Turning Audit Into Enablement

by Sarah Harvey / June 27th, 2017

When Does an Audit Become a Benefit?

Audits strengthen business operations, yet many organizations are fearful of the process, rather than seeing the benefits of information security audits. In this webinar hosted by LockPath, Joseph Kirkpatrick shares his insights on the auditing process, how your organization can leverage audits to gain a competitive advantage, and the benefits of information security audits and compliance.

We view the audit lifecycle in three stages. During the first year, you probably begin the auditing process for a reason; a major client may require some type of compliance or you may be looking to distinguish your business from the competition. Your organization is probably asking, “Do we have to do this? Do we have to go through this audit? How can compliance help our business?” You’re almost in denial, questioning if this audit is really necessary. You may get stuck in the checkbox mentality, rather than reaping the benefits of information security audits. In the second year, though, your mindset probably switches to, “We are doing this audit.” Your organization should have a little bit more confidence knowing that you completed the audit and reached compliance last year. You may have already seen some of the benefits of audits. You know the process, you know what you need to do, and you’re going to get it done. With the third year comes the mindset that we hope to get your organization to. We want you to say, “I’m glad we’re doing this audit. This is important for our business.” In this phase, you’ve moved on from the checkbox mentality and you recognize the value and benefits of audits.

So, when does an audit become a benefit?

• When it helps your organization maintain customers and attract new ones
• When it helps your organization operate more efficiently
• When it helps your organization’s processes and controls mature
• When it helps distinguish your business from the rest, giving you a competitive advantage
• When it helps you avoid fines for non-compliance or breaches
• When it creates the Safe Harbor Effect for your business
• When it prevents a data breach
• When you need to answer to any sort of regulatory body
• When you can give a vendor evidence from an auditor who has seen the controls in place operating effectively
• When you realize that your organization constantly strengthening its processes and controls

Topics like application development, business continuity, data retention, disaster recovery, incident response testing, risk assessment, and audit trends are also discussed in this webinar. By listening to the full session, you’ll also hear from Sam Abadir, Director of Product Management at LockPath. In his position, Sam helps companies automate compliance and policy management for better performance and productivity. In this webinar, he will discuss the beneficial aspects of Lockpath’s Keylight Platform.

About LockPath

LockPath is a leader in integrated risk management solutions. Their suite of applications empower companies to manage risk, demonstrate compliance, monitor information security, and achieve audit-ready status. Companies ranging from 10-person offices to Fortune 10 enterprises in over 15 industries address the Gartner IRM use cases with LockPath solutions. In 2017, they are expanding their application portfolio to provide more efficient and effective programs. Learn more at lockpath.com.