An IT audit or information technology audit is an investigation and evaluation of IT systems, infrastructures, policies, and operations. Through IT audits, a company can determine if the existing IT controls protect corporate assets, ensure data integrity and align with the organization’s business and financial controls. While most people are familiar with financial audits that evaluate an organization’s financial position, IT audits are still a fairly new phenomenon that is now gaining more importance due to the rise of cloud technology. The purpose of an IT audit is to check on security protocols and processes in place and IT governance as a whole. As an unbiased observer, an IT auditor makes sure that these controls are properly and effectively installed, so the company is less vulnerable to data breaches and other security risks. However, even if adequate security and compliance are provided, there has to be a line of action in case of an unlikely event that would threaten the health and reputation of the examined business. Next, learn more about an IT auditor’s role, skills, responsibilities, and certifications.

An IT auditor develops, implements, tests, and evaluates all IT audit review procedures within a company that relies on technology. These audit procedures can extend to networks, software applications, communication and security systems as well as any other systems that are part of the organization’s technological infrastructure. By conducting IT-related audit projects and following established IT auditing standards, IT auditors have an essential role in ensuring that an organization and its sensitive data are protected from external or internal security threats. After all, just a small technical error can have a devastating impact on the entire organization.

Now you know why IT auditors have such an important role within a company relying on technology. But what do their actual responsibilities look like in practice? Below, we’ve outlined the most important ones.

• Development and planning of audit test plans
• Determining audit scope and objectives
• Coordination and execution of audit activities
• Adhering to auditing standards established by the company
• Development of details audit reports
• Identifying best practices for meeting audit requirements
• Maintain and update IT audit documentation
• Communicating audit findings and recommendations
• Ensuring that previous recommendations have been implemented

The skills required for the job of an IT auditor may differ depending on which industry they work in. However, there is a general set of skills that most companies are looking for when hiring an IT auditor. These skills include:

• Formal qualifications: This may not be required at all companies but can help IT auditors in applying a systematic approach to their work.
• Practical experiences: Previous work experience in data security and IT auditing is always a plus.
• Understanding core business processes: This helps the IT auditor in linking IT systems to the value they bring to the business.
• Understanding key IT processes: This allows the IT auditor to prioritize IT risks.
• Strong analytical and logical reasoning ability: IT auditors should be able to use data analysis and visualization tools.
• Strong communication skills: This ability is necessary for explaining complex security issues to non-technical management teams.

Today’s threat landscape is dynamic. The proliferation of disruptive technologies like mobile, social, cloud and big data has been increasingly impacting protection strategies. These technologies will continue to add to the complexity and drive the security needs of the IT infrastructure and information assets. They will also challenge integrity of current security controls and will risk enterprise data and intellectual property (IP). Thus, it’s important that businesses have a strategy to deliver effective enterprise security risk management and situational awareness using defense-in-depth strategies, monitoring, analysis and reporting. At Webzworld, we draw on our deep expertise of a large pool of experienced security professionals to offer IT security solutions that address the key challenges faced by enterprises today. Our IT security services aim to improve the agility, flexibility and cost effectiveness of the next generation needs of information security and compliance programs. We ensure a holistic risk driven approach for organizations with our solutions in the areas of identity and access governance, data protection, risk & compliance, threat management and mitigation (application, network & mobile) and cyber security monitoring & management.

• Raise the security and efficiency of your IT infrastructure. Our security specialists will provide you with expertise in high-value managed security services and analysis of security events;
• 24/7 security monitoring for relevant ICT systems;
• Access to professional consultants with extensive experience delivering solutions for industry leaders;
• Lower cost due to shared resources rather than compromised quality of services and security;
• Lower risk – Reliable protection and high level of service quality based on SLA;
• We think globally and act locally – In delivering our security operations, we always stay close to your business and provide you with anything you need wherever you need that.

• Security Operations Center – Stay in control 24/7;
• Security Monitoring and Security Information and Event Management –Effectively monitor the security of IT environments to identify, analyze and respond to potential security threats in time;
• Vulnerability Tracking and Management – Verify the security status of your IT environment with routine vulnerability scans;
• Patch Management – Compile patch- and vulnerability-related information from various sources, including vendor sites, security newsletters and vulnerability databases;
• Compliance Management – Improve compliance with our assistance and identify and deploy best security practices and regulatory requirements
• IT risk management – Pro-actively manage open threats by controls, corrective actions and other measures to mitigate risks;
• Business Continuity Management – Determine the maturity of your controls for Information Security & Business Continuity.