IT Infrastructure Audit: Process, Checklist, and Best Practices

An IT infrastructure audit is the process of reviewing an organization’s hardware, software, networks, and policies to ensure they are secure, compliant, and reliable.

Understanding this topic is critical because compliance is directly tied to business transformation. In fact, PwC’s Global Compliance Survey 2025 found that 71% of organizations expect their digital transformation initiatives to require compliance support.

In this blogpost we’ll cover what an IT infrastructure audit is and how to perform one in your organization. Let’s get started.

IT Infrastructure: Types, Components, and Management Tips

What is an IT infrastructure audit?

An IT infrastructure audit is a structured assessment of the technology foundation that supports an organization. It typically reviews four key areas:

Hardware – servers, storage devices, endpoints, and network equipment.
Software – operating systems, databases, middleware, and infrastructure applications.
Policies and processes – governance, access controls, backup and recovery procedures, and change management practices.
Security measures – configurations, monitoring systems, and compliance with regulatory standards.

The goal is to verify that these elements are secure, compliant, and efficient, ensuring they support business objectives without unnecessary risk.

The result is usually an IT infrastructure audit report that identifies vulnerabilities, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement, providing organizations with a clear roadmap to strengthen resilience and optimize performance.

Why do you need to perform an audit of the IT infrastructure?

The primary reason is risk reduction. IT infrastructure audits uncover vulnerabilities (such as outdated systems, weak security controls, or compliance gaps) that could expose the organization to breaches, downtime, or regulatory penalties.

By identifying these issues early, businesses can protect their operations and ensure long-term stability.

5 benefits of IT infrastructure audits

Improved security — detect and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Regulatory compliance — ensure alignment with industry standards and legal requirements.
Operational efficiency — identify underutilized or outdated resources to optimize performance.
Cost savings — reduce unnecessary spend on maintenance, licenses, or overlapping technologies.
Audit readiness — maintain clear documentation and evidence trails, making it easier to pass vendor or third-party audits without stress.
Business continuity — verify backup and recovery processes to minimize downtime during incidents.

How to audit the IT infrastructure: the IT infrastructure audit process

An IT audit of infrastructure isn’t something you can improvise—it follows a structured process that ensures no critical element is overlooked. Each stage has a clear purpose, from setting the scope to delivering an actionable report. Here’s how the process usually unfolds:

#1: Define scope and objectives

The first step in any IT audit is clarifying what will be reviewed. This means deciding whether the audit covers hardware, software, networks, cloud environments, or policies—and aligning the objectives with business goals like security, compliance, or cost optimization.

#2: Prepare the baseline and evidence plan

Auditors then collect existing documentation such as architecture diagrams, security policies, and previous reports. Establishing this baseline provides a reference point and helps identify gaps before the audit begins.

#3: Discover and inventory assets

An accurate inventory is essential. Automated tools and CMDBs are used to map servers, devices, applications, and data flows. This step often exposes unsupported technology or shadow IT that could create risks.

#4: Assess controls and configurations

This stage focuses on security and compliance. Auditors evaluate identity and access management, patching processes, encryption, network segmentation, and backup and recovery procedures to verify they meet required standards.

#5: Test and validate

Vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and recovery simulations are performed to measure resilience. This phase also checks software licensing and usage to confirm that infrastructure resources are used properly and legally.

#6: Analyze and prioritize findings

Results are ranked based on risk and potential business impact. By separating quick fixes from long-term improvements, this stage gives organizations a clear picture of where to focus first.

#7: Report and remediation planning

The outcome is an IT infrastructure audit report that summarizes the findings, details recommendations, and assigns ownership for remediation. This report acts as a roadmap for strengthening the environment.

#8: Follow-up and continuous improvement

Finally, audits include tracking remediation, retesting fixes, and feeding lessons into future processes. This ensures that IT infrastructure audits become part of a cycle of continuous governance and improvement, not just a one-off review.

IT infrastructure audit checklist

#1: Define scope and objectives

Identify the infrastructure categories to be reviewed (hardware, software, networks, cloud, policies).
Set clear goals for the audit (security, compliance, cost optimization, performance).
Establish audit roles, responsibilities, and timelines.

