What Occurs During a Security Audit?

Let’s be honest: the words “security audit” don’t exactly get most people excited.

To some, it sounds like a digital colonoscopy — uncomfortable, invasive, and full of unpleasant discoveries. To others, it’s a box to check before a vendor signs a contract or an insurer approves coverage. But for organizations that care about protecting their business, brand, and bottom line, a security audit is one of the most valuable investments you can make — if it’s done right.

In this post, we’ll walk you through what actually occurs during a cybersecurity audit (not the watered-down checklist version). You’ll learn how the Input Output audit process works, who’s involved, what’s expected, and most importantly — how to walk away from it with real clarity, actionable insights, and fewer blind spots than you walked in with.

 We'll also briefly explore the different types of audits, their use cases, and how to avoid the most common mistakes businesses make when they finally decide it’s time to look under the hood.

What to Expect - The Inputs and Outputs of a Cybersecurity Audit

A cybersecurity audit isn’t just someone flipping through your policy binder and giving you a pass/fail grade. It’s a structured, evidence-based, collaborative process that digs into how well your people, processes, and security measures are protecting what matters. It’s also your opportunity to validate assumptions, uncover blind spots, and align your organization's security posture with real-world threats and regulatory requirements.

Here’s what to expect when you work with a team that knows audits should be insightful — not insufferable.

1. Scoping: Defining the Cybersecurity Audit You Actually Need

Before anything gets scheduled, we take a step back to make sure we’re designing an thorough cybersecurity audit that fits your goals, your business model, and your current maturity level. Scoping helps us determine how deep the audit needs to go, which standards, industry regulations or frameworks apply (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, FTC Safeguards Rule, etc.), and which teams and systems should be included.

We ask the questions that matter:

• Are you preparing for a certification, identifying security risks, or just looking to ensure compliance?

• Are there compliance requirements in play?

• Do your clients, insurers, or contracts expect specific deliverables?

• Are there known concerns we should focus on?

This process helps avoid bloated audits that waste time on things that don’t apply — and ensures we’re zeroed in on what matters most to your business.

At Input Output, we also bring something extra to the table: our proprietary iO-GRCF™ (Input Output Governance, Risk, and Compliance Framework). This framework allows us to map your controls across multiple industry standards and frameworks simultaneously — including NIST CSF, NIST 800-171, ISO 27001, FTC Safeguards Rule, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more. You’re not just getting a single-purpose audit. You’re getting a multi-framework-aligned security assessment in one efficient security gap analysis.

Of course, we still want to know which standards or certifications your organization is most focused on. That helps us tailor your reporting and remediation roadmap so it aligns with your specific goals, contracts, and risk appetite. But with iO-GRCF™, you get the benefit of a broad, standards-aligned audit without duplicating time, effort, or cost.

2. Kickoff: Aligning Stakeholders and Setting Expectations

Once the scope is confirmed, we hold a kickoff meeting to bring all the key stakeholders together. This isn’t just a calendar formality — it’s a critical alignment session where we introduce the audit team, clarify the timeline, and outline who’s involved and what to expect. It sets the tone for a process that’s structured, collaborative, and focused on outcomes.

Stakeholders from departments like IT, HR, legal, compliance, operations, and even senior leadership are typically invited. We also go over logistics: how evidence will be collected, how we’ll track questions, which systems or environments we’ll be reviewing, and how discovered security vulnerabilities will be escalated - should any be found.

One important thing we emphasize early: this isn’t about pointing fingers. We’re not here to call anyone out or dig up dirt. Instead, we frame the conversation around management responsibility and organizational improvement. Our job is to identify gaps and risks — but it's ultimately management’s role to own and address them. That means any findings are management findings. We’re simply helping leadership see what needs to be done to support their teams, meet their obligations, improve overall security, and reduce the organization's risk exposure.

By reinforcing this message upfront, we help everyone relax into the process. This isn’t a trap. It’s a path toward clarity, alignment, and better outcomes for everyone involved.

3. Security Policies & Procedures Review: What’s Written Down vs. What’s Real

This is the part where we dive into the organization's existing security policies — but not just to check for typos. We review your security policies, risk assessments, and related documentation to understand how your security program is designed and where it claims to be operating. We compare what’s on paper to the control objectives of security frameworks and relevant regulatory requirements.

We’re looking for alignment between documentation and intent — but also for signs of outdated, incomplete, or “copy-paste” policies that don’t reflect the reality of your environment. A few examples:

• Information security policies and procedures

• Data flow diagrams and system inventories

• Access control standards and user provisioning workflows

• Incident response plans and business continuity procedures

This step lays the foundation for the rest of the audit. If it’s not documented, it didn’t happen — but if it’s documented and not implemented, that’s another kind of problem.

