Network Audit Manual vs Automated

If you are maintaining a network system, you know the importance of conducting regular audits. The process of network auditing involves evaluating the network's performance, identifying areas of improvement, and optimizing the performance of the system. There are primarily two ways to conduct network audits. One is the manual auditing process, and the other is the automated auditing process. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Let us compare manual audits and automated audits to determine which is the best.

Manual Network Audit

Manual Network Auditing involves manually examining each network device by its operation and performance. It is a time-consuming process and requires a considerable amount of resources. It involves physically inspecting the network to evaluate its security and efficiency manually. The results of manual audits are not always accurate as they depend on the skills and knowledge of the auditor. This may not be consistent if different individuals carry out the audit.

The advantage of manual auditing is that it is cost-effective, and the auditor has the ability to identify potential security threats if he/she is trained and experienced. The auditor can identify problematic areas and opportunities for optimization in the network system manually.

Automated Network Audit

Automated network audits are conducted using software systems that scan the network devices and identify any security issues or vulnerabilities. The system uses algorithms that are programmed to audit the network's performance and identify any errors or areas that require improvement. It is a faster and more efficient method than manual auditing.

Automated audits provide comprehensive reports that are more accurate and detailed than those generated by manual auditing. The auditor can complete the audit in a shorter time span with more accuracy and consistency than manual auditing. The software also provides audit reports regularly, which helps in keeping the network system up-to-date in terms of security and efficiency.

Comparison

If we compare the manual auditing and automated auditing process, we can see that automated auditing provides more advantages over manual auditing. Automated auditing is significantly faster, more efficient, and is more accurate. An automated system eliminates the possibility of human error, which makes it the preferred method in auditing.

On the other hand, manual auditing requires a lot of resources, a longer time frame, and expertise in various aspects of network technology. The advantage of manual auditing is that it can provide more nuanced and detailed analysis on some aspects of a network, and it may help to identify security threats that automated auditing tools cannot. Therefore, the two methods can complement each other within a more comprehensive auditing strategy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both manual and automated network audits have their own strengths and weaknesses. Manual auditing is cost-efficient and can identify potential security threats, but can be time-consuming and may include human error. Automated auditing is faster, more efficient, and more accurate but can be expensive, and unable to fully capture the nuances of manual auditing. It is, therefore, best to use a combined approach that integrates both manual auditing and automated auditing, depending on the nature of the network.

References:

• Tiberi, L., et al. "Network Monitoring and Audit Techniques in Cybersecurity." 2019 International Conference on Cyber Situational Awareness, Data Analytics And Assessment (CyberSA). IEEE, 2019.
• Madureira, G., et al. "Performance evaluation of automated network auditing processes." International Journal of Information Security, vol. 18, no. 5, 2019, pp. 589-605.