IT audits need to be absolutely thorough. The following checklist will help you get through every area you need to check during your IT audits:
1. You need to check PHYSICAL SECURITY during your IT audits and make sure controls are in place physically that keep servers, networking and telecommunications hardware safe and prevent unauthorized access.
2. A LOGICAL SECURITY investigation will check software security to make sure viruses and unauthorized access to important data is prevented.
3. Your IT audit should involve looking at LOGISTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS to ensure that all the hardware is kept in facilities that will offer the best environmental conditions. The temperature, dust level, furniture, racks and physical structures used to support this equipment should be the best it can be.
4. During an audit you should check CONFIGURATION. Systems should be installed and configured in a way that aligns with all the necessary requirements and standards.
5. A check of SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES will help guarantee that security and systems administrative procedures are clearly outlined for staff and assigned to specific individuals.
6. You should look into HARDWARE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT of the client’s company. Hardware should all be inventoried, and all appropriate documentation including warranties and maintenance records should be organized and available.
7. SOFTWARE LICENSING should be in place for the company. During the IT audit you should make sure the client is in compliance will all agreements and has access to them.
8. DATA BACKUP AND DISASTER RECOVERY procedures should be in place for the company under optimal conditions. The client should be maintaining and testing data backup systems on a regular basis to ensure nothing is lost in an emergency.
9. Part of your IT audit should be devoted to checking DOCUMENTATION to ensure that all systems, procedures and policies are being regularly documented and updated. Logs of these systems should be kept by the client.
10. PERFORMANCE AND CAPACITY PLANNING will make sure that all systems are performing at their optimal and required levels in regards specifically to the following factors: uptime; systems availability; data storage availability; bandwidth; and archives of older data files.
11. Part of your job during an IT audit is to check how the client CHANGES MANAGEMENT. All changes to systems hardware or software should be logged, tested and verified before they are implemented and plans should be in place in case they have to be reversed.
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Tags: It audit, IT Audits
It is both good planning and considerate to provide auditors with a guide for their criticism. It would be quite difficult for them to note everything which needs attention without some reminder of what to look for. A critique is worthless unless it is clinical and objective. At this stage, a trainer is looking for what is wrong with their presentation more than for what is right. The critics must be merciless. (Better them than the audience.)
Criticism should center upon both the subject matter and the main guidelines of good presenting. Ideally, the critics should read this article as a foundation for their criticism, but if they have not done so, the following guidelines are designed to give directions to the auditors in what to look for. 1. Attitude: There is appropriate enthusiasm and sincerity, without appearing egocentric. 2. Content: The information is valid and accurate. 3. Structure: There is clear evidence of a unified, central structure which is easy to follow. 4. Introduction: The introduction is attention-getting and says what the presentation contains. 5. Conclusion: The conclusion ties the information together. 6. Audience Awareness: They understand and empathize with the audience. 7. Supportive Materials: Visuals are clear and easy to see and comprehend. 8. Delivery: Language, diction, and pronunciation are cultured and appropriate.
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CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Tags: auditor, auditor criticism, criticism, critics, Guidelines for criticism, rehearsal criticismTHIS WILL SURPRISE YOU (especially if you know me) You can be a lousy public speaker and still be great on the speaking platform. By lousy, I mean that technically you do everything wrong. You look terrible. Your grammar and diction stink and you might have dandruff.
Do not think for a moment that I want you to be these terrible things. In fact, I sell videos teaching you NOT to be pitiful technically when you present. What I want you to see is the bigger picture. If you give really great information that is targeted to the needs of the audience, and you do the things that build rapport, you can still hit a home run.
Again, do not think I am not giving you an excuse to forget about getting better technically as a public speaker. I am just saying that if your information is lousy it does not make much difference how smooth you are at your public speaking engagements. Yes, there are some people that slide by because they are entertaining, but substance and helping people come first.
When planning your public speaking engagement think about giving the audience immediately usable information. Yes, they may need a long term plan, but if you give people something usable and and action plan that they can get excited about you will have done half your job.
Half my job? … Yes, the other half is to build rapport with the attendees. This does not necessarily mean that they like you. This means you have done what is necessary to make sure they trust in what you have to say and they feel you care about them.
Public Speaking Rapport
I told you above that it was OK to stink up the stage by being a lousy presenter. Again, I must remind you that I am not encouraging this. I want you to get better technically, so that your message has a better chance of getting through. The big picture is that you must build rapport with an audience for them to get the message.
My definition of rapport is that the audience members trust you and that they feel you care about them. Here are some ways to build that trust and caring atmosphere:
Trust
* Know what you are talking about and admit it when you don’t. BS will not cut it with the sophisticated audiences of today.
* Have some credentials. Do something, write something, record something, help someone. i.e., do something more than talk.
* Do everything you say you are going to do before the program, and do it in a helpful and timely manner. The meeting organizer in most cases will tell the group, or let it be known that you walk your talk. Even if he or she does not, you will feel great about the way you handle things and it will show.
Rapport
* Phone interview a cross section of audience members prior to your speaking engagement. I cannot tell you how wonderfully this has worked for me over the years. People cannot wait to meet you and they tell others about the call. This really screams, ‘I care about you!’
* Make yourself accessible. As long as you are good on the platform, meeting planners love it when you come early and stay late … NOTE: If you bomb get out quick hahahaha
* Offer free follow up for the audience members via email or fax. If you are too busy to actually answer personally, have an assistant follow up. Do not brush this suggestion off too lightly. This is one of the main methods to deeply penetrate an organization. The people that do follow up for you are ‘angels’ in the company. They will tell you of other events or problems where you might be able to help.
So, you can be ‘lousy’ if you want to, but make sure the audience trusts you and build rapport and you will have a much better chance that your message gets through.
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Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book “Wake ‘em Up Business Presentations” and “Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing.” It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his clients’ needs. http://www.antion.com
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