QUICK NOTE: Don't get nailed by this common audit finding - make sure your policies use prescriptive language like "will," "must," and "shall," rather than non-prescriptive language like "may" or "should."

4. Stakeholder Interviews & Evidence Gathering: Show Us the Goods

This is where the rubber meets the road. We meet with internal stakeholders — typically from IT, HR, compliance, or operations — to see how the organization's security controls are consistently implemented. It’s one thing to have a policy; it’s another to live it. This phase helps us bridge that gap.

For each control area, we’re validating two things:

1. Does your actual implementation meet the requirements of the standard or framework you're aiming for?

2. Is it consistent with what your own policies and procedures claim is happening?

For example, if your policy says access control lists are reviewed quarterly — we’ll confirm that’s actually occurring. This is the audit equivalent of “trust, but verify.” A typical exchange might look like:

“How do you handle access revocation?”
“We disable accounts within 24 hours.”
“Great — now show us.”

That’s the flow. We ask the question, we get the response, and then we request objective evidence to support it. This might include:

• Screenshots from your IAM (Identity and Access Management) system or HR Records

• Logs of access changes or revocations

• Patching dashboards or ticket histories

• Training attendance records or LMS (Learning Management System) exports

• Previous internal audit and penetration testing reports

This isn’t a gotcha session. We’re not here to catch people off guard — we’re here to help you prove that your program is working as intended. It’s collaborative, not confrontational — but it’s also thorough and grounded in evidence. The end goal? Move beyond theory and surface-level compliance to understand how secure and audit-ready your environment really is.

5. Risk & Control Validation: Connecting the Dots

Once we’ve reviewed your documentation and gathered real-world evidence, we shift into validation mode — not just to see if security controls are present, but to understand if they’re actually working as intended and aligned with your organization’s overall risk profile. Are policies being followed? Are cybersecurity controls configured properly? Is risk being actively managed — or just assumed?

We compare your environment to recognized frameworks and standards while also considering your industry, threat landscape, and business objectives. But we go a step further: we look for consistency in your risk management process. Are you accepting more risk in some areas than others without realizing it? Are implemented security controls aligned with your stated risk appetite, or are they unevenly applied?

Depending on the scope, this is where we may also play devil’s advocate — probing into gaps, assumptions, or inconsistencies that could create issues down the road. We ask tough questions, not to be difficult, but to help identify vulnerabilities, latent risks and blind spots before someone else does.

We also encourage you to consider this:

“If you were sitting across the table from a regulator — or testifying in a courtroom — could you confidently explain and defend your security decisions?”

If the answer feels shaky, that’s where we'll focus our remediation guidance. We’re not here to critique — we’re here to help you build an environment you can confidentially stand behind, no matter who’s asking the questions.

We prioritize findings based on:

• Actual exposure and likelihood

• Regulatory or contractual obligations

• Business impact

• Cost and effort to remediate

The end goal isn’t perfection. It’s about ensuring your security controls are justified, consistent, and defensible — so you can move forward with confidence, whether it’s an audit, a board review, or something with much higher stakes.

6. Reporting & Remediation: Plain English, Prioritized, and Practical

Once the audit is complete, we package the findings into a report — but not the kind that collects dust or requires a PhD in cybersecurity to interpret. Our reports are designed to be understood, used, and acted on, providing the right level of insight to the right audiences.

We break things down using our iO-GRCF™ (Input Output Governance, Risk & Compliance Framework), organizing findings by domain — logical control groupings like Governance, Access Control, Asset Management, and Incident Response. This structure makes it easy to see:

• Which areas need attention

• Which departments own what

• How best to prioritize your time and budget

In addition to your overall security posture, we highlight:

• The highest-risk, highest-impact issues

• Quick wins that deliver fast ROI

• Strategic recommendations tailored to your risk profile and compliance needs

We also tailor how findings are delivered. Our reports can be split into executive-level summaries (focused on business risk, compliance readiness, and strategy) and technical-level breakdowns (with detailed control gaps, evidence notes, and remediation steps). That way, leaders, practitioners, and key stakeholders all get what they need — without drowning in irrelevant detail or vague summaries.

When needed, we can even help you create a comprehensive cybersecurity audit report for vendors, clients, regulators, or insurers — because audits aren’t always just for internal eyes. Whether you're proving due diligence to a customer or preparing for an upcoming cyber insurance review, we’ll make sure the story your audit tells is one of preparedness and professionalism.

Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

• A domain-by-domain breakdown of your current security posture

• A risk-ranked list of findings with plain-English explanations

• Actionable remediation steps with prioritization and owner recommendations

• Alignment to key frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, FTC Safeguards Rule, and more

• Executive, technical, and third-party report versions (as needed)

• Follow-up guidance to walk through the report and next steps

This isn’t a checkbox exercise — it’s a strategic deliverable you can use to focus your remediation efforts. Our job isn’t just to find problems — it’s to help you fix them in a way that makes your organization stronger, smarter, and more resilient.

Types of Cybersecurity Audits

(Yes, There’s More Than One — And They’re Not All Created Equal)

Here’s the tricky truth: most “types” of cybersecurity audits don’t have strict definitions. Terms like IT audit, computer security audit, or data security audit are often used interchangeably — and depending on who you ask, they might mean very different things.

That’s why having a proper scoping and kickoff process is critical. It ensures that everyone is aligned on what the audit will cover, what the goals are, and who the audience is. Otherwise, you risk ending up with an audit that tells you things you already know — or worse, misses what actually matters.

With that said, there are still some generally accepted categories and focus areas. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of cybersecurity audits, what they typically cover, and when you might need each one.

🖥️ IT Security Audit

An IT security audit focuses on your organization's technology infrastructure — servers, systems, software, and everything in between. It checks how well technical controls are implemented and maintained across environments.

This audit typically includes:

• User access controls

• Patch management and system hardening

• Antivirus, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems

• Logging and continuous monitoring practices

Ideal for: organizations with growing or complex IT environments, or anyone needing a baseline evaluation of technical safeguards.

💻 Computer Security Audit

This audit narrows the lens even further, typically targeting the security measures related to endpoints and workstations. It evaluates how individual devices (laptops, desktops, etc.) are secured and managed across the organization.

Expect review of:

• Device encryption

• Endpoint protection software

• USB and removable media restrictions

• Local admin rights and system configuration

Ideal for: businesses supporting remote workforces or regulated industries where endpoint security is a high-risk area.

🌐 Computer Network Security Audit

This audit focuses on your internal and external network security and network devices — firewalls, switches, Wi-Fi security, VPN usage, etc.

It often includes:

• Network topology and firewall rule review

• Internal segmentation and access zones

• External vulnerability scans

• Detection and response capabilities

Ideal for: any organization with an internet connection. (So… all of them.)

💰 Cyber Insurance Audit

These audits are often initiated by insurers before a policy is issued or renewed. Their goal? To verify you have minimum security controls in place to reduce the likelihood of a claim.

Expect to review:

• Access control and MFA enforcement

• Backup and recovery protocols

• Endpoint protection and logging

• Physical security controls

• Incident response plans

Pro tip: Even if you're not required to do one, being ready for a cyber insurance audit improves coverage, reduces premiums, and helps you avoid surprise exclusions.

🧾 Data Security Audit

This audit zeroes in on how your organization collects, stores, processes, shares and ultimately protects sensitive data — including PII, PHI, and financial information.

It typically includes:

• Data flow mapping

• Encryption practices (at rest and in transit)

• Access logging and audit trails

• Data retention and disposal policies

Ideal for: businesses handling sensitive customer or employee data, especially in regulated sectors (healthcare, finance, legal, etc.).

📋 Cybersecurity Gap Assessment

Less formal than a full-blown audit, a gap assessment identifies where your security posture falls short of a chosen framework or regulation (like NIST, ISO 27001, or FTC Safeguards).

This is often the first step toward certification, regulatory compliance, or cyber insurance readiness.

Ideal for: organizations that want to understand their current security posture and build a roadmap without the pressure of a full cybersecurity assessment and more formal audit report.

🛡️ Infosec Audit

An “infosec” (information security) audit takes a holistic view of your security posture, often blending both administrative and technical elements. It’s broader than a traditional IT audit and includes:

• Policies and security procedures documentation

• Risk management strategy

• Security training and awareness programs in place

• Technical and physical security controls

Ideal for: organizations building a formal security program or preparing for an upcoming third-party audit.

Wrapping It Up: Clarity, Confidence, and the Courage to Look Under the Hood

By now, it’s clear: a cybersecurity audit isn’t just an administrative hoop to jump through — it’s a high-value tool to uncover blind spots, reduce risk, and align your security efforts with both business objectives and real-world threats.

Whether you’re trying to meet compliance requirements, satisfy vendor due diligence, prepare for cyber insurance, or simply want to know where you stand before someone else finds out, a well-scoped audit gives you something you can’t buy off the shelf: confidence.

At Input Output, we make audits practical, tailored, and outcome-driven. With our iO-GRCF™ framework, a collaborative approach, and reporting that actually makes sense, we help you move from uncertainty to insight — and from insight to action.

If you're ready to take a clear, strategic look at your organization's security posture (without the jargon or judgment), we're here to help.