What is a cyber security audit?
A cyber security audit is a structured check of how well your business is protected against cyber attacks, and where the gaps are. It covers your systems, your data, your people and your policies, and ends with a prioritised plan to fix what it finds.
It matters because attacks on small businesses are routine, not rare. The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 43% of UK businesses reported a breach or attack in the previous 12 months. We hold Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO 27001 certification ourselves, so we’ve been on both sides of an audit.
Audit, assessment or penetration test?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re different:
- Cyber security audit: a broad review of controls, policies and practices against a standard or best practice.
- Cyber security assessment: a lighter-touch review of risk, often the first step before an audit.
- Penetration test: a technical attempt to break into specific systems, the way an attacker would.
Most Kent SMEs should start with an audit or assessment. A penetration test makes sense once the basics are in place.
What happens in a cyber security audit: 7 steps
1. Scoping. You agree what’s being audited (offices, cloud services, remote workers), what standard you’re measuring against, and what you want at the end, such as Cyber Essentials certification or a board report.
2. Discovery. The auditor builds an inventory of devices, users, software, cloud services and where your data lives. Many businesses find things they’d forgotten about here, like old accounts or unmanaged laptops.
3. Technical review. Your setup is checked against the five controls in the NCSC’s Cyber Essentials scheme:
- firewalls
- secure configuration
- user access control
- malware protection
- security update management
4. Identity and access. Is multi-factor authentication on for every account? Who has admin rights, and do they need them? Are leavers’ accounts actually disabled?
5. People and policies. Do staff know how to spot phishing? Is there an acceptable use policy, including for AI tools? (See is your team using banned AI tools?) Our employee IT training covers the gaps audits most often find.
6. Backup and recovery. Are backups complete, separate from your main systems, and tested? Could you recover from ransomware, and how long would it take? See our backup and disaster recovery services.
7. Report and action plan. You get a written report ranking every finding by risk, with clear recommendations, rough costs and an order to tackle them in.
What to do after the audit
The most common next step is fixing the high-risk findings, then working towards Cyber Essentials certification. Cyber Essentials Plus goes further than the basic certificate: it includes independent testing to check that the controls actually work. Certification is increasingly asked for in supply chains, tenders and insurance applications.
If you don’t have the time or in-house skills to act on the findings, managed cyber security can take on the ongoing work. Not sure which route suits you? Read cyber security consultant or managed cyber security: which does your Kent business need?
Choosing who audits you
Look for certified staff (such as CISSP), a provider that holds recognised certifications itself, and a report written for business owners rather than only for IT teams. Our guide on what to look for in an IT security provider as a Kent business goes into more detail.
To book a cyber security audit for your Kent business, contact our team.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a business have a cyber security audit? At least once a year, and after any major change, such as a new office, a move to the cloud or a security incident.
Do I need a cyber security audit to get Cyber Essentials? No, but an audit is the fastest way to find out what you need to fix before you apply.
Will an audit disrupt my staff? Very little. Most checks run in the background or remotely, and staff involvement is usually limited to short interviews or a questionnaire.