Expert Audit Oversight When You Need It Most
Are your external security consultants adding unnecessary complexity to your compliance journey? Between the technical requirements, endless acronyms, and expanding budgets, it’s challenging to determine what’s truly necessary for your security posture.
Cut Through The Complexity
External auditors often recommend additional testing and reviews that may not serve your organization’s actual needs. At Due Diligence Defenders®, we ensure your security budget is spent on necessary measures, not redundant testing.
Your Qualified Security Partner
Our expertise is built on extensive industry experience since 1991:
- Computer risk management consultant with former Big-6 firm experience
- Formerly CISA and CISSP certified, with current PCI standards training
- Internal IT audit veteran with decades of hands-on experience
- White-hat ethical hacker specializing in vulnerability scanning and basic penetration testing
- Legal expertise: J.D. focused on cybersecurity compliance and regulations at state and federal levels
- Comprehensive knowledge of security frameworks (NIST, ISO 27000, CIS, COBIT)
- Project management methodology assessment expertise
Consider These Actual Client Scenarios:
Real-World Cost Savings
A client was required to perform quarterly vulnerability scanning and penetration testing for PCI compliance on their web application. Our review revealed their third-party hosting provider was already:
- Fully PCI DSS compliant
- Contractually responsible for application PCI DSS compliance
- Maintaining quarterly compliance review documentation
Result: Eliminated redundant testing requirements and reduced unnecessary expenses.
Preventing Scope Creep
During a client’s annual SOX review, external auditors attempted to expand the control scope to applications that:
- Had no interface with financial reporting systems
- Didn’t impact material accounts
- Weren’t connected to financial statement processes
Result: We intervened to maintain appropriate scope boundaries, saving thousands in unnecessary audit expenses.
Protect Your Resources
Let Due Diligence Defenders® serve as your audit oversight team. We help management navigate complex compliance requirements while maintaining reasonable budgets and preventing unnecessary expenses.
Services
Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing
We help you find the holes in your defenses before the bad guys do. Our vulnerability scanning is like a regular health check for your systems, looking for weaknesses that hackers could exploit. We offer external scans, checking your internet-facing systems, and internal scans, examining your network from the inside.
Our penetration testing, sometimes called ethical hacking, takes it a step further. We simulate real-world cyberattacks to put your defenses to the test and check everything that matters:
- Web applications
- Mobile apps and platforms
- Wireless network security
- Employee phishing awareness
Whether you’re concerned about general security or need to meet specific requirements (e.g. PCI DSS), our testing services give a clear picture of your security risks and how to fix them.
Contact us to request a security assessment.
Compliance & IT Audit Services
Staying compliant with industry regulations and passing audits can be a real headache. Our IT audit services and compliance research help you maintain standards across key frameworks:
- NIST
- ISO 27000
- CIS
- COBIT
A gap analysis and assessment show you exactly where your current security setup falls short of the standards and your goals.Then we’ll help you get ready for those external audits with readiness assessments and expert advice.
Our IT audit services give you a clear, independent view of your controls and help you manage risk. Think of us as trusted guides helping navigate through the sometimes confusing world of compliance and IT audits. We’ll help you get there so you can focus on what you do best – running your business.
Contact us to schedule your audit.
Custom Services
Need a security solution tailored just for you? That’s where our custom services come in. Whether you’ve got a specific security challenge keeping you up at night or you need help with something that doesn’t quite fit into our offerings, let’s talk! No cookie-cutter approaches here – just personalized strategies designed to get you the results you need.
Contact us for a consultation.
FAQ
Q: What certifications or qualifications do you hold? [ + ]
A: Passed CIS and CISSP exams, and earned a J.D. specializing in cyber security compliance and regulations
Q: What does your reporting process look like? Will we receive actionable insights and compliance documentation? [ + ]
A: Depending on the service provided, deliverables may include management reports, recommendations, vulnerability scanning/penetration testing results, SOX audit review notes, gap analysis and assessment.
Q: How do you ensure accuracy and minimize false positives in your scan results? [ + ]
A: We use Tenable products (Tenable is an Approved Scanning Vendor) for static scanning Kali tools and Zed Attack Proxy for dynamic scanning and testing as necessary
Q: Can you assist with remediation after vulnerabilities are identified? [ + ]
A: Yes we provide recommendations and work with your IT staff and management to remediate issues and rerun scans as many times as necessary until an acceptable result is achieved.
Q: How do your scans comply with the latest PCI DSS standards, including version 4.0 requirements like authenticated scans? [ + ]
A: Our proprietary methodology adheres to to the standards and guidelines established by the Open Source Foundation for Application Security Project (OWASP) and the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) framework. We follow the Data Security Standard (DSS) 4.0 and security frameworks (e.g., NIST, COBIT, COSO, etc.) and are based on PCI DSS Requirement 11.3 (penetration testing) and PCI DSS Requirement 11.2 (internal/external vulnerability scanning) guidelines.