Cybersecurity · Security Audits

A cyber security audit that ends with a clear plan

An independent cyber security audit for companies in Canada, the UK, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan. We review your policies, settings and controls against ISO 27001, the NIST framework and local rules, then give you a short, ranked plan to close the gaps.

Overview

What a cyber security audit tells you

A penetration test answers one question: can someone break in? A cyber security audit answers a wider one: is this company run in a way that keeps it secure, day after day? It looks at people, processes and technology together, because most security failures are a mix of all three.

During a security audit we read your policies, interview the people who run IT and the business, inspect key settings in systems such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and your servers, and check whether what is written down actually happens. Then we compare what we found with a recognised standard, usually ISO 27001 or the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, plus any local rules that apply to you.

You receive an audit report that is honest about the gaps and practical about the fixes. No jargon for its own sake and no padding, just a clear view of where you stand and what to do next.

What our cyber security audit covers:

Governance, policies and roles
Access control and account management
Asset inventory and patching
Backup, recovery and incident response
Cloud and email security settings
Suppliers and third party risk

Types of audit

Security audit options for different needs

Pick the security audit that matches your goal, or combine them.

ISO 27001 gap assessment

A gap assessment against ISO 27001 and its Annex A controls shows how far you are from certification and what to do first, before you pay a certification body.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework review

We score your maturity across the six NIST functions, Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover, and set realistic targets for the next year.

Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace security audit

A focused security audit of the settings that protect email, files and accounts, where many breaches now begin. Quick to run and quick to fix.

Local framework security audit

Audits mapped to local rules, such as the Saudi National Cybersecurity Authority essential controls, UAE and Qatar information assurance standards or UK Cyber Essentials.

Security audit for client due diligence

When a large client sends a security questionnaire, a cyber security audit gives you honest answers and evidence. We can also assess your own critical suppliers.

Yearly follow up audit report

A shorter follow up a year later shows progress against the first audit report, which boards, insurers and clients like to see.

Framework

How a cyber security audit maps to the NIST functions

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework groups good security into six functions. Our audit report scores you on each one.

1GovernRoles, policies and risk decisions.
2IdentifyAssets, data and suppliers known.
3ProtectAccess, patching, training, backups.
4DetectLogs and alerts that someone reads.
5RespondA plan for when things go wrong.
6RecoverTested restores and lessons learned.

Standards

ISO 27001, NIST and local frameworks compared

We can audit against any of these. Many companies use one as the base and map the others to it.

Security frameworks we audit against
Framework	What it is	Who uses it	Certification
ISO 27001	International standard for an information security management system	Companies selling to enterprises and governments worldwide	Yes, by an accredited certification body
NIST Cybersecurity Framework	Voluntary framework of six functions for managing cyber risk	Organisations of every size, especially in North America	No; used for self assessment
CIS Controls	A prioritised list of practical safeguards	Smaller IT teams wanting a clear starting point	No
Saudi NCA essential controls	National minimum controls for Saudi organisations	Government bodies, critical sectors and their suppliers	Compliance assessed by the regulator
UK Cyber Essentials	A government backed basic security scheme	UK businesses, especially public sector suppliers	Yes, through accredited bodies

We are not a certification body. Our audit prepares you; certification, where it exists, is issued by an accredited third party.

Where we work

Cyber security audit services in Canada, the UK, the Gulf and Pakistan

We deliver security audit work in six countries and map findings to the rules that apply locally.

Cyber security audit in Canada

Security audits for Canadian companies, including readiness for the CyberSecure Canada certification and privacy law obligations.

Cyber security audit in the UK

ISO 27001 gap assessments and Cyber Essentials readiness reviews for UK businesses and public sector suppliers.

Cyber security audit in the UAE

Security audits for companies across the Emirates, mapped to UAE information assurance standards and client requirements.

Cyber security audit in Saudi Arabia

Gap assessments against the National Cybersecurity Authority essential controls for Saudi organisations and their suppliers.

Cyber security audit in Qatar

Security audits for companies in Qatar aligned with the national information assurance policy and ISO 27001.

Cyber security audit in Pakistan

Cyber security audit services for Pakistani banks, fintechs and enterprises, including regulatory expectations for the financial sector.

How we audit

How our cyber security audit works in practice

We keep the disruption small. Most of the work is done remotely: reading documents, reviewing settings in your cloud systems with read only access and holding short interviews with the people who run things. A typical small or midsize company needs a few hours from its IT lead and an hour or two from management.

We test what we can rather than taking it on trust. If the policy says backups are tested monthly, we ask to see the last test. If it says leavers lose access on their last day, we check a few recent leavers. That evidence is what makes the audit report worth reading, and it is also what an external auditor or a demanding client will ask to see later, so collecting it now saves time twice.

The steps of a security audit:

Kick off and document request
Interviews with IT and management
Read only review of key systems
Evidence checks on a sample of controls
Draft audit report and discussion
Final report with a ranked action plan

The report

What is in our cyber security audit report

The report opens with a one page summary for management: overall maturity, the biggest risks and the first actions. Then comes a scored view of each area, the evidence behind every finding and a practical action plan with owners and rough effort for each item.

We rank actions by risk reduced per pound, dollar or dirham spent. Turning on multifactor sign in for everyone costs almost nothing and closes a large risk, so it goes at the top. A full security operations centre might come later, or not at all. Standards bodies such as NIST publish their frameworks openly, and we reference the specific controls behind each recommendation.

ISO 27001

Preparing for ISO 27001 certification

For companies aiming at ISO 27001 certification, our gap assessment is the first step. It shows which management system requirements and Annex A controls are already in place, which are partly in place and which are missing. From there we help you write the policies, set up the risk register and collect the records an auditor will ask for.

You can also use the Nexora audit management module to plan internal audits and track findings to closure, and our platform security page explains how Nexora itself protects your data.

Next steps

Turning cyber security audit findings into fixes

An audit is only useful if things change afterwards. We can help with the technical fixes through our support plans, check that important systems are really secure through penetration testing, and address people risks through security awareness training.

If the audit shows unlicensed or unsupported software, our software licensing team can put that right too, which closes both a legal risk and a security one.

Tools reviewed

What a cyber security audit reviews

Every audit checks that the security, backup and monitoring tools you pay for are switched on and working.

FAQ

Cyber security audit FAQs

What does a cyber security audit include?

A cyber security audit reviews your policies, roles, access control, patching, backups, incident response, cloud settings and suppliers against a recognised standard, and ends with an audit report and a ranked action plan.

Is a security audit the same as a penetration test?

No. A penetration test checks whether specific systems can be broken into. A security audit looks at how the whole company manages security. They work well together.

Can you certify us to ISO 27001?

No. Certification is issued by accredited certification bodies. We carry out the ISO 27001 gap assessment and help you prepare so the certification audit goes smoothly.

How long does a cyber security audit take?

For a small or midsize company, usually two to four weeks from kick off to final report, with only a few hours needed from your team.

Will a security audit disrupt our work?

Very little. Most work is remote, using read only access and short interviews. We agree a schedule that fits around your busy periods.

Do you provide a cyber security audit in Saudi Arabia and Qatar?

Yes. We provide cyber security audit services in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, mapped to local frameworks, as well as in Canada, the UK, the UAE and Pakistan.

Book your cyber security audit

Tell us your size, your systems and any standard you need to meet. We will send a clear scope and quote for your security audit.