Cybersecurity Audit Checklist: How to Protect Your Business in 2025

Every year, cyber threats grow in complexity and severity but an alarming number of businesses still follow the reactive approach to security. However, the modern digital environment requires organizations to become proactive instead of waiting for a breach to occur so they can get down to patching it. In this article, we discuss the state of modern cyber security, the importance of regular and proactive cybersecurity audits, and the most popular tools of a cybersecurity checklist that companies can use to perform security checks.

The state of modern cybersecurity landscape

According to the IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report of 2025, the global average cost of a data breach is approximately $4.4 million – in contrast to the $1.9 million cost savings among those companies that use AI in security. Meanwhile, the Verizon report on data breach investigations of 2024 states that roughly 68% of breaches involved a human element, such as phishing or weak credentials. 

That being said, it’s obvious that cyber threats remain the top concern for businesses that process sensitive data and operate in digital environments. At the same time, we now see new and more advanced security measures as a counterpart to AI-driven threats. Below we list the core factors that shape modern cybersecurity:

Impact of AI on both threats and defenses

We’ve all heard of AI deepfakes and the ways they can be used to defraud employees. As per Deloitte’s report on generative AI, 25.9% of executives stated that their organization experienced one or more deepfake incidents. Examples of AI deepfake scams include the fake Elon Mask, named the biggest Internet scammer by the New York Times and a fake Chief Financial Officer from Hong Kong. The latter scam resulted in $22 million stolen from the company. 

Deepfakes are not the only threats powered by AI. The technology is now used to create more sophisticated malware and phishing attacks, automate the attack launch process, and analyze stolen data to identify high-value targets. And when an organization faces such a threat, legacy security policies are no longer relevant as they simply were not designed to resist such attacks.

Naturally, the use of AI in developing malicious software led to its use in defense systems. The most prominent examples include:

• Detection of fraudulent activity by analyzing user behavior, system logs, and network traffic
• Automated vulnerability scanning
• Identification and verification of trusted users
• Enhanced detection of spam and phishing attacks

Rapid evolution of threats

In addition to AI-powered attacks, other threats also keep evolving. Think of ransomware-as-a-service or the growing number of supply chain attacks that have now become a big problem for organizations, partnering with several vendors. Another distinctive feature of modern threats is their precise aim: most of them target specific systems or components, thus increasing the chance for a successful attack. A good example is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), which is a long-term and highly coordinated form of a cyber attack. Unlike more common attacks like DDoS, the APT implies that a hacker remains unnoticed within the system for a period of time and aims to steal specific sensitive data. 

Increase in regulatory pressure

In response to the evolution of cyberthreats, regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and NIS2 continuously release updates to their existing regulations and industry-specific templates. Companies that do not meet compliance standards and requirements might face significant fines and even loss of their business. It is therefore important not only to implement security measures but consistently monitor and update them, which is most effectively done through regular cybersecurity audits.

Most dangerous cyber threats of 2025

We’ve briefly covered AI deepfakes and how they can hurt an organization – but other cyber threats keep evolving as well. By knowing the possible vectors of attack, it will become easier for you to implement corresponding lines of defense during the security risk assessment .

AI-powered phishing

Phishing is a well-known form of social engineering where hackers deceive users into revealing sensitive information, most often via emails. Due to technological advancement, the frequency and volume of phishing attacks has grown by 12% in 2024 and these attacks cause over 60% of ransomware infections. And with the rise of AI, the phishing issue has become as acute as ever. Not only do these phishing emails look incredibly realistic but they also bypass traditional filters.

Ransomware and double extortion

Another common threat for organizations, ransomware keeps evolving too. At its core, it means that malicious software is injected into the company’s system, blocking access to certain files or the whole system until money is paid. But today, we observe:

• Ransomware-as-a-service: ransomware developers write malicious code and send it to affiliates 
• Double extortion ransomware: hackers not only encrypt the data but also exfiltrate it, threatening to publish it.

The severity of ransomware attacks is very high and they bring significant reputational and legal risks to companies. Backups alone are not enough anymore – holistic data containment is required.

Supply chain attacks

One more growing area of concern is the supply chain & third-party attacks. Even if your business is well-protected, you can’t be 100% sure that all your vendors follow the same security measures. Hence, your data can be accidentally (or intentionally) exposed by a third party and the breach is often highly difficult to detect. 

