When Should You Get an IT Security Assessment

IT security assessments can seem like a mysterious thing. They’re often spoken about as some magic potion that will solve all your security problems, but you don’t always know exactly when you need one or what it involves. How do you know whether your company needs one?

What should you look for in an IT security assessment provider, and how do you know their services are worth the money? This blog post answers all these questions by explaining exactly when an IT assessment is helpful for your organization and what to look for in a good IT assessment provider.

What is an IT Security Assessment?

An IT security assessment is a thorough review of an organization’s IT systems and infrastructure to determine how secure they are and what needs improvement. They can be performed on systems ranging from individual computers to data centers and everything in between.

Any organization that wants to improve its security should consider getting an IT security assessment especially if you’re currently experiencing cyber attacks or data breaches. An IT security assessment will help you to identify current security issues, understand what needs to be changed, and create a plan of action for how you’ll address the problems you discover. It’s sort of like auditing your security systems, but with a lot more hands-on testing. As part of an IT security assessment, you’ll likely be tested on your:

• Computer networks: How well your computers are connected and configured and whether they’re using up-to-date software.

• Computer systems: How secure your computers are, whether all users use secure logins and passwords, and what kind of data is being stored on them.

• Network and computer data: How well your systems are protecting your data, how secure your data is, and what kind of data needs to be protected.

Why Should You Get an IT Security Assessment?

The number one reason to get an IT security assessment is that you want to improve your security. If you’re experiencing cyber attacks or data breaches right now, a review will help you understand what’s going wrong and put a plan in motion to fix it. But even if you don’t have any problems now, getting an assessment can help prevent security issues before they start.

A good IT security assessment will give you a detailed overview of your entire IT infrastructure, including all your computers and networks, the data being stored on them, and exactly how secure this data is. It will also give recommendations on how to fix any security issues you discover.

When Should You Get an IT Security Assessment?

If you don’t currently have any issues, there’s no need to get an assessment immediately. You can always do one in the future if you want or need to. However, if you’re experiencing cyber attacks or data breaches, you should get an assessment as soon as possible.

The sooner you identify the underlying causes of your security issues, the sooner you’ll be able to put a plan in motion to fix them. An IT security assessment will likely reveal security issues that are causing you problems now, as well as issues that could cause problems in the future if they’re not resolved.

How to Find a Good IT Security Assessment Provider

The first step in finding a good IT security assessment provider is determining your organization’s needs. That way, you know what you’re looking for when reading through providers’ offerings.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Do you need a Penetration Test or a Cyber Security Assessment? A penetration test is performed by a team of analysts who try to break into your systems. A cyber security assessment, on the other hand, is performed by a single analyst and uses a more controlled approach. You’ll likely want a penetration test if your systems are currently experiencing attacks. On the other hand, a cyber security assessment is an excellent option if you want to be proactive about security.

2. What’s your budget? Assessments come in a wide range of prices. You can get one for as little as a few hundred dollars or pay tens of thousands for a team-based evaluation. It all depends on your needs, your chosen provider, and how much effort you want to put into the process.

3. Where is your organization based? Most providers offer assessments that can be performed remotely, but some may only be available in certain geographic regions. If you’re unsure, you should ask during the selection process.

4. How much effort do you want to put in? When you’re starting, finding a provider that offers interactive online assessments is a good idea. These are like online quizzes where you can select the level of effort you want to put into the process.

If you would like a recommendation on an IT security assessment firm you can check out MyTek.

Benefits of an IT Security Assessment

There are a ton of benefits to getting an IT security assessment. Here are some of the most important ones:

1. An assessment will identify security issues you might not be aware of: This is key because often the biggest problems with security are the ones you don’t know about. Finding and fixing issues before they cause problems can save time and money.

2. An assessment will give you a detailed overview of your systems: This is helpful because it allows you to make well-informed decisions about which issues to focus on first.

3. An assessment can help you create a plan of action: You can take productive steps to improve your security instead of just reacting to issues as they arise.

4. An assessment can help you to determine what certifications and standards your systems meet: This information can be precious when working with clients or customers or when applying for grants or other funding opportunities.

Conclusion

An IT security assessment is a great way to get a detailed overview of your computer systems and identify issues with your security. Getting one is a good idea if you’re experiencing cyber attacks or data breaches or want to take proactive steps toward improving your safety.

When you get an IT security assessment, you’ll get a detailed overview of your systems and be able to identify issues with your security that you might not have been aware of before. You’ll also be able to create a plan of action to start resolving issues, and you’ll be able to show off your systems’ certifications and standards to customers or funding bodies.