Is this the same as a penetration test?
No. A security audit reviews controls, processes and evidence; a penetration test actively exploits technical weaknesses. Most clients run both.
Extended FAQs
Extended FAQs — Security Audit
Extended answers to the questions buyers, boards and procurement teams ask before commissioning Security Audit.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Certified
- ISO/IEC 27701 Certified
- ISO 9001 Certified
Delivered by an ISO/IEC 27001, 27701 & 9001 certified organisation
How long does a security audit take?
Typically 4 to 8 weeks: 1 week scoping, 2 to 4 weeks fieldwork, 1 to 2 weeks reporting, with re-test on demand.
Which baseline should we audit against?
Choose the framework your stakeholders care about — ISO 27001 Annex A for certification audiences, NIST CSF 2.0 for board / US buyers, CIS Controls for technical baselining, CBUAE / SAMA / NCA ECC for regulator submissions.
Are your auditors independent?
Yes — auditors are ring-fenced from implementation engagements with the same client to preserve independence. Where we have implemented, a separate firm performs the certification audit.
Will the report be acceptable to our customers?
Yes — our reports are accepted by enterprise procurement, insurers and regulators. We provide an executive summary that can be shared under NDA.
Can you audit our cloud environment?
Yes — AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI configuration audits aligned to CIS Benchmarks and the CSA CCM are part of our standard offering.
Do you provide a remediation team?
Optional. Many clients prefer their own team to remediate with our methodology guidance; others retain us for fixed-fee remediation.
How experienced is the team that will actually deliver Security Audit?
Every engagement is led by a partner or principal with at least 12 years in audit & assurance and supported by certified consultants (CISA, CISM, CISSP, CIPP/E, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, ISO 42001 Lead Implementer, OSCP, CREST). You meet the actual delivery team before contracts are signed.
How do you handle confidentiality and data residency?
All client data stays within the regions you authorise. NDAs are signed before scoping calls, and we offer fully on-premise delivery for sensitive engagements. For UAE and KSA clients, evidence remains in-country by default.
Can MAST work alongside our existing Big 4 auditor?
Yes. We routinely collaborate with EY, Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, BDO and Grant Thornton as your implementation partner while they retain audit independence. Roles are agreed upfront in writing to preserve auditor independence rules.
Do you offer multi-year continuous compliance?
Yes — our Managed Compliance Service operates the programme on a monthly subscription, covering control monitoring, evidence collection, internal audit and recertification across every framework in scope.
How is success measured?
Success criteria are agreed in the engagement charter — typically a passed certification or regulator submission, an audit-ready evidence repository, trained control owners and a 12-month continuous-improvement plan.