Information Security Audit
That Tests Controls,
Not Just Paperwork
Information security audit
Independent Assurance That Your Security Controls Actually Work
iSpyCyber’s information security audit gives leadership, boards and regulators an evidence-based view of how well your governance, technical and operational controls protect the business. We combine structured audit methodology with the hands-on technical depth of an offensive security team, so observations are accurate, prioritised and practical to fix.
Why organisations choose iSpyCyber
Attacker-informed auditing
Our auditors work alongside offensive security specialists, so controls are judged against how real attackers operate, not only against a checklist.
Evidence over assertion
Every observation is backed by sampled evidence, configuration reviews or technical verification rather than interviews alone.
Framework-agnostic
Audits aligned to ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF 2.0, CIS Controls v8, sector regulations or your own policy framework.
Risk-rated observations
Findings are rated by likelihood and business impact so leadership can focus investment where it matters most.
Practical remediation
Each observation includes root cause, a recommended fix and an owner, forming a remediation roadmap your teams can execute.
Follow-up that closes gaps
We verify closure evidence after remediation, and iefyx, our AI-native VAPT platform, keeps technical exposure visible between audits.
Coverage
Control Domains We Audit
Our audit programme covers governance, people, process and technology, and can be tailored to your regulatory obligations and risk profile.
Governance and risk management
Security organisation, policies, risk assessment, risk treatment and management oversight.
Identity and access management
Joiner, mover and leaver processes, privileged access, MFA, access reviews and segregation of duties.
Infrastructure and network security
Network segmentation, firewall rules, hardening baselines, secure configuration and remote access.
Data protection and privacy
Data classification, encryption, data loss prevention, retention and alignment with the DPDP Act 2023.
Operations and change management
Change control, patch management, capacity, backups and job scheduling.
Logging and monitoring
Log coverage, retention, SIEM use cases, alert triage and security operations effectiveness.
Incident response and resilience
Incident handling, reporting obligations, business continuity and disaster recovery testing.
Third-party and cloud security
Vendor risk management, outsourcing controls and cloud shared-responsibility configuration.
People and physical security
Security awareness, background checks, acceptable use and physical and environmental controls.
Methodology
A Structured Six-Phase Audit Lifecycle
Aligned to ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 19011 audit principles and ISACA IT audit standards, and tailored to your organisation, regulators and risk appetite.
- ISO/IEC 27001
- ISO/IEC 27002
- ISO 19011
- NIST CSF 2.0
- CIS Controls v8
- ISACA ITAF
4–8
weeks for a typical audit
6
structured audit phases
100%
observations backed by evidence
01
- Week 1
Scope and plan
Audit objectives, scope, criteria, stakeholders and sampling approach agreed before fieldwork begins.
Key activities
- Confirm entities, locations, systems and processes in scope
- Agree audit criteria, frameworks and regulatory drivers
- Issue the audit plan and document request list
- Output: Approved audit plan
02
- Weeks 1–2
Understand the environment
Walkthroughs of your governance structure, IT landscape, data flows and existing control framework.
Key activities
- Review policies, procedures and previous audit reports
- Map critical applications, infrastructure and data flows
- Identify key risks and control owners
- Output: Risk and control matrix
03
- Weeks 2–3
Test control design
Each control is assessed to confirm it is designed to address the risk it is meant to mitigate.
Key activities
- Interview control owners and process teams
- Assess policies and procedures against criteria
- Identify design gaps and missing controls
- Output: Design effectiveness assessment
04
- Weeks 3–5
Test operating effectiveness
Sample-based testing and technical verification confirm controls operate consistently in practice.
Key activities
- Sample-based evidence testing across the period
- Technical configuration and log reviews
- Validate exceptions with control owners
- Output: Evidenced test results
05
- Weeks 5–6
Report and debrief
Risk-rated observations, root causes and management responses consolidated into a clear audit report.
Key activities
- Draft observations with risk ratings and root cause
- Agree management action plans and owners
- Present results to leadership and audit committee
- Output: Final IS audit report
06
- As agreed
Follow up and verify
Remediation progress is tracked and closure evidence reviewed so observations are genuinely resolved.
