Many businessmen are trying to keep their company secret a secret. Since the century is the age of high technology, it is quite difficult to do. Almost everyone is trying to protect themselves from the leak of corporate and personal information, but it is no secret that it will not be difficult for a professional to find out the necessary data. At the moment, there are many methods that protect against such attacks. But in order to verify the effectiveness of such a security system, it is necessary to conduct an information security audit.
What is an audit?
According to the Federal Law "On Auditing", an audit includes various methods and methods, as well as the practical implementation of inspections. Regarding the information security of the enterprise, it is an independent assessment of the state of the system, as well as the level of its compliance with the established requirements. Examinations are conducted regarding accounting and tax reporting, economic support and financial and economic activities.
Why is such a check necessary?
Some consider such an activity a waste of money. However, by identifying problems in this sector in a timely manner, even greater economic losses can be prevented. The objectives of an information security audit are:
- determination of the level of protection and bringing it to the necessary;
- financial settlement in terms of ensuring the confidentiality of the organization;
- demonstration of the feasibility of investing in this sector;
- Getting the most out of your security costs
- confirmation of the effectiveness of internal forces, means of control and their reflection on the conduct of business.
How is information security audited at an enterprise?
A comprehensive audit of information security takes place in several stages. The process is divided into organizational and instrumental. Within the framework of both parts of the complex, a study is made of the security of the customer’s corporate information system, and then a determination is made of compliance with established standards and requirements. An information security audit is divided into the following stages:
- Determination of customer requirements and scope of work.
- Studying the necessary materials and making conclusions.
- Analysis of possible risks.
- Expert opinion on the work done and the issuance of the appropriate verdict.
What is included in the first stage of an information security audit?
The information security audit program begins precisely with clarifying the amount of work that is required by the customer. The client expresses his opinion and purpose, pursuing which he applied for an expert assessment.
At this stage, verification of the general data that the customer provides is already beginning. He is described the methods that will be used, and the planned set of measures.
The main task at this stage is to set a specific goal. The client and the organization conducting the audit must understand each other, agree on a common opinion. After the commission is formed, the composition of which is selected by the appropriate specialists. The required technical specifications are also separately agreed with the customer.
It would seem that this event should only outline the state of the system that protects against information attacks. But the final results of the test may be different.Some are interested in complete information about the work of protective equipment of the customer’s company, while others are interested only in the efficiency of individual information technology lines. The choice of methods and means of assessment depends on the requirements. The goal setting also affects the further course of work of the expert commission.
By the way, the working group consists of specialists from two organizations - the company performing the audit, and the employees of the audited organization. Indeed, the latter, like no one else, know the intricacies of their institution and can provide all the information necessary for a comprehensive assessment. They also carry out a kind of control over the work of employees of the executing company. Their opinion is taken into account when making the results of the audit.
The experts of the company conducting an audit of the information security of the enterprise are engaged in the study of subject areas. Having an appropriate qualification level, as well as an independent and unbiased opinion, they are able to more accurately assess the state of work of protective equipment. Experts conduct their activities in accordance with the planned work plan and objectives. They develop technical processes and coordinate the results with each other.
The terms of reference clearly fixes the goals of the auditor, determines the methods for its implementation. It also spells out the timing of the audit, it is even possible that each stage will have its own period.
At this stage, contact is made with the security service of the audited institution. The auditor gives an obligation to not disclose the results of the audit.
How is the implementation of the second stage?
An audit of the information security of an enterprise in the second stage is a detailed collection of information necessary for evaluating it. To begin with, we consider a general set of measures that are aimed at implementing a privacy policy.
Since now most of the data is duplicated in electronic form, or in general the company carries out its activities only with the help of information technology, then software also falls under the test. Physical security is also being analyzed.
At this stage, specialists are committed to reviewing and evaluating how information security is ensured and audited within the institution. To this end, the organization of the protection system, as well as the technical capabilities and conditions for its provision, lends itself to analysis. The last point is given special attention, since fraudsters most often find breaches in protection precisely through the technical part. For this reason, the following points are considered separately:
- software structure;
- configuration of servers and network devices;
- privacy mechanisms.
An audit of the information security of the enterprise at this stage ends with a debriefing and expression of the results of the work done in the form of a report. It is the documented conclusions that form the basis for the implementation of the following stages of the audit.
How are possible risks analyzed?
An information security audit of organizations is also conducted to identify real threats and their consequences. At the end of this stage, a list of measures should be formed that will avoid or at least minimize the possibility of information attacks.
To prevent privacy violations, you need to analyze the report received at the end of the previous step. Thanks to this, it is possible to determine whether a real intrusion into the space of the company is possible. A verdict is issued on the reliability and performance of existing technical protective equipment.
Since all organizations have different areas of work, the list of security requirements cannot be identical.For the audited institution, a list is developed individually.
