Prepare for an audit
1. Prepare for an audit
An audit is an important part of meeting compliance obligations, and maintaining a strong and trustworthy security position. Imagine you’re going to take a test. You probably want to know what’s going to be covered and how to prepare, right? Being prepared will help you to learn the content and pass the test. The same is true for a cloud audit. Together, let's dive deeper into the specifics of what an audit usually covers, how it differs from an assessment, and audit best practices. To begin, let’s identify what’s commonly covered in a cloud audit: cloud security procedures and policies, access control, network segregation, data protection, logging and monitoring, and incident response are all included in a cloud audit. Please note that audit approaches will vary based on the scale and complexity of the service being audited. Let’s explore these steps in detail. The first step in a cloud audit is to inspect cloud security procedures and policies. The auditor will evaluate current cloud security policies. They will check that the organization knows how to assess risks in the cloud and has an effective way to manage those risks. The second step in the audit process is to assess access controls to ensure they are adequately implemented. Auditors will check access controls for strong password standards and policies, multifactor authentication, privileged access management, and least privilege principle for all cloud assets. Third, auditors will check for proper network segregation. They search for evidence that networks are properly segregated in accordance with their expected standard, as outlined in the audit plan. The fourth step is ensuring data protection. Auditors assess relevant security controls. They verify that data is encrypted at rest and in transit using effective cryptographic algorithms. Auditors also ensure that data loss prevention tools are in place. Fifth, auditors check logging and monitoring settings to verify that all required actions are logged. It’s important to verify that the logs can’t be changed, access to logs is limited, and that critical activities are monitored. Sixth and finally, auditors will verify that the organization is prepared to respond to incidents by reviewing the incident response processes. Auditors assess how an organization evaluates and improves security in response to completed incidents, known as postmortems. These are common steps in an audit. But remember, audit approaches vary based on the scale and complexity of the service being audited. As a security professional, it’s important to know the difference between a security audit and a security assessment. A security audit can be internal or external, and includes an evaluation of various areas of control. The intent of an internal audit is to provide the board audit committee and stakeholders, like the CFO, evidence that internal controls are appropriately applied. The purpose of an external audit may be to become certified in a standard, like ISO 27001. Another purpose could be to meet contractual or commercial obligations. Security assessments, however, are less complex. They only scan the company’s technological systems and identify flaws. Security assessments usually consist of an automated scan to ensure that controls are in place as intended. A security audit is a more objective and comprehensive evaluation than a security assessment. Now that you know what an auditor will be reviewing for, let’s go over best practices to prepare for an audit: First, study the audit requirements and make a plan to pass the audit. Second, identify asset and control inventory, such as control mappings, components, connections, functionality, and the people accountable. Third, assess your cloud architecture. Cloud architecture can be public, private, hybrid, or multicloud. Fourth, be sure to identify points of contact to work with auditors, and ensure their schedule has availability. Fifth, test run your own internal audit. This is where things get really interesting . The single best practice for audit preparation is to do an internal test audit using the exact testing criteria outlined in the audit plan. This will help you avoid control gaps critical to the audit or certification. Sixth, gather evidence and prepare reports on the existing security controls. The evidence and reports will be used by the auditors as one way to determine if standards have been met. Knowing what to expect during an audit will help you do everything you can to be prepared. Preparing for and taking part in the audit process will be a super important part of your job as a cloud security professional. It’s another way that you can protect users and organizational assets .2. Let's practice!
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