IT Audit: Definition & Quick Guide

IT Audit: Definition & Quick Guide

The impact of a cyber criminal on a business or project can be catastrophic, and organizations must do an IT audit to make sure their data and network is safe from attack. An IT audit is an official examination of the IT infrastructure, policies and operations of an organization, and adds an evaluation to suggest improvements. It is an important part of good IT project management procedure, and can be broken into two categories: general control review and application control review. There are five categories of a well-executed audit.
Systems & Applications, Information Processing Facilities, Systems Development, Management of IT and Enterprise Architecture, Client/Server, Telecommunications, Intranets and Extranets, and Security are all important parts of an organization's IT network. An IT auditor is responsible for identifying weaknesses in the IT system and responding to any founds, as well as planning to prevent security breaches. There are certifications for this skill, such as a certified information system auditor (CISA) and certified information systems security professionals (CISSP). Regular IT security audits must be part of an organization’s perennial efforts, and it is best to investigate how often other organizations in your industry and size conduct theirs to get a baseline.