Insider threats

Insider attacks come from the company’s employees and can be intentional or unintentional. From weak passwords and downloaded malware to intentional data leaks, the human error factor is among the leading causes of data breaches in organizations. To minimize the damage and mitigate the possibility of an insider attack, an organization should implement strict access control, monitor user activity, and regularly perform security training among employees. It is also important to implement a reliable ISMS (Information Security Management System) in correspondence with the ISO 27001 framework.

Exploitable APIs 

Since many businesses operate in complex digital environments with multiple interconnected systems, APIs have become the primary target for attackers. And when an API gets compromised, it harms several systems at once, thus increasing the severity of the data breach for all involved parties.

These and other threats call for implementation of cybersecurity on all levels of an organization. But to ensure long-term security, it is important to constantly review and update your system – this is where cybersecurity audits come in place.

What is a cybersecurity audit and what does it include?

A cybersecurity audit is a structured risk assessment and analysis of an organization’s security measures and defenses. The main goal of the cybersecurity assessment is to proactively identify vulnerabilities, ensure that the sensitive data is protected, and assess organization’s alignment with regulatory requirements.

A cybersecurity audit normally covers the following aspects:

• Technical infrastructure: assesses the existing firewalls, servers, routers, endpoints, and the architecture. Also evaluates your network segmentation and patch management.
• Data protection: focuses on the way the sensitive data is stored, processed, and transferred within your organization and between its components. Also checks whether the sensitive data is encrypted and whether your backups are effective.
• Access controls: checks identity and access management, meaning the way users and admins interact with the system and the alignment of their permission level with their user roles.
• Incident response: checks the ability of your organization to react to occurring threats and the ability to recover quickly.
• Regulatory compliance: checks whether your organization complies with necessary regulations, both international and local.
• Employee behavior: covers user behavior in terms of employee awareness on cybersecurity, whether they receive IT security training, and whether security measures against insider threats are in place.
• Penetration testing: tests whether there are any vulnerabilities in the system that can be exploited and is usually performed by an external vendor. 

Types of cybersecurity audits

Since cybersecurity within a company is formed by several aspects, there are also several types of security audits, dedicated to each:

External product audit: is performed by a third-party audit company and checks the product aka the company’s software, hardware, and network. Security testing includes the assessment of existing vulnerabilities, penetration testing, exploitable APIs, etc.

Internal company audit: is performed by the company itself and covers such aspects as employee behavior and security training, access controls, incident reporting.

Regulatory audit: is included in the internal audit and focuses on regulatory compliance of the company. During the regulatory audit, it is mandatory to check the alignment with industry-specific requirements and local regulations.

Cybersecurity audit checklist for businesses: a step-by-step guide

Below we discuss the stages of both external and internal security audits to provide you with a more holistic view of the processes. Note that each stage should be tailored to your specific organization in alignment with defined objectives and audit needs.

Check infrastructure and device security

Evaluate the security of all components, endpoints, and connected devices of the system. This stage often involves making up the inventory of all your IT assets since you can’t secure something that you are not aware of. You will also perform a vulnerability scan and penetration testing to check the resilience of your system and how prone it is to potential attacks.

Check the following:

• Configuration and security of your firewalls and routers
• Update status for the OS system and third-party apps
• Performance of endpoint protection tools
• Remote access and VPN configurations
• Network security assessment

Pro tip: you can use automation tools to speed up and facilitate certain processes at this stage. Use centralized tools like WSUS or Intune for automated patch management and deploy tools like Nessus or Qualys for automated vulnerability assessment.

Enhance access control & identity management

Check how users and administrators can access the system and whether their user role covers only needed resources or allows them to access unwanted sensitive data. One of the biggest issues that companies often face are inactive or dead user accounts. Such accounts may belong to employees that left the company and can still pose a threat, including compromised credentials or privilege escalation.

Check the following:

• Password policies and authentication methods in use
• Role-based access controls
• The processes of account provisioning (and deprovisioning)
• Presence of inactive or dead accounts
• Audit logs and their management

Pro tip: implement the least privilege access by default and regularly review user roles and their level of privilege. We also recommend using a password manager to minimize the chances of using weak passwords and to pair it with multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Encrypt the data and maintain strong access controls

Ensure that your organization collects, stores, processes, transfers and deletes the data in a secure and sustainable manner. If you are using cloud storage, double-check the shared responsibility model that your vendor follows and see whether everything is also in place on your side. Also check whether there are any open APIs and misconfigured buckets that are easy to be overlooked when configuring your cloud storage.

