Cybersecurity Audits: What Every School Should Know

Cybersecurity audits can be a stressful time, but if you know what to expect, you can be ready. It’s worth the effort, too, since a successful audit allows you to obtain cybersecurity insurance. Most cybersecurity audits ask generally the same questions, and once you prepare for your initial audit, subsequent audits can be a breeze, since you can often reuse the information with only minor tweaks for what may have changed in the last year.

So what are cybersecurity audits looking for? Typically, auditor will provide a lengthy questionnaire. You or your IT Team will be expected to provide a sentence or two attesting to the protection or security measure used, followed with evidence. For example, you’ll be asked to provide proof of access controls on sensitive files or folders. In this situation, simply providing a screen shot of your file server permissions on the folder in question should be enough. You will be able to show auditors that only authorized users who are part of a specific security groups can see the folder. 

The same is true for almost all other requests in some fashion, though some questions are more involved, as they ask for additional detail. They may ask about backups and backup frequency, encryption, VPN, multi-factor authentication, and even request evidence of physical security at your data closet.

Again, almost all these questions can be addressed with a photograph or an official document showing procedures for access, what kind ofVPN you use, screen shots of MFA-enabled accounts or tenants, or even logs from your backup device detailing successful backups.

However, an audit can become quite difficult if your current IT staff is less technically inclined, or simply lacks documentation that can explain how systems are setup. It’s not uncommon for IT to change hands so many times that things get lost along the way. But don’t fret, that’s whereCloudCare comes in – let us turn over every stone with our unique suite of tools, illuminating any unknown spaces in your IT infrastructure. Then, we’ll put all the puzzle pieces back together and help you complete your audit with accurate and up to date information. We may even be able to help you reach compliance during an audit, should new systems need to be implemented or if a current system falls short.

Afterwards, we’ll have a template for your audit, which we can address and update with you each year, providing peace of mind and quality information for your auditors. If you’d like, we can even train existing IT staff on the areas of tech we uncovered that may have been lost or forgotten along the way. So, next time an audit comes around – think Intelligent CloudCare – the smart choice for your school, your next big project, or your everyday IT support.

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