Symbolic image: An auditor checks systems in the data centre on a laptop for a security audit.

Security audit

Innovating. Secure. Ready to succeed.

Ask us for advice now

How well is your IT infrastructure able to withstand the latest attacks? In what areas do specific risks exist? A security audit will provide clarity. In small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany in particular, the IT landscape has been growing organically for a number of years: on-premises systems, the first cloud services, new SaaS applications, mobile end-user devices and access for external partners need to work together reliably. At the same time, the next step along the road towards cloud-first needs to be successful – without risking security or operating stability. That is precisely what the audit is for: we create transparency regarding your current security situation, identify any gaps and use that information to put together a prioritised action plan. That way, effective steps can be implemented rapidly and you will also formulate your vision for the next few months.

Digitalising small & medium-sized enterprises

Recognising risks & prioritising actions – with our security audit

In the audit, it’s not about the number of tools, but about how effective they are: which actions are already having an effect; where may risks occur due to any gaps or incorrect configurations; and what steps will produce the biggest effect? You will receive a foundation for decision-making that will support both IT and management in equal measure. One that is transparent, sets out your priorities and is geared around implementation – for on-prem, hybrid and cloud.

Chart with 6 IT security-relevant categories: Basic protection, threat detection & more

Analysis

Security check: a structured analysis of your current IT systems

We will determine the current state of your IT systems by carrying out a security check that covers six key areas:

Basic protection

During the audit, we check whether the basics of your IT are in order: are the systems up to date, clearly configured and secured in line with best practices? This includes items such as their patch and update status, whether any components are outdated or no longer supported, basic hardening and underlying protection mechanisms. The aim is to arrive at a reliable estimation of whether the foundations of your IT are sufficient or whether fundamental gaps will slow down all the additional measures that are taken.

User account protection & access management

User accounts and access are often the most important entry point for attacks. We will check how identities are protected and how access rights are issued – e.g. strong authentication, role and authorisation concepts, administrative rights and limiting privileges in a consistent way. This will uncover where areas that may be vulnerable to attack are unnecessarily being created and what modifications will have the biggest effect.

Warding off threats

We will look at preventive protection measures to intercept attacks as early as possible: these include email protection, end-point protection, guidelines for secure configurations and additional defence measures – depending on which services and platforms you use. The key thing is consistency: are your defences effective across all systems or are there gaps or areas of uncertainty?

Threat detection

If prevention is not enough, speed is what counts. We will check whether any anomalies come to light and how quickly your system is able to respond. These include record-keeping/logging, alerts, responsibilities and, if applicable, central evaluation (e.g. SIEM approaches). The aim is to arrive at a realistic estimate: can you recognise attacks before any damage occurs – or do you lack the data, processes or consistent monitoring to do that?

Communication & organisation

IT security isn’t just about technology. During the audit, we will evaluate whether roles, responsibilities and procedures are clearly defined. This includes how security incidents are handled, how internal/external communication operates and whether awareness measures have been usefully embedded. When a serious incident occurs, that is often what makes the difference between “able to act” and “overwhelmed”.

Data & system restoration

Imagine your infrastructure falls victim to a ransomware attack – and your systems and data are suddenly encrypted and no longer available. You will need to decide whether restoring the system will actually work: are backups usable when a serious incident has occurred or have they also been affected? In the security audit, we specifically check your backup and system restore capability for that reason: how are security copies created, protected and stored separately? Are clear restoration targets in place (e.g. restoration times) and are restorations tested? That way, we can reliably estimate whether, in a worst-case scenario, you would soon be able to resume work or whether urgent action is needed in that particular area.

When performing our security check, we test your services and systems with the help of a matrix: we assign items such as on-prem servers, Microsoft 365, Azure, SaaS applications and other platforms to the 6 security categories described above and evaluate them in a structured way. That way, you can see at a glance which security categories are in good shape and which require further action. In this case, the checklist is deliberately expandable. Whenever new departments or services are added (such as additional cloud workloads or SaaS solutions), the evaluation can be specifically updated.

Sample IT security checklist: various security areas & platforms

Note: When performing our security audits, we focus on architecture and configuration reviews and action planning. Our portfolio of services does not include penetration tests.

Areas tested

What we typically check during a security audit

When carrying out the security audit, we look at the security-related components of your IT infrastructure – from user accounts and access rights and cloud and on-prem systems to backups, detection and emergency procedures. That way, we can quickly identify where your IT already offers good protection and where the next steps will have the biggest effect. Depending on how your systems are used, we will look at items such as:

Logging on, multi-factor authentication (MFA), roles and admin rights

Basic security settings, access protection and central guidelines

Servers, directory service (active directory), update status and basic protection (hardening)

Device protection, security guidelines and device status (compliance)

How backups are protected, restorability and restore testing should an incident occur

Records/logs, alerts and who will respond to what and when?

Checking roles and responsibilities, as well as communication and escalation routes. Evaluating whether the necessary processes for these are in place and have been set up in a sensible way.

How a security audit is carried out: 4 steps that lead to an action plan

Kick-off

We clarify the objectives, scope and the most important systems (on-prem, cloud, SaaS) – and which person in your organisation is the right point of contact.

Review of the current situation

We systematically capture your most important services and the protection measures in place.

Evaluation & action required

We assign the results to our 6 security categories, identify strengths and gaps, and determine the risks and quick wins on that basis.

Results workshop

We prioritise the next steps together and establish where things go from there.

What you will get at the end

Once the security audit is complete, we will have provided you with:

  • A concise report for decision-makers containing clear priorities according to urgency
  • A GAP overview: where can gaps be found and what risks or dependencies are associated with them?
  • An action plan according to urgency: quick wins, medium-term steps and strategic actions
  • If desired: a road map for the journey towards cloud-first/cloud-only – including security parameters, such as for identities and access, monitoring/detection and recovery

Making technologies usable

Introducing unitop securely: Microsoft Security as a stable foundation

unitop is our end-to-end business solution based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. That actually gives you one major advantage: to ensure secure implementation and operation, we can rely on established Microsoft Security mechanisms and tried-and-tested best practices, especially in conjunction with Microsoft 365 and Azure. That way, your unitop environment can be secured right from the start and aligned to your existing infrastructure (on-prem, hybrid or cloud). 

During the audit, we take typical security requirements into account at an early stage, including:

  • Role & authorisation concepts: Who is allowed to do what – in specialist departments, in administration and when accessing the system externally?
  • Identities & secure access: How are logging on and access secured – including in cloud/hybrid scenarios, e.g. according to zero-trust principles?
  • Operations & traceability: Releases, changes, logging, and emergency and restoration plans

These are what make the security audit a stable foundation that ensures that unitop is introduced securely and used reliably during day-to-day operations.

Contact

Requesting a security audit – Your contact

Would you like to know where you stand – and what steps will truly be effective? We’ll be pleased to advise you and find the right approach for your environment.

Christian Blenkers

Christian Blenkers

+49 (0)2151 349 3002 Write email
Get expert advice