Blog Details

Let’s start with a simple question.

You passed your last IT audit.
All boxes ticked.
Firewall? Installed.
Antivirus? Running.
Backups? Configured.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Are you actually secure — or just compliant?

Because in today’s threat landscape, there’s a big difference.
Most organizations don’t get breached because they ignored security.
They get breached because they assumed compliance meant protection.
Let’s talk about what audits often miss.

Audit Passed. Risk Still Present.

Traditional IT audits focus on documentation and policy validation. They check whether controls exist. They rarely test whether those controls are effective in real-world attack scenarios.

An audit may confirm:

• A firewall is installed
• Antivirus software is deployed
• Password policies exist
• Backups are configured

What it usually doesn’t confirm is:

• Whether firewall rules are overly permissive
• Whether endpoints are patched against the latest exploits
• Whether suspicious traffic is being actively monitored
• Whether your cloud access policies are properly hardened

That gap is where attackers operate.

Blind Spot #1: Endpoint Security Beyond Antivirus

Most audits check for antivirus presence.
But modern threats don’t rely only on basic malware anymore. Ransomware, credential theft, fileless attacks — these bypass traditional tools easily.
Security researchers, including insights shared by Kaspersky, consistently highlight that relying on outdated protection models is one of the most common cybersecurity mistakes

Today, endpoints need:

• Behaviour-based detection
• EDR or XDR capabilities
• Ransomware rollback
• Device control policies

Enterprise-grade solutions like Sophos endpoint security provide AI-powered detection and managed threat response.

But even the best tool fails if it’s not configured, monitored, and updated continuously.
The real question is not “Do you have antivirus?”
It’s “Can you detect abnormal behaviour instantly?”

Blind Spot #2: Firewall Installed, But Not Optimised

A firewall is important.
But it is not a complete security strategy.

Industry analysis from Network Computing points out that basic network security mistakes, including poor firewall configurations, remain widespread in enterprise environments.

We frequently see:

• Open ports that nobody remembers configuring
• Flat networks without segmentation
• VPN access without strong authentication
• Intrusion prevention features disabled

Modern next-generation firewalls like those from Fortinet provide deep packet inspection, application control, and advanced threat protection.

But features alone don’t protect you.

Policies must be reviewed.
Firmware must be updated.
Traffic must be monitored.
Security is not install-and-forget.

Blind Spot #3: Network Devices No One Reviews

Switches and access points rarely get attention in audit conversations. Yet internal misconfigurations are often the reason attackers move laterally inside networks.

According to analysis from Solutions Review, internal network security mistakes can have devastating consequences when left unchecked.
Common issues include:

• Default credentials not changed
• Outdated firmware
• No VLAN segmentation
• No role-based access policies

Even enterprise networking hardware, such as managed switches from D-Link, requires proper hardening and configuration.

If your internal network is flat, once an attacker gains access, movement becomes easy.
Segmentation is no longer optional.

Blind Spot #4: Cloud Security Assumptions

Cloud adoption is growing rapidly, but assumptions around security remain risky.
Cloud providers secure infrastructure.
You secure configuration, identities, and access.
Misconfigured storage buckets, weak IAM policies, and exposed APIs are now common breach entry points.
If your audit only confirms that “cloud security is enabled,” without evaluating configuration posture, that is a serious gap.

Blind Spot #5: No Continuous Monitoring

Here’s the uncomfortable reality.
Many organisations do not have:

• 24/7 log monitoring
• Real-time threat correlation
• Active incident response readiness
• Automated alert escalation

Reports confirm that controls exist.
They do not confirm that someone is watching.
Without continuous monitoring, threats can remain undetected for weeks.
That is not a technology failure.
It is a visibility failure.

Compliance Is Not the Same as Resilience

For government departments, healthcare institutions, banks, and enterprises, a breach is more than technical.
It disrupts operations.
It damages reputation.
It impacts public trust.
Instead of asking, “Did we pass the audit?”
Ask:

• How quickly can we detect a breach?
• How quickly can we isolate compromised systems?
• Have we tested our incident response plan?
• Can we recover within hours — not days?

That is resilience.

What a Real Security Assessment Should Include

A meaningful IT security assessment must evaluate:

• Endpoint protection maturity
• Firewall rule hygiene
• Internal segmentation
• Cloud configuration posture
• Vulnerability exposure
• Backup integrity
• Incident response readiness

At Mentor Infocomm, we approach security from an attacker’s perspective — not just an auditor’s.
We combine enterprise solutions from partners like Sophos and Fortinet with architecture design, policy validation, and managed monitoring.
Because security must be:
Preventive. Detective. Responsive.
All three.

So… How Secure Is Your Network, Really?

If your confidence depends entirely on the last audit report, it may be time for a deeper review.
Cyber threats evolve daily.
Attack methods improve constantly.
Waiting for the next annual audit is not a strategy.

Let’s Evaluate It Properly

If you want a clear picture of your real security posture — not just compliance status — Mentor Infocomm can help.
We conduct structured IT security assessments for:

Enterprises

Government departments

Healthcare organizations

Financial institutions

We identify gaps before attackers do.

Because the real question is not:

“Did we pass?”

It’s:

“Are we protected?”

Let’s find out.