10.2.2 Regular Security Audits

As you are aware, security is not a one-time fix but an ongoing process. Audits need to be conducted periodically to keep pace with evolving threats, new technologies, and changes in the organizational environment. They allow identifying vulnerabilities, assess risks, ensure compliance with policies and regulations, and ultimately improve the overall security posture.

By consistently performing these audits, organizations can proactively strengthen their security posture and ensure their systems, like Thinfinity® Workspace, provide truly secure access to remote resources.

How to Perform Regular Audits in Thinfinity Workspace?

Performing a security audit is a multi-step process that can involve various techniques and types of assessments. It requires careful planning, execution, and follow-up.

General Suggested Methodology

Phase 1: Planning and Scoping

1

Define Objectives: What is the primary goal of the audit? (e.g., compliance, vulnerability discovery, assessing a new system, evaluating incident response).

2

Define Scope: What specific systems, networks, applications, data types, processes, and personnel will be included in the audit? Be as precise as possible. This might include:

• The Gateways, Brokers, and Virtualization Agents.

• The underlying operating systems.

• Network connectivity between components.

• Authentication mechanisms (AD, IdP, MFA).

• Access Profiles and permissions.

• Logging and monitoring systems.

• RPAM policies and workflows.

• Cloud Manager and its integrations.

• Identify Audit Team: Determine whether the audit will be performed by internal staff (internal audit) or external consultants (external audit), or a combination. External audits often provide a more objective perspective.

• Establish Criteria: What standards, regulations, or internal policies will the systems be audited against? (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, specific company security policies).

• Set Timeline and Resources: Allocate sufficient time, budget, and personnel.

Phase 2: Information Gathering

1

Documentation Review: Collect and review all relevant documentation:

• Security policies and procedures (e.g., Acceptable Use Policy, Password Policy, Incident Response Plan).

• Network diagrams and architecture documents.

• System configurations (firewall rules, server settings, application configurations).

• Previous audit reports.

• Compliance frameworks.

2

Interviews: Talk to key personnel:

• IT staff (sys admins, network engineers).

• Security team.

• Application owners.

• End-users (to understand their practices).

3

Technical Data Collection:

• Collect system logs, network device logs, application logs (from Analytics, Audit Log and Recordings).

• Configuration files.

• Inventory of hardware and software assets.

Phase 3: Assessment and Testing

1

Compliance Audit:

• Checklist-Based Review: Verify that policies, procedures, and technical controls align with specific regulatory requirements (e.g., ensuring MFA is enforced for sensitive access to comply with a standard).

• Evidence Collection: Gather proof (screenshots, log excerpts, policy documents) that controls are in place and effective.

2

Configuration Audit:

• Review system and application configurations against security baselines and best practices (e.g., ensuring default passwords are changed, unnecessary services are disabled, strong ciphers are used).

3

Policy and Procedure Review:

• Assess if documented security policies are comprehensive, up-to-date, and effectively communicated to employees.

• Verify that actual practices align with written policies.

4

Access Control Review:

• Audit user accounts, groups, and permissions (especially for privileged accounts).

• Verify PoLP is being enforced.

• Review RPAM workflows and their effectiveness.

5

Incident Response Plan Review/Testing:

• Assess the organization's ability to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents. This might include tabletop exercises or simulated breach scenarios.