A security audit is the best way to do a complete evaluation of your company’s security system by comparing it to a set of established criteria. This allows an honest assessment of the health and scale of your security assets, systems, and their functionality. Based on this assessment you can understand gaps in the overall security of your business.
Setting the standards of your audit should be done by your management team in collaboration with a security advisor. Reviewing your security against these standards will ensure you devise strategies that protect your business from all possible threats. When preparing for your audit you should evaluate your security by looking at 3 key assessments:
Assessing your equipment
Look at your current security equipment and infrastructure. How advanced is it? Are there gaps in your equipment? Could more be done to enhance the security of your systems?
Evaluate the following:
- Computers, laptops, and tablet devices
- POS Systems
- Wifi network and servers
- Fire alarms
- Security alarms
- Employee phones
- CCTV placement and coverage
- Determine possible threats to your business
Each business faces a different set of risks and threats. Once your equipment is assessed, determine a list of potential threats to make sure you have the appropriate mitigation strategies in place. You may want to ask yourself and your team the following questions:
- Do we store sensitive data of our customers or ourselves such as credit card data or other financial data?
- How often do we back up data?
- Is everything password protected throughout our systems?
- Do we have a safe if we are storing cash or other valuable items?
- How many employees and which employees have access to company passwords and company systems?
- Have we completed a cyber security threat assessment?
- Do we regularly scan our systems for viruses and malware?
- Are all our entrances safely secured with locks and entry prevention systems?
Connect with a leading security team
Now you have reviewed and identified the gaps and sensitive areas of your security systems in your business, it is time to work with a leading security company and start your audit. Set up a timeframe, establish roles and responsibilities, and schedule meetings to keep track of your audit progress.
This will be the best way to make sure your business’ security is assessed and consequently improved post-audit. If you have questions about the security of your business, head over to our Companies page and reach out to a security professional today.
