The unfortunate reality in today’s business environment is that your information technology is constantly under threat – from cyberattacks, from age, from user error, from incompatible components, and from outdated software. Technology and the corresponding threats are constantly evolving — and at a tremendous pace. Every company needs to conduct a yearly audit of their IT infrastructure and practices.
An IT audit should include an assessment of your organization’s entire IT infrastructure including its systems, management, software, data storage and operations – essentially a full audit of everything.
It can find out if a server is on its last legs – or if using a cloud-based storage option is a better solution. You’ll learn if your software is about to become obsolete or if your operating system needs an update. You’ll discover if your staff are vulnerable to phishing attacks or is your system vulnerable to other cybersecurity threats. There are also regulatory concerns – a regular assessment of your IT practices ensures your company is compliant.
Another reality is that the cost of doing yearly IT audits is less than not conducting them. According to Mastercard, the average cost to Canadian companies of a data breach is $5.64 million. The cost of downtime to Canadian business IT systems can run in the $100,000s. This doesn’t even include the long-term effect to your business’s reputation.
Auditing your IT infrastructure will also help your organization properly plan and anticipate the need for new hardware or software, and, verify that your information usage and management processes are following industry standards and best-practices. It will tell you the remaining effective life of your systems and what needs to be upgraded and what can be upgraded further into the horizon. Moreover, it will provide you a view of information usage practices in your organization, how well is your data protected against intentional and unintentional leakage, and the risk posture of your organization related to information security. All these are particularly important for IT infrastructure and processes that are is often overlooked because you’re busy with the day-to-day obligations of your operations – things like verifying backups, checking your crisis response plan and ensure your IT is resilient.
Don’t know how to get started on an IT Audit? Need help with your organization’s cyber security or keeping your accounts and data safe? Don’t be intimidated – let us help. Contact us at https://interface.ca/contact-us/ for a free consultation.
Get a Free IT Audit!
Click here to have one of our IT Specialists visit your office, learn about your needs and propose a comprehensive solution for consolidating your services and improving your bottom line. Just click here to download the voucher and give us a call at 416-363-9880 to schedule your free audit.
