Turning Audit Into Enablement
by Hannah Grace Holladay / December 4th, 2023
Audits are hard, but when done well, they are always beneficial.
We understand if you don’t believe us. We know that audits are overwhelming and complicated. They can feel like daunting tasks that will only create fines or more work for your organization. But that doesn’t have to be the case. There are many benefits of an audit, and even more when you have a partner to help you.
If you don’t believe that an audit can ever be beneficial, allow us to convince you.
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
To make sure that your audit is worth it, you need an experienced audit partner who cares about helping you reach your security and compliance goals.
Audits strengthen business operations, yet many organizations are fearful of the process. Rather than seeing the benefits of information security audits, most people only worry about what will happen if they “fail.”
In short, you can’t fail an audit. Any “failure” or exception identified in an audit exposes potential threats or vulnerabilities that your organization may not have been aware of before the audit. An audit is simply one of the tools you can use to verify that the way you keep your data safe is actually doing that.
Choosing to work with an experienced information security auditor is a great way to make sure your controls are being tested thoroughly so that your organization knows its security program is designed well and operating effectively. This gives you a chance to inspire the entire organization to show a greater commitment to security and compliance and will give you assurance that you are doing everything you can to protect your business.
The Audit Lifecycle
We’ve noticed a pattern in the audit lifecycle, divided over the first three years of an audit journey. In the first year, you may be starting the auditing process for a certain reason; a major client may require proof of 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 can switch 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.
When Does an Audit Become a Benefit?
So, when does an audit actually 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
How to Leverage Audits for a Competitive Advantage
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.
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.
When you work with KirkpatrickPrice, you can make sure your audit will end in success.
When you undergo an audit, you can’t lose. One of our clients recently said,
“If we fail, it will be good for us.”
We hope that you can see the truth in this statement. You aren’t a failure if your auditor identifies an exception. These exceptions, when remediated properly, give you the power to strengthen your security measures and protect your valuable data from a threat you didn’t even know was possible.
Your audit findings only make you stronger if you let them.
Audits give you the opportunity to create an even more secure environment.
When we work together, we will partner with you to turn these vulnerabilities into your greatest strengths. Connect with one of our experts today and make your organization unstoppable in the face of today’s threats.
