Security audits are a series of systematic assessments conducted internally or externally by experts. They are designed to evaluate an organization’s information systems, networks, and applications for vulnerabilities, compliance adherence, and overall security posture.
However, a security audit is only as effective as its implementation. With last-minute prep and a lack of focus on addressing long-term issues, achieving continuous improvement and meeting external audit requirements is nearly impossible.
This is where contemporary PTaaS platforms and security audit services step in to offer a proactive and strategic approach to security management.
Best 3 Security Audit Service Providers
Selecting the Best Security Audit Provider
Expertise and Qualifications:
A reputable security audit provider should possess deep industry knowledge, relevant certifications (like CISSP or CISA), a skilled team with proven experience, and a strong track record of successful audits.
Audit Scope and Depth:
The audit should comprehensively assess your network, applications, and data security. It should be tailored to your specific needs and risks, providing in-depth analysis to uncover underlying vulnerabilities.
Methodology and Tools:
A robust service methodology combined with advanced security tools is essential. The provider should be able to conduct compliance audits if required and stay updated with the latest security trends.
Tailor Fitted Reporting:
Clear, actionable audit reports with practical recommendations are crucial. Consider security audit service providers offering remediation support and ongoing assistance to address identified vulnerabilities.
Cost and Value:
Evaluate pricing models, the overall cost, and the potential return on investment for various vendors in the market. The ideal provider should offer good value by delivering comprehensive services and expertise.
Communication and Collaboration:
Effective communication and collaboration are vital for a successful audit. Choose a responsive, transparent, and willing cyber security audit services platform with a human support team to work closely with your team.
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- We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind pentest platform.
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IT Security Audit Services Process
Step 1: Planning and Preparation
The initial phase involves defining the audit’s scope, objectives, and methodology. This includes identifying the systems, networks, and data to be audited, determining the audit criteria (compliance standards, industry best practices), and assembling the audit team with the necessary expertise. Risk assessment is also conducted to prioritize areas for focus.
Step 2: Data Collection and Analysis
This stage involves gathering information about the organization’s IT infrastructure, security policies, procedures, and system configurations through interviews, document reviews, network scans, and system assessments.
Once the asset has been mapped, automated vulnerability assessments and manual penetration tests are conducted by experts to identify potential vulnerabilities and the potential impact, as well as originating chain attacks.
Step 3: Findings and Recommendations
Based on the collected data and analysis, auditors generate a comprehensive report outlining identified vulnerabilities and zero days, their CVSS score, severity, related non-compliance impact, and step-by-step guidance for recreating and mitigating them.
Note: The CVEs are prioritized based on their potential criticality and feasibility.
Step 4: Remediation and Follow-up
The final step involves implementing the recommended security measures – such as system upgrades, policy revisions, employee training, and incident response plan development – monitoring their effectiveness and conducting follow-up scans to ensure compliance and security posture improvement.
Once the patch is implemented, several service providers offer rescans to evaluate its viability and issue a clean report and a publicly verifiable certificate to help you strengthen customer trust.
Top 3 Security Audit Service Providers
1. Astra Security
Key Features:
- Platform: Online
- Audit Capabilities: Security audit for apps, APIs, cloud, and network devices
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO27001, and SOC2
- Integrations: Slack, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, CircleCI and Jenkins
- Price: Starting at $1999 per year
As a comprehensive suite of security solutions, Astra combines the power of automation with human expertise to deliver a unique blend of security audit services for various types of assets ranging from applications to cloud and network infrastructure.
With 9,300+ tests and compliance checks designed to uncover vulnerabilities, user-oriented reporting, industry-specific AI test cases, and zero false positives with vetted scans, we help you save millions of dollars proactively.
Lastly, our seamless integrations, round-the-clock-support and publically verifiable security certificate helps strengthen stakeholder trust. Don’t believe us? Check out what our customers have to say!
2. Sprinto
Key Features:
- Platform: Online
- Audit Capabilities: Automated compliance solution for 20+ frameworks
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: ISO 27001, SOC2, HIPAA, and GDPR
- Integrations: Slack, GitHub, GitLab, Google, AWS, and more
- Price: Available on quote
As a leading information security audit services provider and compliance automation platform, Sprinto automates evidence collection, control monitoring, and intelligence alert for your team.
