Most IT pros are one misconfiguration away from a breach. Here's what to audit first.
After 8 years managing enterprise IT infrastructure across the UAE, I've seen the same pattern repeat itself — it's never the exotic zero-day that brings a company down. It's the basics nobody checked.
Here are the 5 things I audit first on any new engagement:
1. Privileged account sprawl
Most companies have 3-5x more admin accounts than they need. Audit every account with elevated privileges — domain admins, local admins, service accounts. If they don't need it, revoke it.
2. Patch lag on internet-facing assets
A firewall that hasn't been patched in 90 days is not a firewall. It's a liability. Set up automated patching and track it.
3. Backup integrity (not just existence)
Everyone says they have backups. Almost nobody tests restores. Run a full restore drill quarterly, or your backups are theoretical.
4. Lateral movement paths
If an attacker compromises one endpoint, how far can they go? Microsegmentation and proper VLAN design stop attackers from moving freely through your network.
5. Cloud misconfiguration
S3 buckets with public read access, IAM roles with wildcard permissions, security groups wide open — cloud misconfigs are responsible for more breaches than malware.
I built Ajmal IT Academy to teach exactly this kind of practical, enterprise-grade IT security — not textbook theory. If you're a sysadmin or looking to break into cybersecurity from the Middle East, come check it out.