Weaknesses are also identified at this stage, and the client is provided with information about potential attackers and impending threats. The latter is necessary in order to know which side to wait for the trick, and to pay more attention to this.
It is also important for the customer to know how effective the innovations and results of the expert commission will be.
The analysis of possible risks has the following objectives:
- classification of information sources;
- identification of vulnerabilities in the workflow;
- prototype of a possible scammer.
Analysis and audit allow you to determine how possible the success of information attacks. For this, the criticality of weaknesses and ways of using them for illegal purposes are evaluated.
What is the final stage of the audit?
The final stage is characterized by the writing of the results of the work. The document that comes out is called an audit report. It consolidates the conclusion about the general level of security of the audited company. Separately, there is a description of the effectiveness of the information technology system in relation to security. The report provides guidance on potential threats and describes a model of a possible attacker. It also spells out the possibility of unauthorized intrusion due to internal and external factors.
Information security audit standards provide not only an assessment of the status, but also the giving of recommendations by an expert commission on the necessary activities. It is the experts who carried out the comprehensive work, analyzed the information infrastructure, who can say what needs to be done in order to protect themselves from information theft. They will indicate the places that need to be strengthened. Experts also provide guidance on technological support, that is, equipment, servers, and firewalls.
Recommendations are those changes that need to be made in the configuration of network devices and servers. Perhaps the instructions will relate directly to selected safety methods. If necessary, experts will prescribe a set of measures aimed at further strengthening the mechanisms that provide protection.
The company should also conduct special outreach work, and develop a policy aimed at confidentiality. Perhaps security reforms should be implemented. An important point is the regulatory and technical base, which is obliged to consolidate the provisions on the safety of the company. The team must be properly instructed. Spheres of influence and assigned responsibility are shared among all employees. If this is appropriate, it is better to conduct a course to improve the education of the team regarding information security.
What types of audit exist?
Audit of information security of an enterprise can be of two types. Depending on the source of this process, the following types can be distinguished:
- External form. It differs in that it is disposable. Its second feature is that it is produced through independent and unbiased experts. If it is of a recommendatory nature, then it is ordered by the owner of the institution. In some cases, an external audit is required. This may be due to the type of organization, as well as extraordinary circumstances. In the latter case, the initiators of such an audit, as a rule, are law enforcement agencies.
- Inner form. It is based on a specialized provision that prescribes audit conduct. An internal audit of information security is necessary in order to constantly monitor the system and identify vulnerabilities.It is a list of events that take place in a specified period of time. For this work, most often a special department or an authorized employee is established. He diagnoses the state of protective equipment.
How is an active audit conducted?
Depending on what the customer is pursuing, the methods of information security audit are also chosen. One of the most common ways to study the level of security is an active audit. It is a statement of a real hacker attack.
The advantage of this method is that it allows the most realistic simulation of the possibility of a threat. Thanks to an active audit, you can understand how a similar situation will develop in life. This method is also called instrumental security analysis.
The essence of an active audit is the implementation (using special software) of an attempt of unauthorized intrusion into an information system. At the same time, protective equipment must be in a state of full readiness. Thanks to this, it is possible to evaluate their work in such a case. A person who carries out an artificial hacker attack is provided with a minimum of information. This is necessary in order to recreate the most realistic conditions.
They try to expose the system to as many attacks as possible. Using different methods, you can evaluate the hacking methods to which the system is most exposed. This, of course, depends on the qualifications of the specialist conducting this work. But his actions should not be of any destructive nature.
Ultimately, the expert generates a report on the weaknesses of the system and the information that is most accessible. It also provides recommendations on possible upgrades, which should guarantee increased security to the proper level.
What is an expert audit?
To determine the compliance of the company with the established requirements, an information security audit is also conducted. An example of such a task can be seen in the expert method. It consists in a comparative assessment with the source data.
That very ideal protection work can be based on a variety of sources. The client himself can set requirements and set goals. The head of the company may want to know how far the level of security of his organization is from what he wants.
The prototype against which a comparative assessment will be carried out can be generally recognized international standards.
According to the Federal Law "On Auditing", the executing company has enough authority to collect relevant information and conclude that the existing measures to ensure information security are sufficient. The consistency of regulatory documents and the actions of employees regarding the operation of protective equipment is also evaluated.
What is the compliance check?
This species is very similar to the previous one, since its essence is also a comparative assessment. But only in this case, the ideal prototype is not an abstract concept, but the clear requirements enshrined in the regulatory and technical documentation and standards. However, it also determines the degree of compliance with the level specified by the company’s privacy policy. Without compliance with this moment, we cannot talk about further work.
Most often, this type of audit is necessary for certification of the existing security system at the enterprise. This requires the opinion of an independent expert. Here, not only the level of protection is important, but also its satisfaction with recognized quality standards.
Thus, we can conclude that in order to carry out this kind of procedure, you need to decide on the executor, and also highlight the range of goals and objectives based on your own needs and capabilities.