#2: Prepare the baseline and evidence plan

Gather architecture diagrams, asset inventories, and security policies.
Review past audit reports and compliance documentation.
Define evidence requirements and audit criteria.

#3: Discover and inventory assets

Run automated discovery tools to map hardware, software, and cloud resources.
Reconcile discovered assets against the CMDB or asset register.
Flag unsupported, end-of-life, or shadow IT components.

#4: Assess controls and configurations

Review identity and access management practices (MFA, least privilege, admin controls).
Check patch management processes and system update status.
Verify encryption, firewalls, and network segmentation.
Evaluate backup, recovery, and change management procedures.

#5: Test and validate

Perform vulnerability scans and, if relevant, penetration testing.
Test backup and disaster recovery processes.
Confirm licensing compliance and proper software usage.
Validate findings with stakeholder interviews.

#6: Analyze and prioritize findings

Rank issues based on risk likelihood and business impact.
Identify quick wins versus long-term remediation needs.
Highlight systemic or process-related weaknesses.

#7: Report and remediation planning

Document all findings in an IT infrastructure audit report.
Provide prioritized recommendations with clear ownership.
Build a remediation roadmap with deadlines and success criteria.

#8: Follow-up and continuous improvement

Track remediation activities until closure.
Retest systems to verify fixes.
Update policies, baselines, and automation based on lessons learned.
Schedule the next IT infrastructure audit as part of a recurring program.

Using InvGate as your IT infrastructure audit software

InvGate Asset Management: 5-minutes Demo

Carrying out an IT infrastructure audit doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With InvGate Asset Management (and its integration with InvGate Service Management) organizations can automate key tasks, centralize information, and reduce human error, making audits faster, more accurate, and far less stressful.

How InvGate Asset Management supports infrastructure audits

Centralized inventory — Maintain an up-to-date view of all hardware, software, and cloud assets in one place.
Automated policy enforcement — Apply compliance rules across your IT environment with Smart Tags, health rules, and the Authorization policies module to continuously detect and block unauthorized applications.
Notifications and alerts — Get real-time alerts when devices or applications fall out of compliance, ensuring quick corrective action.
Shadow IT detection and control — Identify unapproved software, automatically uninstall it through the Software deployment module, and prevent future unauthorized installations.
Audit trails and activity logs — Track every change or action taken on an asset, ensuring complete visibility for auditors and stakeholders.
Automated reporting — Generate or schedule recurring IT infrastructure audit reports with accurate, real-time data.
Custom dashboards — Monitor compliance status and security posture at a glance, and provide auditors with clear evidence during reviews.

Ready to simplify IT infrastructure audits? Start your 30-day free trial of InvGate Asset Management and see how easy compliance and visibility can be.

5 best practices for auditing IT infrastructure

#1: Define clear objectives before you start

Don’t audit for the sake of auditing. Establish what you want to achieve — compliance, security hardening, cost optimization, or all three. Clear goals keep the process of any internal IT audit focused and measurable.

#2: Maintain a complete and accurate inventory

Audits are only as good as the data behind them. Keep your hardware, software, and cloud asset inventory continuously updated so you can detect gaps, shadow IT, or outdated systems right away.

#3: Use audit and IT Asset Management software

Manual audits are error-prone and time-consuming. Audit software or IT Asset Management software, like InvGate Asset Management automate discovery, enforce policies, and generate audit-ready reports, helping you stay compliant and be prepared for vendor or regulatory reviews.

#4: Involve key stakeholders across IT and compliance

Auditing IT infrastructure isn’t just an IT task — it involves compliance officers, security teams, and even business leaders. Engaging multiple stakeholders ensures the audit covers technical, regulatory, and strategic priorities.

#5: Treat audits as an ongoing process, not a one-off

The real value comes from continuous improvement. Use each audit to update standards, strengthen automation, and feed lessons learned into your governance framework. Regular reviews keep your IT environment resilient and compliant over time.