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Turn Security Assumptions Into Defensible Evidence
Most organisations know which standards, policies or regulatory expectations they are meant to meet. The harder question is whether the controls actually work — and whether the organisation can prove it.
Cyber Resilience Information Security Audits provide an independent, evidence-led review of the adequacy and effectiveness of information security controls, identify compliance gaps and give decision-makers practical recommendations for improvement.
Quick answer
What is an information security audit?
An information security audit is an independent, structured review of an organisation’s information security controls and compliance status. Cyber Resilience assesses the adequacy and effectiveness of existing controls against the relevant audit scope, standards or legislation and reports identified non-conformities, associated risks and practical remediation recommendations.
Our documented audit approach is risk-based and aligns with ISACA’s CISA audit methodology and ISO 27001.
What we can audit
Audit against the framework or requirement that matters to your organisation.
Our Information Security Audit and Assessment service includes:
- 01
ISO 27001
- 02
ISO 20000
- 03
Privacy — POPIA and GDPR
- 04
CIS Top 20 Cybersecurity Controls
- 05
NIST Cyber Security Framework
Related assessments
The wider audit and assessment capability can also support specific readiness and risk questions.
- 01
Forensic Readiness Assessment
- 02
PCI DSS Readiness Assessment
- 03
Technical Risk Assessment
- 04
Information Security Maturity Assessment
Our methodology
A structured, risk-based audit from scope to actionable findings.
Our five-phase methodology is aligned with industry standards such as ISACA’s CISA audit methodology and ISO 27001.
- 01
Planning
We work with your team to understand the business context, regulatory environment and security needs, define the audit or assessment scope, and identify critical assets.
- 02
Risk Assessment
We evaluate the organisation’s risk profile by identifying and prioritising information assets, assessing threat vectors and reviewing existing controls.
- 03
Control Testing
Using manual reviews and automated tools, we assess technical, administrative and physical security controls, including technical, documentation and records reviews.
- 04
Compliance Review
We assess compliance with relevant standards and regulations and review whether policies and procedures align with applicable requirements and recognised practices.
- 05
Reporting & Recommendations
We deliver detailed findings, including non-conformities and associated risks, together with practical mitigation recommendations.
What you receive
Audit outputs designed for both decision-makers and remediation teams.
- Executive SummaryA high-level overview of findings, key risks and recommendations.
- Detailed Audit ReportComprehensive findings, identified non-conformities, compliance status and suggested remediation.
- Risk MatrixA prioritised list of risks categorised by severity to focus attention on the most critical areas.
Why independent assurance matters
Internal knowledge is valuable. Independent evidence answers a different question.
Internal teams understand the environment and operate its controls every day. An independent audit provides a separate, structured view against the requirement the organisation is being measured against.
That evidence can support conversations with boards, customers, auditors, insurers and regulators and can turn general confidence into specific findings, gaps and remediation priorities.
When to consider an audit
Common triggers for an information security audit.
- An ISO 27001, NIST, POPIA, PCI DSS or other framework requirement is driving assurance activity
- A customer or procurement process requires evidence of security controls
- Board or audit committee reporting requires independent assurance
- Regulatory scrutiny is increasing
- Cyber insurance underwriting requires stronger security evidence
- The organisation has changed materially through growth, acquisition or technology transformation
- A previous audit produced findings that now need reassessment
- You want a current evidence base rather than relying on assumptions about control effectiveness
Audit vs cyber risk assessment
Audit and risk assessment overlap,
but they answer different questions.
| Information Security Audit | Cyber Risk Assessment |
|---|---|
| Tests controls and evidence against an agreed requirement, standard or audit objective | Identifies and prioritises cyber risk in the organisation’s context |
| Focuses on control adequacy, effectiveness, compliance status and non-conformities | Focuses on threats, exposure, business impact and risk treatment priorities |
| Answers: Can we demonstrate that our controls meet the requirement? | Answers: Which cyber risks matter most and what should we prioritise? |
| Produces formal audit findings and documented assurance outputs | Produces a broader risk view and treatment priorities |
Audit vs penetration test
Control assurance and adversarial testing are not substitutes.
An information security audit assesses whether controls, processes and evidence meet the defined audit requirement. A penetration test asks what an attacker could exploit within an authorised technical scope.
Our audit guidance treats these as different assurance activities. A control may exist on paper but fail under attack; conversely, a technical control may withstand a test while still being misaligned with a required standard.
From findings to remediation
The audit should create a clear path forward.
Our value is not limited to identifying compliance gaps. The service is designed to provide tailored, actionable recommendations aligned to the organisation’s business needs and industry context, helping strengthen controls and proactively reduce risk.
Where findings require deeper work, they can connect into Cyber Risk Assessment, Penetration Testing, ISO 27001 and ISMS support, governance, third-party risk or managed-security services.
Why Cyber Resilience
Independent assurance with practical cyber-risk context.
Our Information Security Audit and Assessment service combines cybersecurity, compliance and risk-management expertise with a structured, risk-based audit approach.
- 01
Risk-based methodology
Aligned to ISACA CISA and ISO 27001.
- 02
Technical, administrative and physical controls
Assessment across all three control types.
- 03
Manual review with automated tools
Manual review supported by automated tools.
- 04
Compliance review
Review against relevant standards and legislation.
- 05
Executive and detailed reporting
With prioritised risk visibility.
- 06
Actionable recommendations
Remediation recommendations aligned to business context.
Related services
Move from assurance into the right next action.
Insights
Explore security audit, risk and compliance guidance.
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FAQ
Information Security Audit FAQs
What does an information security audit assess?
Cyber Resilience assesses the adequacy and effectiveness of information security controls and compliance status within the agreed scope. The methodology includes risk assessment, control testing, compliance review and reporting.
Which frameworks can Cyber Resilience audit against?
Our service covers ISO 27001, ISO 20000, POPIA and GDPR privacy requirements, CIS Top 20 Cybersecurity Controls and the NIST Cyber Security Framework.
What deliverables do we receive?
There are three core deliverables: an Executive Summary, a Detailed Audit Report covering findings, non-conformities, compliance status and remediation, and a prioritised Risk Matrix.
What is the difference between an information security audit and a penetration test?
An audit assesses controls and evidence against an agreed requirement or framework. A penetration test uses authorised adversarial techniques to determine what can be exploited within a defined technical scope.
What is the difference between an audit and a cyber risk assessment?
An audit focuses on control adequacy, effectiveness and compliance against an agreed audit objective. A cyber risk assessment takes a broader view of threats, exposure, potential business impact and risk priorities.
What evidence will we need to provide?
We typically ask for relevant policies, procedures and control evidence, stakeholder interviews and a defined engagement contact. A pre-engagement information request is used during planning.
Will the audit disrupt normal operations?
When scoped properly, evidence collection can run alongside normal operations. Interview windows are agreed in advance, and required system access is read-only by default.
How long does an audit take?
Duration depends on scope, complexity and the frameworks involved. We confirm timing during scoping rather than promising a fixed duration.
How often should we audit?
We recommend at least an annual review for the core framework, with more frequent reviews for higher-risk areas or organisations under stronger regulator or customer scrutiny. The right cadence depends on your requirements and risk.
Know where your controls stand — with evidence.
If your organisation needs independent assurance before an audit, certification, customer review, regulator discussion or board decision, Cyber Resilience can help define the right audit scope and provide a defensible view of the controls that matter.
Speak to the Team