IT & Security Audit
Two weeks. Fixed fee. A report your partners can read.
An independent audit of your Microsoft 365, security, backups, devices, licences and suppliers, with written findings, a prioritised list and a 12-month roadmap. The paid first step into the Head of IT retainer, or a clear-eyed look before you change provider. No obligation afterwards.
£1,500 for firms up to 30 staff, £2,000 up to 100, fixed in writing before we start. Credited against your first Head of IT month.
What I look at
Nine areas, evidence for each.
Microsoft 365 configuration
Tenant settings, admin roles, licence allocation, what is switched on and what should be.
Identity and MFA
Who can get in, how, from where. Conditional access, legacy authentication, shared and stale accounts.
SharePoint and OneDrive sharing
Who can see what, external links still open, oversharing that Copilot and search will surface.
Email security
SPF, DKIM and DMARC, impersonation protection, inbox-rule alerting: the controls that stop invoice fraud.
Backup and recovery
What is actually backed up, where, for how long, and whether a restore has ever been tested.
Devices and patching
Operating systems still in support, encryption, endpoint protection, how far behind the updates are.
Licence and subscription spend
Every recurring cost with an owner and a renewal date. The waste is usually 10 to 20 percent.
Suppliers and contracts
What the current IT, telecoms and software agreements commit you to, and when they roll over.
Cyber Essentials and insurance readiness
Where you would pass and fail today, and the gaps an insurer's questionnaire will find.
What you get
Four things, in two weeks.
Fixed fee, published
£1,500 for firms up to 30 staff, £2,000 up to 100, excluding VAT and fixed in writing before we start. Larger or multi-site firms are quoted. Credited in full against your first month if you take the Fractional Head of IT retainer.
Questions? Call 0333 358 0114.
- 01
A partner-ready report
Written for the people who run the firm, not for an IT department. Findings, evidence, and what each one means for the business.
- 02
A prioritised list
What to fix this month, this quarter and this year, with rough costs, so the decisions are easy to make.
- 03
A 12-month roadmap draft
The starting point for the Head of IT retainer, or for your current supplier to deliver against.
- 04
A 60-minute walkthrough
With the partners or directors, in the room or on Teams. Questions answered in plain English.
FAQ
Before you book.
How long does the audit take?
Two weeks from the first conversation to the walkthrough. Most of the work is read-only access to Microsoft 365, a look at devices and contracts, and two or three short conversations with the people who use the systems.
What does it cost?
A fixed fee: £1,500 for firms up to 30 staff and £2,000 up to 100, excluding VAT, confirmed in writing before we start. Larger or multi-site firms are quoted. If you go on to the Fractional Head of IT retainer, the fee is credited against your first month.
Will it disrupt the business?
No. It needs read-only access, a short interview or two, and a copy of your current agreements. Nothing is changed during the audit unless you ask me to fix something urgent I find.
Is this a critique of our current IT provider?
It is an audit of your setup, commissioned by you. Some findings will inevitably touch on what your current provider has done or not done. I report what I find, in plain terms and with evidence, and you decide what to do with it. Plenty of audits end with the current provider staying and a clearer brief.
Is it a penetration test?
No. A penetration test tries to break in from outside and is a separate, more expensive exercise. This audit looks at configuration, controls, spend and risk across the whole estate. It will tell you whether a penetration test is worth commissioning.
Are you obliged to buy anything afterwards?
No. You get the report and the roadmap whatever you decide. If the answer is to change nothing, you have a written baseline for the next time the question comes up.
Book the audit
Know where your IT stands, in writing, in two weeks.
Send a few details about the firm and I'll confirm the fee and a start date within one business day.
// or talk to me directly
0333 358 0114
hello@initiateit.co.uk