improvement
The security audit can be integrated into one of our different modes of intervention
- Audit of IT infrastructures and systems
- Network audit
- Systems Audit
The scope of a security audit can cover
- Network management and supervision: traffic analysis, VPN, Firewalling, network and VLAN sealing, DMZ, etc. …
- Server and system security: Active directory, Windows server roles and features, etc.…
- Desktop security : vulnerabilities analysis, antivirus and ransomware protection solutions, etc.
- Application systems (code, flaws and vulnerabilities of systems and solutions)
-
SSI documentation :
- The ISSP : Information Systems Security Policy
- The DRP : Disaster Recovery Plan
- The BCP : Business Continuity Plan
- The SAP : Security Assurance Plan
Carrying out a compliance audit
- Compliance audit with the GDPR and the French Data Protection Act
- Pre-certification audit to obtain an ISO standard (example: the ISO 27001 standard which validates the implementation of a robust information security management system)
- Identification of aspects to be corrected or measures to be deployed for compliance
05
Audits are therefore a vital part of your cybersecurity strategy. They require expertise in cybersecurity and information system governance, as well as a specific methodology and a critical examination. Logigroup supports you in carrying out your audits.
