What a free IT audit actually covers
What a proper IT audit checks, what you should receive, and how to use the findings.
By the Telappliant team
A free IT audit sounds like a marketing hook, and used badly it can be, but a properly run audit is a genuinely useful starting point: a structured, no-obligation look at what is actually running in your business, what is exposed, and what needs attention before it becomes a problem.
What a proper IT audit actually covers
- Endpoint inventory: devices, operating system versions, patch status and end-of-support dates
- Security posture: MFA coverage, endpoint protection, email security and exposed accounts
- Backup and recovery: what is backed up, how often, where, and whether restores are ever tested
- Licensing: what you are paying for against what is actually used and needed
- Network and connectivity: firewall configuration, Wi-Fi coverage and internet resilience
- Compliance gaps against Cyber Essentials or your specific regulatory requirements
Why providers offer this for free
A genuine audit takes real time from a qualified engineer, so it is offered free because it demonstrates competence and surfaces issues worth fixing, which naturally leads to a conversation about ongoing support. That is a reasonable commercial arrangement provided the audit itself is thorough and you receive a usable report regardless of whether you go any further.
What you should receive at the end of it
- A written report, not just a verbal summary, that you can share internally or with another provider
- Findings prioritised by risk, not just a long list with no order of urgency
- Specific, actionable recommendations rather than vague statements about 'improving security'
- No pressure to sign anything before you have had time to read and consider the report
Questions to ask before agreeing to one
- Exactly what will be checked, and will it need agent installation or network access on our systems?
- How long will it take, and will it disrupt users or systems while running?
- Who owns the findings and the report afterwards - us, regardless of what we decide next?
- Is there any obligation created by having the audit done?
What to do with the results
Treat the report as a prioritised action list, not a sales document. Tackle anything flagged as high risk, such as unsupported operating systems or missing MFA, regardless of who you choose to fix it with. Use the audit as a baseline to measure progress against at the next review, whenever that happens.