Key activities
- Track agreed actions against target dates
- Review closure evidence for each observation
- Issue a follow-up status report
- Output: Closure verification report
Effort distribution
Where the audit time goes
Most of every audit is spent testing how controls operate in practice, not reviewing documents. Percentages are indicative for a typical single-entity audit.
Quality built into every phase
Evidence sampled, not assumed
Operating effectiveness is tested against real records across the audit period.
Risk rated in context
Ratings reflect your data, regulators and business impact.
Independent reviewers
A second reviewer quality-checks every report before release.
Closure verified
Follow-up confirms remediation evidence, not just status updates.
Engagement options
Choose the Audit Approach That Fits Your Needs
Every option follows the same evidence-based methodology. The difference is depth, frequency and how closely we work with your teams.
Gap assessment
A focused review of control design against your chosen framework or regulation. Best for organisations preparing for a first audit or certification.
Full IS audit
Design and operating effectiveness testing across all in-scope domains with a formal audit report. Best for annual assurance, boards and regulators.
Continuous internal audit
A rolling audit calendar delivered as an outsourced or co-sourced internal audit function. Best for regulated organisations needing year-round assurance.
Not sure which option you need?
Our specialists will recommend a scope based on your regulators, certifications and risk profile.
Deliverables
Audit Outputs for Boards, Management and Regulators
Clear conclusions for decision-makers, detailed evidence for control owners and a remediation plan your teams can act on.
Executive summary
Overall control posture, key themes and business risk in plain language for leadership and audit committees.
Detailed observations
Each observation with criteria, condition, root cause, risk rating, evidence reference and recommendation.
Remediation roadmap
Prioritised action plan with owners and target dates, agreed with management.
Evidence and working papers
Organised audit evidence and test records that support internal audit, statutory auditors and regulator reviews.
Supports your compliance and assurance requirements
- ISO/IEC 27001
- NIST CSF 2.0
- CIS Controls v8
- SOC 2
- PCI DSS
- DPDP Act 2023
- CERT-In directions
- RBI guidelines
- SEBI CSCRF
- IRDAI guidelines
- GDPR
iSpyCyber provides independent assessment, internal audit and readiness support against these requirements. iSpyCyber does not issue certifications; certification, attestation and statutory audit opinions are issued by accredited bodies and licensed or regulator-recognised auditors.
Information security audits for every industry
FAQ
Information security audit questions, answered
Can’t find what you need? Talk to our security team.
The basics
What is an information security audit?
An information security audit is an independent, evidence-based evaluation of whether your security governance, technical and operational controls are properly designed and operating effectively against an agreed set of criteria, such as ISO/IEC 27001 or a sector regulation.
How is an audit different from a penetration test?
A penetration test tries to exploit technical weaknesses in specific systems. An audit assesses the wider control environment, including policies, processes, access, monitoring and resilience. Many clients combine both for a complete picture.
Can you perform the audit required by our regulator?
Where a regulator requires the audit to be performed by a specifically empanelled or licensed auditor, we provide gap assessment, internal audit and remediation support that prepares you for that formal audit. For other requirements, our audit report can be used directly as independent assurance.
Which frameworks do you audit against?
We commonly audit against ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF 2.0 and CIS Controls v8, alongside sector requirements such as RBI, SEBI and IRDAI guidelines and the DPDP Act 2023. We can also audit against your internal policy framework.
Working with us
How long does an information security audit take?
Most single-entity audits take four to eight weeks from planning to final report, depending on the number of locations, systems and control domains in scope. We confirm the timeline during scoping.
Do you help us fix the observations?
Yes. Every observation includes a practical recommendation, and we can support remediation, then verify closure evidence during a follow-up review.
How often should we audit information security?
At least annually, and after significant changes such as mergers, major system implementations or new regulatory obligations. Many clients run a rolling internal audit calendar across the year.
Get started
Prove Your Controls Work.
Before Someone Else Tests Them.
Talk to our audit specialists about a scoped information security audit for your organisation.
- ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 9001 certified
- 40+ enterprise and government clients
- 15+ countries