Check the following:

• Encryption for the data at rest and in transit
• Effective backup strategy and several backup options 
• Access control in cloud platforms
• Proper data retention, archival, and deletion policies
• Proper access logs and Data Loss Prevention policies

Pro tip: follow the 3-2-1 rule, meaning you need to have 3 copies of your data, stored on 2 different media types and with 1 copy stored offsite.

Test incident response and threat detection

Check how well your organization is prepared to respond to occurring incidents and how effective your security monitoring systems are. It’s always best to follow a proactive approach and minimize the chances of an attack than fixing what’s already happened. Numerous reports confirm that reactive approach is more costly than proactive one and it’s not only because of financial damage but also due to missed opportunities and forced downtime. In fact, missed opportunities and system downtime can cost the companies around 9% of their annual revenue, not to mention reputational damage. Hence, it’s best to implement reliable monitoring tools and create a scalable incident response strategy.

Check the following:

• Real-time monitoring systems (tools like Splunk, Sumo Logic, etc.)
• Performance of intrusion detection systems
• Log monitoring and alerting configurations
• Documented IRP (incident response plan)
• Assigned roles in case of a data breach
• Reports on past incidents & disaster recovery plan

Pro tip: Make sure that everyone knows their assigned roles in case of an incident and their scope of responsibility. Use frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK to simulate possible attacks and evaluate how well your system detects them.

Perform compliance audits

Evaluate the level of maturity of your organization in terms of regulatory compliance and its adherence to the internal security policy. Note that this stage of the information security audit also includes the assessment of vendors and existing data processing agreements. Otherwise, you risk facing supply chain attacks, associated with third-party vulnerabilities.

Check the following:

• Internal security policies (especially the ones applicable to remote employees)
• Adherence to compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, NIST, CIS)
• Documentation of version control management
• Vendor and third-party security reviews

Pro tip: use tools for automated compliance monitoring which are especially useful during quick scaling or when processing sensitive customer data. 

Provide employee security training

Dedicate enough time and resources to check how well your employees are trained in cybersecurity and whether they follow internal policies on a daily basis. Since a human error is a frequent cause of most data breaches, it is vital to ensure that all users with access to the system know what they are doing and operate within assigned privileges.

Check the following: 

• Availability of security training programs
• Phishing and social engineering susceptibility
• Measures against insider threats
• Guidelines for on-premises and remote work
• Reporting in case of suspicious activity

Pro tip: use regular phishing simulators to display real examples of possible attacks and check how employees react to them. To check how well your organization is prepared for possible attacks and whether your existing vulnerabilities can be exploited easily, use penetration testing. It’s best to request a certified vendor to perform it in order not to compromise the existing security measures.

The most popular tools used in cybersecurity audits: features, comparison, pricing

Why businesses should consider working with a trusted audit partner

Cybersecurity audits help maintain long-term stability of your business in multiple ways: from reducing costs associated with data breaches to strengthening client trust and reputation. In a perfect world, organizations should conduct a full IT security audit every three years and a brief IT security assessment on an annual basis. In light of this, the question arises: what to do if a company does not have enough resources / skills / knowledge to perform a detailed cybersecurity audit?

We highly recommend partnering with a reliable audit partner like SoftTeco for the following reasons:

Faster recovery and tailored recommendations

Frameworks like OWASP, SOC 2, or PCI DSS provide general guidelines and can be applied by any company – but it’s important to consider the specifics of your business (size, domain of operation, etc.). By delegating security audits to a third-party vendor, you will receive a personalized list of best practices based on your specific needs and available assets. This will help protect your organization from industry-specific threats that a generic audit might overlook.

Real-world threat modelling

IT vendors usually work with real-life threats on a regular basis, implementing security protocols in all their software projects. This hands-on experience helps vendors base their security audits on real-life knowledge, providing actionable recommendations to their clients. 

Long-term security

When you work with an audit partner, they not only check your organization’s resilience but can also help improve existing weak areas and eliminate bottlenecks and pain points. This combined approach contributes to enhanced and prolonged security, granting you peace of mind and uninterrupted operation.