Technology audits are to businesses what annual checkups are to humans—they’re a way to take stock of your (or your company’s) current health and identify critical issues that need to be addressed. Think about it: keeping your technology up to date helps with everything from regulatory compliance to protecting your data from cyber threats.
A thorough technology audit can assist you in answering the following key questions to help you better identify gaps in your organization’s security, compliance and backup:
- Is your current IT infrastructure vulnerable or lacking in any areas?
- Are there any unnecessary tools or processes that do not align with your goals and vision?
- Are you in compliance with applicable regulations, prepared to defend against security threats and capable of restoring business capabilities in the event of a system outage or data breach?
- What steps can you take to address the discovered vulnerabilities?
If you don't have an IT background, the results of a technology audit can be perplexing. You might be overwhelmed by the number of items that need to be refreshed or replaced, and you may be unsure where to begin. We recommend the stoplight approach to help you prioritize the issues that need to be addressed now versus the things that can wait.
The Stoplight Approach
The stoplight method is a simple way of categorizing gaps or vulnerabilities into red, yellow and green groupings based on their severity.
RED: Address the highest risks and vulnerabilities first
Since most organizations cannot address all problems at once, it’s critical to focus the most attention and resources on the most pressing issues first. Your first priority should center around addressing the most severe infrastructure vulnerabilities. For example, if your company is dealing with a ransomware attack, updating or upgrading Microsoft 365 is a lower priority.
High-priority vulnerabilities that must be classified as RED include:
- Backups that do not work
- Unauthorized network users, including ex-employees and third parties
- Login attempts and successful logins by users identified as former employees or third parties
- Unsecured remote connectivity
- A lack of documented operating procedures
YELLOW: Focus on gaps that are important, but no urgent
As you go through the audit process, you’ll notice gaps that must be kept under watch, but can wait until the most critical issues are resolved. Although these medium-priority items can be put off in the short term, consider them when planning and budgeting for future technology updates.
The following vulnerabilities fall into the YELLOW category and are of medium severity:
- Insufficient multifactor authentication
- Automated patching system failure
- Outdated antivirus software
- Failure to enable account lockout for some computers
GREEN: Non-critical suggestions
These are the lowest-priority vulnerabilities and can wait to be addressed until time and budget allows. Implement measures to close them gradually after fixing the high- and medium-priority issues first.
The following are some of the gaps that fall into the GREEN category:
- Accounts with passwords set to "never expire"
- Computers with operating systems that are nearing the end of their extended support period
- Persistent issues with on-premises syncing
- More administrative access than is required to perform essential duties
Importance of Prioritizing Gaps
By prioritizing gaps and addressing them based on severity, you can avoid situations where money is spent unnecessarily on a less critical issue. In other words: the stoplight approach saves you valuable resources like time and budget. It also allows you to maintain uptime, because refreshing your IT infrastructure piecemeal means not all components will be down at the same time. This, in turn, benefits your team’s productivity as well as the customer experience.
Not sure where to begin? We can help. Our experienced staff will partner with you to help you get the most out of your technology investment, from navigating the audit process to designing and implementing a technology refresh that addresses your most urgent needs first. Contact us today to get started or to learn more.
