<aside> <img src="/icons/drafts_gray.svg" alt="/icons/drafts_gray.svg" width="40px" /> External Audits are systematic evaluations conducted by independent entities to assess information systems, applications, and security controls

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Focuses on various areas:

• Data protection
• Network security
• Access controls
• Incident response procedures

The objective is to identify gaps in security policies and controls for compliance with regulatory standards such as:

• GDPR
• HIPAA
• PCI DSS

External Assessments

• Utilize automated scanning tools and manual testing techniques
• External assessments can take various forms:
  • Risk assessments
  • Vulnerability assessments
  • Threat assessments

Regulatory Compliance

• The goal is to ensure organizations comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations
• Organizations adopt consolidated and harmonized sets of compliance controls to achieve regulatory compliance (e.g., NIST Cybersecurity Framework)
• Compliance includes adherence to industry-specific rules (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS) and more generalized regulations like GDPR

Examinations

• Detailed inspections of an organization’s security infrastructure conducted externally
• Covers various areas:
  • Network security
  • Data protection
  • Access controls