With 2022 data in hand, we can conclude that the increase in cybersecurity incidents seems an unstoppable fact. With almost a 9% increase over 2021, the more than 118,000 incidents recorded last year have set a record. Of all of them, 52% were suffered by companies, which invites us to think about conducting security audits.
A growing problem
Considering security audits becomes more relevant as the number of cases related to cybersecurity vulnerabilities increases annually as more and more users have devices connected to the network.
Of all these, the most recurrent are those related to data leakage. More and more sensitive, protected or confidential data end up in the hands of an unauthorized person.
Those related to the vulnerabilities of technological systems are not far behind. Failures or weaknesses in information systems jeopardize their security and that of the organization to which they belong.
Online fraud, which includes phishing, malware or ransomware incidents, exceeds 30,000 cases. This is one of the most widely used attacks as they target the weakest link in the security chain: the user.
Why are security audits important?
As we have seen, the number and diversity of attacks that a computer system can suffer is increasing. In this context, it is important to have tools that help us to eliminate, or at least limit, the impact of these attacks on our systems.
Security audits, therefore, are processes that assess the security of computer systems. The objective is to identify and mitigate as far as possible the risks to which the system may be exposed. It is a matter of looking for possible vulnerabilities and proposing measures to mitigate their risks.
It is important to perform security audits.
The different types of security audits
In order to carry out the analysis in a detailed way that guarantees the best results, different types of audits must be carried out. In this way we will ensure that we cover all possible critical points that may suffer a threat.
The vulnerability audit will examine the weak points of the systems and the possible consequences of their exploitation.
Web application auditing checks the connections of the various programs accessing the Internet.
Network auditing, to ensure that the sharing of information between the company’s computers is done in a secure manner, without the risk of it being leaked or ending up outside the network.
A password audit reviews what is one of the most vulnerable critical points. In many cases, default passwords are left in place or other easily identifiable passwords are used.
The information security management audit reviews equipment for potential vulnerabilities.
And finally, pentesting. This is a test in which computer attacks are simulated to test the resistance of the system or to detect points of vulnerability.
Prevention is better than cure
In an environment where more than 20,000 new types of attacks are audited every year, performing security audits should be one of the key tools for any company to protect itself from the outside world.
Thanks to these audits, companies can also comply with safety standards, which are often regulated by legislation. Having a robust and accredited system also serves as a guarantee for customers and suppliers.
Any precaution is too little in the face of a potential leak of confidential data.
