Term Paper Managing An IT Infrastructure Audit Due Week 10

Term Paper Managing An It Infrastructure Auditdue Week 10 And Worth 2

This assignment consists of four (4) sections: an internal IT audit policy, a management plan, a project plan, and a disaster recovery plan. You must submit all four (4) sections as separate files, labeled accordingly. The organization is a large national retailer with a main office and 268 stores across the U.S., utilizing cloud computing, Cisco networking equipment, Microsoft Windows Server 2012, over 1,000 desktops, and approximately 500 laptops, among other infrastructure characteristics.

As an Information Security Manager responsible for planning and overseeing IT audits, you are tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for conducting regular IT infrastructure audits, including policies and management strategies. This plan should consider their network and cloud environments, device policies, remote access, wireless infrastructure, transaction processing, and data security.

Paper For Above instruction

Internal IT Audit Policy

The internal IT audit policy establishes the framework and guidelines for conducting comprehensive audits of the organization’s IT infrastructure. Its objective is to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and the effective functioning of IT controls. The audit policy is a strategic document designed to guide audit activities and manage risks associated with technological risks inherent in the organization’s operations.

The scope of the internal IT audit policy covers all critical IT components, including network infrastructure, cloud environments, applications, security systems, and data management processes. It also encompasses policies regarding BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), remote access, wireless connectivity, and transaction processing at stores and online platforms. The policy aligns with various applicable laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and relevant federal and state regulations.

The goals and objectives center around identifying vulnerabilities, ensuring regulatory compliance, improving control environments, and safeguarding organizational data. Management oversight involves the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), IT audit committee, and senior management, who are responsible for scheduling, overseeing, and approving audit activities. Regular audits are scheduled bi-annually but may be intensified following significant system updates or security incidents.

Audit areas include network security, application security, cloud services, virtualization, cybersecurity policies, privacy controls, disaster recovery preparedness, and user access management. Ensuring adherence to the policies involves periodic reviews, audit controls, and compliance checks. This policy emphasizes continuous improvement through feedback and audit results analysis, with a focus on maintaining an effective control environment aligned with national standards and best practices.

Management Plan

The management plan for conducting IT audits focuses on integrating risk management, system evaluation, security, and recovery strategies to safeguard organizational assets. This plan guides the implementation of audits across various IT domains, ensuring that the organization maintains a robust security posture and operational resilience.

Risk Management: The plan begins with identifying and prioritizing risks associated with each IT domain using frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST SP 800-30. Risks are evaluated based on likelihood and impact, guiding audit focus areas and resource allocation. Risk mitigation strategies, including security controls and user awareness programs, are integral components.

System Software and Applications: Audits evaluate system configurations, update management, and patching procedures for Windows Server 2012 and applications deployed across the network. Applications, particularly those involved in credit card processing, are scrutinized for PCI DSS compliance.

Wireless Networking: Wireless security is assessed for encryption standards, access point configuration, and susceptibility to unauthorized access. Policies ensure secure authentication mechanisms and periodic vulnerability scans.

Cloud Computing: The audit examines the cloud service provider’s compliance, data encryption, access controls, and data sovereignty issues. Cloud security frameworks such as ISO 27017 are applied to assess the cloud environment’s integrity.

Virtualization: Virtual machines and hypervisors are audited for proper segregation, patch management, and security controls, minimizing the risk of attacks exploiting virtualization layers.

Cybersecurity and Privacy: Security policies, incident response, intrusion detection, and privacy controls are reviewed to safeguard sensitive customer and corporate data, conforming to privacy laws such as GDPR.

Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP): The plan assesses the organization’s readiness for disasters, with focus on backup procedures, off-site storage, and incident response capabilities.

Network Security: Network perimeter defenses, intrusion prevention systems, and segmentation are evaluated to prevent unauthorized access and detect anomalous activities promptly.

Overall, the management plan emphasizes an integrated approach to risk management, security enforcement, compliance tracking, and continuous improvement through periodic audits and control reviews. Employing frameworks like COBIT and ITIL ensures all practices align with industry standards and organizational objectives.

Project Plan

The project plan delineates tasks across a two-week period for various audit components, using Microsoft Project or an open-source alternative. The plan includes detailed activities such as scope definition, resource allocation, audit notifications, data collection, vulnerability assessments, interview schedules, testing procedures, documentation, and reporting.

Each core area—risk management, system software, wireless, cloud, virtualization, cybersecurity, and network security—has assigned tasks. For example, conducting vulnerability scans for network hardware, evaluating access controls in cloud environments, assessing secure configurations for wireless access points, reviewing virtualization security controls, and testing incident response protocols.

The schedule incorporates contingency planning for unforeseen delays and ensures all activities are completed within the two-week timeframe. Regular progress reviews and stakeholder updates are scheduled to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the audit process.

Disaster Recovery Plan

The disaster recovery plan (DRP) outlines procedures for organizational resilience following a major incident with a focus on zero data loss, immediate data access, and critical system availability within 48 hours. The plan incorporates proactive measures such as data backups, off-site storage, redundant systems, and communication protocols.

Data Preservation and Access: A comprehensive data backup schedule ensures data integrity, with recovery points aligned to minimize or eliminate data loss. Cloud-based backup solutions and physical off-site storage are employed.

Recovery Procedures: In the event of a disaster, the plan prioritizes restoring critical systems, including transaction processing, customer data access, and cloud services, within 48 hours. It details steps for system reinitialization, hardware deployment, and security verification.

Audit Activities for DRP Effectiveness: Periodic testing, including tabletop exercises and full-scale simulations, are conducted to evaluate recovery procedures. Audit activities review backup integrity, recovery time objectives (RTO), and recovery point objectives (RPO). Post-incident audits identify areas for improvement to continually enhance preparedness.

The plan emphasizes staff roles and responsibilities, clear communication channels, and coordination with third-party disaster recovery vendors. Regular review and updates of the DRP are mandated to adapt to evolving threats and organizational changes.

In conclusion, a comprehensive DRP coupled with regular audits ensures the organization maintains resilience against various disasters, safeguarding data, minimizing downtime, and maintaining customer trust.

References

• ISO/IEC 27001:2013. (2013). Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems — Requirements. International Organization for Standardization.
• NIST Special Publication 800-30. (2012). Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
• ISACA. (2012). COBIT 5: A Business Framework for the Governance and Management of Enterprise IT. ISACA.
• PCI Security Standards Council. (2018). PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Version 3.2.1.
• ISO/IEC 27017:2015. (2015). Code of practice for information security controls based on ISO/IEC 27002 for cloud services. International Organization for Standardization.
• Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC). (2015). Supplement to the FFIEC IT Examination Handbook: Outsourcing Technology Services.
• Whitman, M. E., & Mattord, H. J. (2018). Principles of Information Security. Cengage Learning.
• Shon Harris. (2013). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Gartner. (2020). Cloud Security Best Practices. Gartner Research.
• Mitchell, R., & Roberts, J. (2017). Managing Virtualization and Cloud Security. Journal of Cybersecurity, 4(2), 87–99.