Benefits of IT audit

Business culture calls for periodic audits, including audits in the field of IT.

There are 3 types of clients who order an audit:

1. Clients who are required to be audited (for example, public companies)

2. Clients who have a specific problem and don't fully understand its nature and solution

3. Clients who consider an independent review as a performance improvement tool

It is especially difficult to decide on an independent assessment for companies that have never passed it before, since questions arise: how to choose? What is the optimal price? Will the investment pay off?

A few tips for those choosing an auditor for the first time:

• Choose certified auditors only - this is a confirmation of qualifications

• Check if the auditor has at least 2-3 years of practical experience

• Don't confuse price and value when looking at numbers. A high-quality audit can not cost a penny

• When choosing, be guided by goals that you want to achieve as a result of the audit

There are 2 types of benefits that a company receives from an IT audit: long-term and short-term.

The short term benefits are:

• Establishing partial order in IT documentation and information systems as audit is usually known for several weeks before and the IT department employees are trying to reduce technical debt

• More intense and efficient work of the IT department, before and immediately after start of IT auditor

The long-term benefits of IT audit include:

• Identifying risks that the company may not be aware of

• Obtaining an independent opinion that the business usually takes very seriously

• Improving the efficiency of investments in IT

• Prioritizing necessary steps to address gaps

And now life hacks – what IT auditors don't do:

• Don't change the audit program "on the fly"

• Don't work in conditions of conflict of interest

• Don't violate the auditor's code of ethics

• Don't fix detected critical errors in systems

IT. Experience. Result.