5 Things IT Managers Should Check Before a Cybersecurity Assessment
A cybersecurity assessment is designed to identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. But the results are only as useful as the environment being assessed.
For IT managers, preparing ahead of time can make the assessment more efficient and help uncover security gaps that may otherwise remain hidden.
You don't need to completely overhaul your IT environment before an assessment. Instead, focus on understanding what you have, who has access to it, and how well your existing security controls are working.
Here are five areas every IT manager should check before a cybersecurity assessment.
- Know What's Connected to Your Network
You can't protect what you don't know exists.
Start by reviewing your organization's asset inventory. This should include servers, workstations, laptops, mobile devices, network equipment, cloud resources, and other systems that connect to your environment.
Pay particular attention to:
- Unknown devices
- Old computers that are still connected
- Unmanaged laptops
- Forgotten servers
- Personal devices
- IoT devices
- Network equipment running outdated firmware
An accurate inventory gives your IT team and the cybersecurity assessor a much clearer picture of the environment.
If you discover devices that aren't being managed or monitored, address them before they become an entry point for attackers.
- Review Who Has Access to What
User access is another critical area to examine.
Ask:
Does every employee really need the access they currently have?
Review administrative accounts, remote access, shared accounts, privileged users, and former employee accounts.
Look for:
- Excessive permissions
- Inactive accounts
- Shared credentials
- Unnecessary administrator accounts
- Remote access that is no longer required
- Accounts without multi-factor authentication
The goal is to make sure users have the access required to perform their jobs—and nothing more.
Reducing unnecessary privileges can limit the damage caused if an account is compromised.
- Check Your Patching and Vulnerability Management
Cybersecurity assessments frequently uncover systems that are running outdated software or missing security patches.
Before the assessment, review your patch management process.
Check whether:
- Operating systems are current
- Applications are patched
- Network devices are updated
- Firmware is current
- Critical vulnerabilities are being tracked
- High-risk systems receive priority
Don't assume that because you have automatic updates enabled, everything is fully patched.
Some applications, servers, and network devices may require manual updates or separate management processes.
- Test Your Backups and Security Controls
Many businesses believe they're prepared for ransomware because they have backups. The real question is whether those backups can be successfully restored.
Before your assessment, verify that:
- Backups are running as scheduled
- Backup failures generate alerts
- Critical data is included
- Backups are protected from unauthorized access
- Copies are stored separately from production systems
- Restoration procedures are documented
- Recovery testing has been performed
You should also review other security controls, including firewalls, endpoint protection, MFA, email security, and intrusion detection or monitoring systems.
Security tools are valuable, but only if they're properly configured and actively monitored.
- Make Sure Your Documentation Matches Reality
One of the easiest things to overlook is documentation.
Your policies and procedures should accurately describe how your IT environment actually operates.
For example, if your policy says employees must use MFA but several critical systems don't support or require it, there is a gap between your documented security controls and your actual environment.
Review documentation such as:
- Security policies
- Network diagrams
- Asset inventories
- Access control procedures
- Incident response plans
- Backup procedures
- Disaster recovery plans
- Employee onboarding and offboarding processes
- Security awareness training records
Accurate documentation helps IT managers demonstrate that security isn't just a collection of tools—it's an organized process.
Don't Try to Hide the Problems
One of the biggest mistakes an IT manager can make before a cybersecurity assessment is trying to hide known vulnerabilities.
The purpose of an assessment isn't to prove that your company has perfect security. No organization does.
The goal is to identify risks, understand their potential impact, and determine what should be fixed first.
If you already know about a vulnerability, document it. Then create a remediation plan based on its severity and business impact.
This approach turns assessment findings into an actionable security roadmap.
A Simple Pre-Assessment Checklist
Before your cybersecurity assessment, ask your IT team:
☐ Do we have an accurate inventory of our devices and systems?
☐ Have we reviewed user and administrator access?
☐ Are critical systems patched?
☐ Is MFA enabled where appropriate?
☐ Are backups working and tested?
☐ Are endpoint security tools active?
☐ Have we reviewed firewall and remote access settings?
☐ Are our security policies current?
☐ Do our policies match our actual IT environment?
☐ Do we have an incident response plan?
If you can't confidently answer some of these questions, that's okay. Those gaps are exactly what a cybersecurity assessment can help identify.
Prepare Today. Reduce Risk Tomorrow.
Cybersecurity assessments are most valuable when businesses use the results to make informed security decisions.
For IT managers, preparation isn't about checking every box just before an assessor arrives. It's about understanding your organization's current security posture and being ready to address weaknesses.
Jackson Technologies helps businesses identify vulnerabilities, strengthen security controls, and build a more resilient IT environment.
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