In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to not be using computers in your business. These need to be connected to the rest of the world (via the internet) and to other systems within the company (via intranet).
All these connected devices and applications can allow cybercriminals a way into your organisation. You need an IT health check (ITHC) to ensure they can’t.
What is an ITHC?
An ITHC, also known as penetration testing (or pen testing), is an integral part of making sure your overall security is working as intended. It is an assessment carried out by an external party to find out how well your business is protected from cyber-attacks.
In this test, your business is subjected to a series of ethical hacking exercises. These test how secure your organisation is against any external bad actors.
There may also be some exercises which test the security and cyber awareness within your organisation.
In short, your IT system is tested to see if it can stand against threats—both internally and externally.
More information about ITHC can be found here: https://www.digitalxraid.com/what-is-an-it-health-check-ithc/
When should an ITHC be considered?
Generally speaking, you need an ITHC audit in the following situations.
- When you introduce a new IT service
- When you make any significant changes to an existing IT service
- When you have them scheduled regularly to ensure your IT systems are always up-to-date and secure
What Are the Benefits of an ITHC?
An ITHC can be very beneficial for your business. Since it’s pre-emptive, it can help you prevent cyber crimes from affecting your business as opposed to firefighting once your data has been breached.
Here are some benefits you can expect from your ITHC audit.
It Can Help You Identify Weaknesses in Your Systems
Whether it is a vulnerability in an individual system or across your business’s setup, an ITHC audit can help you identify any weaknesses in your setup. Once you’re armed with this knowledge, you can use it to fix these flaws.
It Makes Your Employees More Cyber-Aware
Regular IT health checks also include testing how susceptible your employees are to social engineering. If they do fall victim to such crimes, you can invest in cybersecurity training for them. As a result, they will only fail in a test situation, not in a real-life one, which could have lasting repercussions.
It Protects You From Actual Cyber Attacks
As we mentioned before, ITHC audits test your business’s cybersecurity. The exercise helps you identify flaws in your system so you are able to fix the issues.
As you would know, if your company does fall victim to a cyber-attack, you may lose money, productivity, trust, and infrastructure. With an IT health check, your organisation is in a better position to defend against real attacks.
Validates Your Cybersecurity
Even if your ITHC audit reveals no weaknesses in your systems, it’s still important information. That validates your business’s cybersecurity measures, so you have peace of mind.
Even if you were 100% sure about the safety of your setup, having an audit and coming out looking good can help you be completely confident.
How Often Do You Need an ITHC Audit?
For most businesses, having an IT health check annually is enough. Since cyber threats are always changing, it helps to ensure that your organisation is safe from any emerging threats.
However, if your business is updating its infrastructure or introducing new software or applications, you may need ITHC audits more frequently.
What Should Be Covered in the ITHC Audit?
Your ITHC audit can be as in-depth as your business requires. If you have an extensive internal network with business applications offered to customers, you might need a comprehensive audit. On the other hand, if you run a small business with a website that collects leads, you may not need a very detailed IT health check.
In general, however, an ITHC audit can include:
- External Penetration Testing
- Internal and Web App Penetration Testing
- Wireless Network Penetration Test and Segmentation Testing
- Build and Configuration Review
- Architectural Review
- Gap analysis
You may also benefit from a social engineering attack, which tests the cybersecurity awareness of the people working within the organisation.
Since data breaches are most often due to the behaviour of people within the organisation (around 82% of data breaches were caused by humans), it is important to assess the cyber awareness of your staff.
Is There a Difference Between ITHC and Penetration Testing?
ITHC and penetration testing are two names for the same audit, so, no, there is no difference between the two. Both are terms for an assessment where ethical hackers try to force their way into your company’s network or services.
If they are successful, they are able to tell you where the weaknesses are, and how you can reinforce them.
What’s the difference between ITHC and CHECK ITHC?
There is no difference between how ITHC and CHECK ITHC audits are conducted. However, the CHECK ITHC audit is a little more “official”. It can only be performed by a CHECK-approved auditor. Also, all the findings of a CHECK ITHC audit have to be submitted to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
So, while there is no difference between the two, you would need CHECK ITHC if your business handles sensitive information. If not, a regular ITHC will be acceptable.
As you can see, an IT health check can be invaluable for your business. If you would like to learn more, get in touch with us.
Christian Scott is the founder and operator of Malware Brains, a comprehensive cybersecurity website dedicated to educating individuals and businesses about malware and its impacts on society. With over 25 years of collective industry experience, Christian and his team of experts provide unbiased, factual information to help users understand and mitigate the risks associated with malicious software.
