Behind the Firewall ft. Jared Smalling
by Morgan Prost / July 15th, 2026
Audits are more than a report that sits on a shelf.
Have you been told an every-other-year audit is “good enough”? We hear that more than you’d think.
Jared Smalling, our Director of Audit Delivery, recently had a client conversation that’s familiar to a lot of auditors: “We’re moving to an every-other-year audit. Audits take time and cost money, and our environment doesn’t change much.”
Jared listened, then reframed the ask. Like a lot of organizations, this client didn’t actually want less support, they wanted more efficient, targeted value.
So Jared proposed a hybrid model: lighter technical checks during off-years, focused training sessions, and scheduled feedback touchpoints. That approach keeps internal knowledge sharp, keeps threat awareness current, and eases budget and time pressure without leaving a two-year gap in support.
Audits are more than a report that sits on a shelf. Real value looks like smaller, more frequent interactions, so a client is never left guessing what their auditor is doing between engagements.
