What can you expect from Assess IT

A stronger, safer house. Assess IT is the first step in our audit process. This is where we kick-off the external audit. The first steps are critical to a systematic audit of the entire IT infrastructure as well as an analysis of the way which people can interact with devices on the network.  Assess IT sets the audit process in motion.

1. Scope of project –
2. Process analysis –
3. Benchmark establishment –
4. Comparable discovery –
5. Blueprinting –
6. Reporting review –

IT infrastructure is analogous to a house. It protects us from the elements by using a variety of materials and structures – roof, walls, windows, doors – that must work together.  No one material can be used for the entire exterior.  Protection of computer systems from outside threats also uses a variety of tools that must work together.  And just like a house, there are seams, gaps, open windows and doors, and worn coverings that must be repaired, maintained and updated. The result of our careful IT assessment is the rapid and accurate production of a narrow focused system map.

Scope of project:  Your IT auditor will work with people in key roles to develop the scope of the project in order to establish a budget and schedule for the work.

Process analysis:  IT infrastructure is vulnerable to attack from external sources as well as misuse by people within the organization. Tekmar’s audit team will analyze the way that people interact with the system in order to identify human factors which increase risk.  This will involve interviews with people identified in the scope within the organization and follow-ups in order to identify potential pinch points in the system.

Benchmark establishment:  The internal and external process analysis allows Tekmar to derive benchmarks that we use to measure system against other similar functional units.  It is a truism that you can’t improve what you can’t measure.  Proper benchmarking is the foundational element for an audit, and tangible metrics not only allow us to see the entire exposed surface of the IT infrastructure and how people us it, also keep the entire procedure on track.

Comparable discovery:  Tekmar uses big data to anonymously compare your benchmark data with thousands of other similar users’ processes and systems.  Deviations from averages identify gaps that need to be filled.

Blueprinting:  Tekmar provide a blueprint for addressing issues identified in the Report.  As a third-party auditor, we will take no part in remediation, prevention or mitigation of risk, but will instead lay out the steps that should be taken by whomever you choose to do your IT work.  We will make our team available to all of your IT professionals and stakeholders in order to ensure that whatever work you choose to do is accomplished as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

Reporting review:  Tekmar will produce a report for all stakeholders, identifying our findings and providing supporting data for our conclusions.

Assess IT kicks off both our External and Internal audit processes.  Working from a scope of project created with client interaction we examine specific components and establish benchmarks. Using that data we develop the audit material and present it and alternatives. Your IT Blueprint can be used as a baseline for future internal and external auditing. The entire process runs on a specific timeline, so everyone get lower costs, higher performance in a safer network right away.