With 20+ compliance frameworks, customization configurations, and 200+ integrations, it helps you simplify and speed up every step in your IT security & audit services.
3. Intruder
Key Features:
- Platform: Online
- Audit Capabilities: Websites, servers, and cloud.
- Remediation Support: No
- Compliance: SOC2, and ISO 27001
- Integrations: GitHub, Jira, Atlassian
- Price: $1958/ year (Vulnerability Scanning only. Pentest pricing available on demand)
Best known for its automated security audit services, Intruder employs an intelligent scanner to pinpoint and fix critical vulnerabilities in your assets. Its actionable reports with evidence-based formatting help you foster a culture of risk-education.
With compliance scanning, easy deployment, and custom configurations, it runs attacks customised to your industry and security needs.
It is one small security loophole v/s your entire website or web application.
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Astra’s Continuous Pentest Solution.
Importance of Security Audit Services
Identification of Vulnerabilities
Security audits comprehensively examine your organization’s IT infrastructure to uncover potential CVEs, such as outdated software, misconfigured systems, and weak access controls.
By identifying these weaknesses, your security team can prioritize and remediate risks effectively, preventing data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.
Establishment of Baseline
Regular security audits create a detailed snapshot of your organization’s security posture at any given time, which serves as a benchmark for measuring progress and identifying areas for improvement over time.
Moreover, tracking such changes allows you to identify recurring trends and allocate resources accordingly.
Meet Compliance Standards
Numerous industries are subject to stringent data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS) that impose strict requirements on data handling and security. Such security services audits help you assess your compliance status, identify gaps, and implement measures to avoid hefty fines, legal repercussions, and loss of customer trust.
Internal Compliance
While most compliance standards are external in nature, your organization must also have its own set of internal security policies and procedures. With the right vendor, even network security audit services can also be tailored to test and maintain internal compliance.
Using such a consistent security framework, verifying the compliance of employees, departments, and systems with established guidelines can reduce the likelihood of insider threats, unauthorized access, and data leakage.
Security Training
Such security audits assess all safety aspects of your company, including the methods and security procedures employees follow to ensure the safety of records and data. If any areas are lacking, appropriate training can be provided to remediate the situation.
Types of Security Audits
| Audit Type | Focus | Common Vulnerabilities | Testing Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web Application | Web applications | SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, session management, authentication flaws | Static code analysis, dynamic testing, penetration testing |
| Mobile Application | Mobile apps (iOS, Android) | Insecure data storage, insecure communication, improper authorization, code injection | Reverse engineering, code analysis, mobile penetration testing |
| API Security | APIs | Broken object-level authorization, injection, improper asset management, security misconfiguration, API key exposure | API fuzzing, penetration testing, code review |
| Network Security | Network Infrastructure | Misconfigurations, unauthorized access, denial of service, malware | Vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, network traffic analysis |
| Cloud Security | Cloud environments (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) | Misconfigurations, data breaches, unauthorized access, denial of service | Cloud security posture management (CSPM), cloud workload protection platforms (CWPP), vulnerability scanning |
| Security Compliance | Adherence to standards (PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) | Policy violations, system vulnerabilities, access control issues | Policy and procedure review, system audits, vulnerability assessments |
Don’t cut corners on your security. Do it right.
Try for $7 for a weekFinal Thoughts
Simply put, security audit services have become a cornerstone in securing agile development in your digital infra. They help your team identify vulnerabilities early on, eliminate blind spots, and establish baselines for historical analysis.
Such a proactive approach, coupled with DevSecOps, can help foster a culture of internal and external compliance with regular training sessions to bridge tech and knowledge gaps. Remember, your audit is only as effective as the one implementing it!
FAQs
Who conducts security audits?
Security audits are performed by either internal or external teams. Internal security teams can conduct routine assessments or investigate specific incidents. External security firms offer independent evaluations, often with specialized expertise
How long does a security audit take?
A security audit’s duration varies widely based on the system’s complexity and depth required. Typically, with an average of 10-15 business days, it takes anywhere from a few days for small systems to several weeks or months for large, intricate networks.
How much does a security audit cost?
A security audit costs between $3,000 and $50,000 on average, depending on factors like the audit scope, number of targets, location, and auditor’s fees. For large corporations, costs can exceed $500,000.
