The Value of IT Audits: Identifying Weaknesses and Opportunities in Your Business
Let your IT professional supercharge your network processes
Mention the word “audit” to a small business owner and he’s likely to crawl halfway up the wall. Businesses jump through hoops to produce data, yet their inefficient processes continue to calcify. Fortunately, the IT professional who’s calling for a network audit has an answer. “To save you money. And help you make more money.” That can usually get a boss’s attention. It has the added virtue of being true, as we shall explain.
What is an IT audit?
An audit is an in-depth examination of some aspect of an organization’s operations. When it comes to IT, there are two types of audits: compliance and controls. The first refers to how closely your business adheres to regulations (such as laws governing the storage of customer data), best practices, and standards (industry guidelines that are nominally voluntary, but not really). The second type of audit assesses your system and measures your workers’ performance in areas where human error is a contributing factor for system failure.
As regards compliance, any failures that enable a breach of your network, leading to the capture of customer data, expose you to potentially crippling liability. If you are in compliance with regulations, the likelihood of a data breach decreases, but so does your liability, especially if you respond proactively. For these reasons, a compliance audit is a prudent step. At a nominal expense, you can glean information to deter a breach, while also gaining some legal protection for your company.
Auditing your controls can disclose weaknesses in your network, such as obsolete equipment and software, and blind spots among your human assets. It is much less expensive to upgrade components in your network and your software than it would be to pay a liability judgment for a breach you were negligent in preventing. However, your controls also depend heavily on the people using your network. If they don’t follow protocols, you might as well fling the barn doors open. A control audit can reveal lapses in employee training and/or learning. The audit gives management actionable information about where specifically their workers need extra training or reinforcement of concepts.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that many businesses are out of compliance with their software licenses. The rights owners are fully capable of performing their own audits, which can detect your unauthorized use of their programs, exposing you to liability for infringement. Penalties can apply for software you don’t even use anymore. An audit can clean up any potential problems in this area.
How your IT audit can drive business
A major reason you even have an IT network is to enable your workers to perform at peak efficiency. But is your network truly supporting your workers, and are your workers fully exploiting the potential of your network? These are questions an audit can answer. Too many businesses run outdated or misaligned programs. This creates a status quo of disarray, which slows down processes, increases downtime, and frustrates workers.
When you run an IT audit, you can identify numerous inefficiencies, which include:
- Suboptimal programs
- Redundant systems
- Outdated hardware
- Underutilized software
The audit gives you actionable information, which your IT pro can help you interpret. By updating your system where it lags, you can provide greater support for your workers, who can accomplish more in the time allotted. By training your workers on aspects of available programs they haven’t tapped into, you further empower them to speed through tasks that have occupied too much of their time. On this last point, you’re already paying for the program; you might as well utilize all its features. Who buys a Lamborghini and only drives it on the side streets? With the efficiency you get when all your programs are updated and your workers are fully versed in the features, you could feel like you’ve expanded your workforce, only you don’t have to pay the new guys.
For all these reasons, an IT audit is a service that pays for itself over and over. At KMF Technologies, we’ve helped numerous New Jersey businesses remedy vulnerabilities and enhance productivity by performing detailed IT audits. We’re ready to help you get more from your network and your workers. Call us today.
