5 Elements of a Quality Audit
by Tori Thurmond / April 19th, 2023
You deserve an audit that accurately reflects the quality of your organization. We know that you deliver quality to your clients every day, and you need to work with an auditing firm that will deliver the same to you. However, knowing exactly what to look for to ensure a quality audit can be overwhelming. With some of the bigger firms claiming to have the best and fastest platform, it can be easy to confuse flashy and fast with quality.
Don’t waste resources on an audit that will fall short and leave your organization vulnerable. We’ve put together a list of five elements you should look for to make sure you receive a quality audit that will be worth your time and money.
1. Quality Testing
It may seem obvious that a quality audit would involve quality testing, but what does quality testing look like when it comes to an information security audit? Your audit should involve more than just a checklist where a firm checks a box saying that you have all of the necessary policies and procedures required of you. A quality audit should involve your auditors actually reading and reviewing those policies and procedures to make sure your organization is truly doing what is outlined and what is needed to secure your unique environment.
You need a firm that values onsite visits as well as open communication throughout the auditing process, so no vulnerabilities are missed. Elements of an audit like physical and environmental security cannot be properly assessed remotely. By allowing an auditor to join you onsite, they may find a threat you were unaware of and didn’t know to show your auditor virtually. By submitting to an onsite visit, you are giving your organization the best chance to find and remediate potential threats that couldn’t be found through a call.
At KirkpatrickPrice, we value getting to know our clients and their work environments to ensure that we are providing the best audit possible. In addition to prioritizing onsite visits for all our clients, we have had auditors fly internationally just to make sure an organization’s third-party vendor was handling our client’s information the way that they should be. We are always willing to come to you so you get the thorough audit you deserve.
Quality testing is more than a checklist; partner with a firm that makes sure you’re ready to face today’s threats confidently.
2. Interactive Platform
Compliance is too important to be left on autopilot. Many of the compliance platforms on the market idolize automation, claiming that it allows for the fastest and easiest audit. While automation can make some tasks more convenient, do you really want to leave the security of your organization up to automation alone?
A quality audit should be a combination of advanced technology and expert human help. With KirkpatrickPrice’s Online Audit Manager (OAM), you can have the best of both worlds. Not only can you start and finish an audit on the OAM but you can also receive live expert help when you need it. The OAM allows you to assign tasks to different members of your organization, stay organized, and track your progress all on one interactive platform.
Don’t leave the security of your organization to a one-dimensional platform; receive a quality audit with the help of a dynamic compliance tool that will set you up for success.
You deserve a compliance tool that makes your life (and audit) easier.
Whether you’re ready to start your audit, need some help preparing, or just want to manage your compliance practices, the OAM will make sure you accomplish your compliance goals. Download our guide to learn how.
3. Experienced Auditors
As hard as you work on completing an audit, you deserve to work with an auditor who has enough experience to give you the audit you deserve. Think about the difference in an audit performed by someone who is new to the industry versus someone who has 20+ years of industry experience.
That type of experience could be the difference between being “compliant” and finding the vulnerabilities that could have ruined your business. We believe finding these vulnerabilities is actually a good thing. Wouldn’t you rather go through thorough testing to find those threats now before they actually become an issue? By working with an experienced auditor to find those vulnerabilities, you’ll also be working with a partner who will help you remediate them. Your organization will leave the audit process stronger and more secure than when you started.
KirkpatrickPrice auditors have been in your exact position. They have been CISOs, CTOs, IT Directors, and more, who have personally undergone these audits as well as execute them for KirkpatrickPrice clients. They know what you want and need out of your audit and will make your efforts worth it as they help you accomplish your compliance goals. With certifications like CISSP, CISA, CISM, AWS SAA, OSCP, QSA, and many others, our auditors have the experience and knowledge to give you the quality audit you expect.
4. Education
Knowledge is power. Not only should your auditor be working to further their own cybersecurity knowledge, but they should also have a goal of educating, empowering, and inspiring their clients throughout the auditing process. The best audits should be learning experiences. With the help of a quality auditing firm, you should feel more confident in your security program and yourself by the end of your audit.
When working with KirkpatrickPrice, you’ll have access to auditors who love to learn and share their knowledge. Our goal is to help you feel confident when threats arise and know the best steps to take during your ongoing compliance journey. And through the use of our OAM, as well as thousands of educational resources, expert guidance is always a click away.
5. Qualified Firm
Receive a quality audit from a qualified firm. A great place to start when looking for an auditing firm for your organization is looking for a licensed CPA firm. While a CPA firm may not be the first qualification that comes to mind when looking for someone to conduct an information security audit, the higher standard that CPA firms are held to will ensure that you are getting what you pay for. Additionally, SOC 2 audits must be issued by licensed CPA firms.
KirkpatrickPrice is a licensed CPA firm that is proud of the level of integrity, independence, and accountability that the standard of ethics requires of us. You deserve to work with someone you can trust with your valuable data.
Choose a Quality Audit with KirkpatrickPrice
Compliance doesn’t have to be as stressful as it’s made out to be. When you choose a quality auditing firm with experts who care about your organization, your compliance journey will turn into an educational and enlightening experience that could even be a little fun.
With KirkpatrickPrice, you can rest assured that you’ll receive a quality audit that will stand out amongst your competitors. Our dedicated auditors, innovative tools, and educational resources will leave you with an audit report you can be proud of.
Connect with one of our experts today to get started!
