Why Security Audits Matter More Than Ever in 2025

In the world of software development, creating error-free software of any real complexity is nearly impossible. Among those inevitable bugs, some will lead to security vulnerabilities. This means that, by default, all software carries inherent security risks. So, the critical question is: How do we reduce these vulnerabilities?

Nobody wants bugs in their software, let alone security flaws that could lead to breaches or failures. By examining the software development lifecycle, we see that security vulnerabilities often originate during the coding phase – a phase notorious for introducing errors. Unfortunately, this is also the stage where these vulnerabilities often remain undetected.

It’s only in subsequent stages, such as unit testing, functional testing, system testing, and release preparation, that these vulnerabilities start to surface. Ideally, by the time a product reaches real-world use, the remaining issues should be minimal. However, here’s the critical insight: the cost of fixing a vulnerability grows exponentially the later it is found.

Fixing a bug during the coding phase might cost you 1x. By the time that same bug makes it to the field, it could cost up to 640x to address. This exponential cost difference underscores the business case for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities as early as possible in the development cycle.

This article highlights why investing in robust early detection and prevention mechanisms not only saves costs but also safeguards a company’s reputation, customer trust, and operational efficiency. It all starts with security audits.

Why security audits are crucial for businesses large and small

Security audit and governance services can help organizations of all sizes and industries protect their sensitive data and systems – whether it’s a small startup, mid-sized company, or large enterprise. This should be a top priority for management – in 2024, 48% of organizations identified evidence of a successful breach within their environment. Organizations operating in highly regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and government can leverage tailored audits to meet their specific security and compliance needs.

Security audits are crucial in identifying vulnerabilities, assessing risks and ensuring compliance with regulations. Frequent audits can help businesses strengthen their security measures, detect potential threats and prevent breaches, which helps protect sensitive data and maintain trust with clients and stakeholders.

By conducting regular security audits, an organization can better protect its assets and demonstrate its commitment to security. A comprehensive audit can help identify areas of non-compliance, provide recommendations for safeguarding sensitive data and improve overall security positions. Moreover, security audits can help build trust with stakeholders and demonstrate an organization’s commitment to security – ensuring that customers, partners and investors feel safe working with an organization. That’s probably why 91% of leadership-level executives and IT/security professionals view cybersecurity as a core strategic asset within their organization.

Not conducting proper security audits exposes a company to data breaches, compliance violations, intellectual property loss, operational disruptions, brand damage, and financial losses. By investing in regular security audits, you can proactively identify security weaknesses and take necessary measures to bolster your defenses.

Data breach numbers: 

$1.42 million USD – average cost to business disruption 

$5.13 million USD – average cost of a ransomware attack 

$1.49 million USD – average cost of post-breach response 

$2.66 million USD – average savings achieved through incident response plan 

It is important to note that security threats are constantly evolving, and regular audits can help you stay ahead of the curve. Failing to conduct security audits can leave your company exposed to threats and result in significant financial and reputational losses. Take for example the Equifax data breach settlement. A data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people resulted in the company being forced to pay $425 million USD. 

What scope should security audits cover?

The duration of an IT security audit can vary based on factors such as the size and complexity of an organization’s IT infrastructure, the scope of the audit, the assessment’s thoroughness and the auditors’ qualifications. Typically, a comprehensive IT security audit of a medium-sized organization may take several weeks to months to complete, but it may differ due to additional circumstances. Smaller security audits targeting specific areas can be completed quickly, while more comprehensive audits may take months.

The frequency of security audits should be tailored to your organization’s unique risk profile and operational requirements. You must assess your organization’s security needs and adjust an audit schedule accordingly. Regular assessment and adjustment of audit schedules based on changing circumstances ensures that your security program remains effective and adaptive to evolving risks. Furthermore, it’s essential to maintain a consistent level of scrutiny throughout the year. Failure to do so can result in gaps in security coverage that leave your organization vulnerable to cyberattacks, data breaches, and other security threats.

