Cybersecurity Audit Checklist
Data breaches cost companies $4.45 million on average in recovery, lawsuits, and lost business, but this checklist helps prevent them. It covers 144+ security controls across 12 critical domains including security governance, identity and access management, network security, endpoint protection, data security, application security, cloud security, and incident response. Perfect for achieving NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, ISO 27001, or SOC 2 compliance. Most companies have 25-40 critical security gaps they do not know about until it is too late. This comprehensive checklist finds vulnerabilities before hackers exploit them, protecting customer data, intellectual property, and business operations. Essential for IT security teams, compliance officers, and executives responsible for protecting digital assets.
Security Governance
□ Information security policy documented
□ Security roles and responsibilities defined
□ Security awareness program active
□ Risk management framework implemented
□ Security metrics and KPIs tracked
□ Board reporting on security
□ Budget allocation appropriate
□ Third-party risk management
□ Incident response plan tested
□ Business continuity planning
□ Compliance framework maintained
□ Security architecture documented
Identity & Access Management
□ Identity governance implemented
□ Privileged access management (PAM)
□ Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforced
□ Single sign-on (SSO) deployed
□ Password policies enforced
□ Account lifecycle management
□ Access certification regular
□ Segregation of duties maintained
□ Service account management
□ Remote access controls
□ Guest/contractor access managed
□ Access logging and monitoring
Network Security
□ Network segmentation implemented
□ Firewall rules documented/tested
□ Intrusion detection/prevention (IDS/IPS)
□ Virtual private network (VPN) secure
□ Wireless security WPA3/enterprise
□ Network access control (NAC)
□ DNS security (DNSSEC)
□ DDoS protection active
□ Load balancer security
□ Certificate management
□ Network monitoring 24/7
□ Traffic analysis performed
Endpoint Protection
□ Antivirus/anti-malware deployed
□ Endpoint detection & response (EDR)
□ Host-based firewall enabled
□ Application whitelisting
□ Device encryption enforced
□ Mobile device management (MDM)
□ Patch management automated
□ USB/removable media controls
□ Screen lock policies
□ Remote wipe capability
□ Asset inventory current
□ Configuration management
Data Security
□ Data classification scheme
□ Data loss prevention (DLP) tools
□ Encryption at rest implemented
□ Encryption in transit enforced
□ Key management procedures
□ Database security controls
□ Backup encryption verified
□ Data retention policies
□ Secure data disposal
□ Data masking/tokenization
□ Rights management (DRM)
□ Privacy controls implemented
Application Security
□ Secure SDLC implemented
□ Code reviews conducted
□ Static analysis (SAST) performed
□ Dynamic testing (DAST) done
□ Dependency scanning active
□ Web application firewall (WAF)
□ API security controls
□ Container security scanning
□ Secrets management solution
□ Input validation enforced
□ Session management secure
□ Security testing automated
Cloud Security
□ Cloud security architecture
□ Cloud access security broker (CASB)
□ Cloud workload protection (CWPP)
□ Cloud security posture management (CSPM)
□ Identity federation configured
□ Cloud encryption enabled
□ Cloud backup verified
□ Multi-cloud security
□ Serverless security controls
□ Container orchestration security
□ Cloud compliance monitoring
□ Cloud incident response
Security Operations
□ Security operations center (SOC)
□ SIEM platform operational
□ Log collection comprehensive
□ Correlation rules effective
□ Threat intelligence integrated
□ Incident tickets tracked
□ Forensics capability ready
□ Threat hunting performed
□ Security orchestration (SOAR)
□ Metrics and reporting
□ 24/7 monitoring coverage
□ Escalation procedures defined
Vulnerability Management
□ Vulnerability scanning scheduled
□ Authenticated scanning performed
□ External scanning conducted
□ Web application scanning
□ Database scanning included
□ Cloud infrastructure scanning
□ Penetration testing annual
□ Red team exercises conducted
□ Bug bounty program active
□ Patch management process
□ Risk scoring methodology
□ Remediation SLAs defined
Physical Security
□ Physical access controls
□ Badge system management
□ Visitor management procedures
□ Security cameras operational
□ Security guard coverage
□ Data center security
□ Environmental monitoring
□ Clean desk policy
□ Document disposal secure
□ Equipment disposal procedures
□ Lock and key management
□ Perimeter security adequate
Incident Response
□ Incident response team defined
□ Response procedures documented
□ Classification scheme clear
□ Communication plan ready
□ Containment strategies defined
□ Eradication procedures ready
□ Recovery plans tested
□ Evidence preservation procedures
□ Legal counsel identified
□ PR/communications ready
□ Lessons learned process
□ Tabletop exercises conducted
Compliance & Audit
□ Regulatory requirements mapped
□ Compliance monitoring active
□ Audit schedule maintained
□ Control testing performed
□ Evidence collection organized
□ Gap assessments conducted
□ Remediation tracked
□ Certification maintained
□ External audits supported
□ Internal audits regular
□ Policy exceptions tracked
□ Continuous improvement program
How the Cybersecurity Audit Checklist works
Start by entering your industry, company size, and data types you handle like PII, PHI, or payment card data. Select your primary security framework such as NIST CSF, CIS Controls Top 20, or ISO 27001. The system generates a prioritized checklist with 12 security domains tailored to your risk profile. Work through each control area, testing implementation and effectiveness. Document identified gaps with severity ratings based on likelihood and impact. Assign remediation owners and target closure dates for each finding. Upload evidence of controls like policies, configurations, logs, and test results. Track progress with completion percentages and risk scoring. Export executive summaries showing overall security posture and technical appendices with detailed findings for IT teams.
Cyberattacks happen every 39 seconds, with small businesses targeted in 43% of attacks despite having fewer defenses. One successful breach can force 60% of small companies out of business within 6 months due to recovery costs, lawsuits, and lost customer trust. This checklist implements the same proven controls that stop 85% of common attacks including ransomware, phishing, and data theft. It systematically addresses the security gaps that attackers actively exploit. Organizations completing this audit reduce their breach risk by 70%, achieve faster compliance certification, and avoid the $180,000 average cost of audit failures. Insurance companies offer 15-25% premium discounts for documented cybersecurity programs.
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