For any online business, creating an effective network auditing policy can be a difficult task. This is a time when your in-house IT team comes into its own by advising you to devise an easy-to-implement strategy that keeps your system network malware free.

The word ‘audit’ is a kind of nightmare for many business owners. Because, it’s easy to associate it with a visit from the tax inspector which is enough to make any heart skip a beat. But, the real fact is network auditing doesn’t need to be as apprehensive as the term makes it appear.

There’s a fine-line between a network audit policy that covers each and every single security issue and one which creates too much burden on systems and staff. You should create a security strategy which is easy to implement and covers all important aspects of network security. It should also allocate responsibilities in a way that doesn’t overly tax your staff resources.

Regular network security audits can prevent security breaches and make your system reliable as well as compliant with safe business practice. If you think you can get away without network audit, here are some points you should consider:

• In case, you transmit crucial data across network, it should be done through a medium that can’t be tracked or intercepted. Because, any crucial information can be leaked into the hands of unauthorized people and present you with breach of privacy.
• If you conduct your business over broad geographical areas, and your employees travels in the course of their duties on regular basis, any data loss could be devastating. You can imagine the loss of business that could result if, for example, you don’t have a good policy of backup.
• Imagine the desolation which can occur if your system is invaded by malware that are not caught before spread. When your system is down, your whole business ceases to operate and your entire cash flow grinds to a halt.
• In a business, where employee has a full access to all sensitive data which may be of value to competitors, it may be strenuous to locate the source of indecorous activity. A security audit of all the logon activities might reveal the suspicious patterns of behavior especially where complete access is attempted at an unusual time. Early detection of these suspicious activities can minimize the losses and appropriate steps can be employed to deal with this.
• With these points in mind, it’s easy to understand the value of regular network auditing services. But more to the point, it is always better to have a protective mechanism in place which can effectively prevent problems from arising in the first place.

Compiling a comprehensive and effective auditing strategy with assistance from your IT team will place your online business on a good footing for sound data protection, business management, and preservation of sensitive business information.