Cybersecurity data worth keeping in mind

• 86% of security professionals say they will shift budgets to prioritize meeting compliance regulations over security best practices.
• 83% of risk and compliance professionals said that keeping their organization compliant with all relevant laws, policies, and regulations was a very important or absolutely essential consideration in its decision-making processes.
• 40% of surveyed business and risk leaders said their organization has improved its approach to risk to achieve more robust compliance with regulatory standards in the last 12 months. When looking only at leaders from the top performing 5% of organizations, this number jumped to 81%.

Types of security audits

Security assessments

Identify and assess potential security risks and threats. Test the resilience of security controls against various attack scenarios and receive a comprehensive view of the overall security posture. Benefit from accepting a robust security strategy and mitigating potential risks that might directly threaten your company.

Application security

Build and maintain secure software applications to protect against various security threats and vulnerabilities your company might face. Adhere to best practices such as secure coding, input validation, data encryption, session, safe storage of secrets, and patch management. Leverage the requirements of the application security lifecycle to deliver a robust and safe platform. These measures can have a significant impact as 55% of security professionals report their security team mostly discovers security vulnerabilities after code was merged into a test environment. This is better than discovering these vulnerabilities in production environments after commercialization (when software has gone live).

Penetration testing

Get actionable insights into your organization’s security posture and strengthen its defenses against cyber threats. Assess your resistance to attacks with penetration tests, learn what is not working correctly and eliminate critical errors. Integrate methodologies like the Open Source Foundation for Application Security (OWASP), Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) and NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to deliver safer products.

Source code audit

Build secure, high-quality software with the help of a comprehensive source code audit. Identify security vulnerabilities to provide robust protection against potential breaches. Ensure code quality and enhance its performance by detecting bugs, errors, and inefficiencies. Comply with applicable regulations to mitigate legal and regulatory risks.

What steps are involved in a security audit?

• Initial meeting: Our team learns your system’s fundamentals, identifies necessary experts from our side and yours and works with your personnel to define scope and audit goals. A focus on clarity and alignment means we can plan next steps to ensure an effective audit process. The AS-IS status of the documentation, meta configuration and the possible need for reverse engineering are also determined.
• Workshops: Workshops enable our team to learn about your system’s basics, conduct a functional review of the system and obtain technical details. These sessions are structured to deepen mutual understanding and ensure that all participants are well-versed in the system’s functionalities and technical specifications.
• Investigation phase: This repetitive and thorough phase incorporates technical verifications by experts in each specific audit area. The described phase also includes business validations and proactive consultations with your experts to ensure all aspects of the system are analyzed and aligned with business objectives.
• Recommendations phase: The iterative recommendations phase involves discussions, verification, and prototyping of suggested improvements. An emphasis on collaboration and consultation with your experts ensures proposed enhancements are feasible, aligned with business goals, and effectively address identified issues.
• Closing: This last phase culminates in a presentation of an audit document that details our findings and recommendations. Our team can also provide estimates for implementing these recommendations and outline follow-up tasks to ensure continuous improvement and compliance with audit outcomes.

What should security audit documents include?

• An overview of current system design and states – A list of audited elements, together with an assessment, presents a clear snapshot of status and functionalities.
• Investigation results – A detailed list of the problems identified during an audit, an analysis of their impact on a system and a proposed mitigation plan that enables stakeholders to understand the issues and the necessary steps to address them.
• Roadmap – A list of recommended improvements along with their dependencies, that guides strategic planning and prioritizes transformation initiatives.
• Project plan – A breakdown of tasks with high-level estimates to support resource and budget allocation that facilitates smooth execution.

Cybersecurity challenges in 2025

The World Economic Forum’s report titled Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 outlines the challenges businesses will encounter in the evolving digital landscape. Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, states, “Cyberspace is more complex and challenging than ever due to rapid technological advancements, the growing sophistication of cybercriminals, and deeply interconnected supply chains.” Security audits are one of the most crucial aspects to ensure companies can navigate those treacherous waters.

If you are interested in eliminating cyber threats, preventing breaches and securing your business, use this contact form to get in touch with one of our security experts.