Why an internal cybersecurity audit is urgent for your SMB
SMBs now represent 43% of targeted cyberattacks, yet fewer than 15% have ever conducted a formal security audit. The common excuse? People assume audits are expensive and require external consultants. That's false. With the right tools and a clear methodology, you can run a solid internal audit without spending a single euro.
At Otomy, we support SMBs across France and Algeria on their IT infrastructure, and an internal audit is always the first step before deploying a SOC/SIEM setup or a full DevSecOps strategy.
Step 1: Map your attack surface
Before any audit, you need to know exactly what you're protecting.
- Asset inventory: servers, workstations, network printers, IoT devices, cloud accounts (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace)
- Access inventory: who has access to what? VPN, RDP, admin rights
- Network mapping: use free tools like Nmap or Angry IP Scanner to scan your local network and detect unauthorized devices
# Basic network scan with Nmap
nmap -sV -O 192.168.1.0/24
This scan reveals active services, outdated software versions, and unnecessarily open ports — often the first entry point for attackers.
Step 2: Audit passwords and authentication
This is the #1 weak point for SMBs. Check for:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all critical accounts (email, cloud, VPN)
- Use of a password manager (Bitwarden's free tier is excellent for teams)
- Default passwords still active on routers, printers, or IP cameras
Recommended free tool: Have I Been Pwned for Business lets you check if emails from your domain have leaked in known data breaches.
Step 3: Check updates and patches
A quick audit of your systems should include:
- Pending Windows Update / security patches
- CMS versions (WordPress, Prestashop) and associated plugins
- Firmware on network equipment (routers, firewalls)
Use OSSEC or Wazuh (open source, free) to centralize endpoint monitoring — a solid foundation before moving to a full SIEM.
Step 4: Test your backup resilience
A cybersecurity audit without a restoration test is worthless. Ask yourself:
- Are your backups isolated from the main network (3-2-1 rule)?
- Have you tested a full restoration in the last 6 months?
- Are your cloud backups (Google Drive, OneDrive) protected against ransomware through versioning?
Step 5: Analyze logs and automate detection
This is where a basic audit becomes a real lightweight SOC/SIEM setup. With no-code tools like n8n, you can:
- Automate log collection from your firewalls and servers
- Create Slack or email alerts for suspicious logins (new IP, brute-force attempts)
- Connect Wazuh to an n8n workflow to automatically triage critical alerts
// Example n8n webhook for security alert
{
"trigger": "failed_login_attempt",
"threshold": 5,
"action": "send_slack_alert",
"channel": "#security-alerts"
}
Step 6: Train your team (the weakest link)
90% of security incidents involve human error. Run a free internal phishing test with GoPhish (open source) to measure your employees' click rate on fake malicious emails.
Final checklist for your free audit
- Complete IT asset inventory
- Network scan with Nmap
- MFA enabled on all critical accounts
- Data breach check (Have I Been Pwned)
- Patches and updates current
- Backup restoration test
- Wazuh deployed for monitoring
- Phishing test with GoPhish
- Alert automation via n8n
What comes after the audit?
A free internal audit typically reveals 10 to 20 critical vulnerabilities in a standard SMB. The next step is prioritizing fixes based on risk, then considering a managed SOC/SIEM solution for continuous 24/7 monitoring.
At Otomy, we help French and Algerian SMBs turn this initial audit into a sustainable cybersecurity strategy, fully integrated with their IT infrastructure and business automation tools.
Want to go further? Contact our team for an in-depth audit and a tailored action plan.