Platform for facilitating an automated it audit

Abstract

A platform for facilitating an automated IT audit. The platform may have a frontend allowing users to access the platform, a backend configured to perform processing, and a data collection system equipped to interface with connectors. The backend may include at least one server equipped to send, receive, store, and process data; a testing and analyzing system that may make use of algorithms, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in order to test and analyze the collected data against pre-configured best practice standards and policies, and a reporting system that may be configured to transmit the tested and analyzed data to the frontend. The backend system may be configured to opine on the data and generate specific recommendations about future developments of an auditee's IT infrastructure, allowing an audit to be completed automatically from start to finish by the use of the software, eliminating the need for human intervention.

1 . A method for performing an information technology audit on a network environment using an automated platform, wherein the method comprises:
 creating, via a user interface, a connector, said connector comprising a software tool governing integration of data from at least one other software tool or platform into the automated platform, the connector having a connector type, said connector type comprising a specific data type;   defining, via the user interface, a configuration for the connector based on the connector type, and storing the configuration for the connector as a stored connector configuration in the automated platform;   assigning one or more credentials to the connector, and validating, with the automated platform, the credentials;   following a validation of the credentials, retrieving, from the automated platform, the stored configuration, and synchronizing a connector configuration between the connector and the stored connector configuration, wherein synchronizing the connector configuration comprises determining whether a connector version implemented in the connector and a connector version of the stored connector configuration are different, and, when the connector version implemented in the connector and the connector version of the stored connector configuration are different, updating at least one of the connector version implemented in the connector and the connector version of the stored connector configuration to a most current configuration;   collecting, from a data source and via the connector, a set of client data comprising both structured data and unstructured data, wherein structured data is of the specific data type for the connector and unstructured data is not of the specific data type for the connector, said client data comprising one or more technical security features implemented on the network environment, and providing a data output to an application programming interface (API) and services platform based on the set of client data;   identifying, in the set of client data, the unstructured data, wherein identifying the unstructured data comprises matching the structured data to connectors in a plurality of connectors based on one or more identifiers in the structured data, and determining unmatched data to be unstructured;   executing, on the API and services platform, at least one data interpretation step, the at least one data interpretation step comprising passing the data output to at least one skills API, performing, with the at least one skills API, digital interpretation of unstructured data provided in the data output, and aggregating the structured data and interpreted unstructured data into aggregated data;   executing, on a processing platform coupled to the API and service platform, at least one controls evaluation step on the aggregated data, the at least one controls evaluation step comprising determination of an audit control output based on a result of the at least one data interpretation step, and further storing a result on the processing platform;   generating and updating a plurality of dashboards based on the result, a first dashboard being a summary dashboard comprising a plurality of graphical displays, each of the graphical displays corresponding to one or more audit control results, and a second dashboard being a monitoring dashboard comprising at least one currently actionable item identified by the processing platform; and   generating and outputting at least one recommendation to the user for remediation of the at least one actionable item based on at least one comparison of a remediation solution to an alternative solution by the processing platform.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating and outputting the at least one recommendation comprises:
 selecting the remediation solution from a list of available remediation solutions based on constraints provided by the user;   conducting a first test of a network component with the remediation solution simulated as being in place;   conducting a second test of a network component with the alternative solution simulated as being in place, and   comparing a result of the first test and a result of the second test.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the constraints provided by the user comprise a remediation budget, and wherein the method further comprises determining a price of the remediation solution and determining an estimated efficacy of the remediation solution. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises optimizing a plurality of recommended remediation solutions based on the price of each recommended remediation solution in the plurality of recommended remediation solutions and an estimated efficacy of each recommended remediation solution in the plurality of recommended remediation solutions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the constraints provided by the user further comprise a minimum rating, and wherein each remediation solution is associated with a rating score, each rating score comprising at least one rating of one or more other users. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of executing, on a processing platform coupled to the API and service platform, at least one controls evaluation step comprises transmitting data from the API and service platform to the processing platform via a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) representational state transfer (REST) API. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unstructured data comprises at least one of: an image of a password policy or an image of a password creation screen. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a step of providing the data output to the API and services platform based on the set of client data is performed contemporaneously with the step of synchronizing the connector configuration between the connector and the stored configuration, wherein the step of providing the data output to the API and services platform based on the set of client data is initiated during a synchronization process after the synchronization process has synchronized run-time settings. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the steps of collecting, from the data source and via the connector, the set of client data, and providing the data output to the API and services platform based on the set of client data, are performed contemporaneously, whereby a first set of data is output to the API and services platform prior to an end to a step of collecting the set of client data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating and updating the first dashboard further comprises:
 retrieving at least one of an industry standard, a similar-sized company standard, and a similar-complexity company standard; and   generating the plurality of graphical displays based on the at least one of the industry standard, the similar-sized company standard, and the similar-complexity company standard.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating and updating the first dashboard further comprises:
 retrieving at least one of a past data record for the company and a forecast for the company; and   generating the plurality of graphical displays based on the at least one of the past data record and the forecast.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing a data output to an API and services platform based on the set of client data further comprises:
 incorporating the data output into a message buffer; and   with the API and services platform, consuming the message buffer prior to storage of the data output.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, via the user interface, a submission of at least one data file;   determining, based on one or more connectors including the connector, a matching connector in the one or more connectors; and   automatically assigning the matching connector to the at least one data file, and uploading the at least one data file via the matching connector.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
 via the user interface, selecting the connector type, and performing, via the user interface, an edit to the connector type; and   storing the edit to the connector type as the stored configuration in the automated platform prior to the step of creating, via the user interface, the connector having the connector type.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of client data comprises data corresponding to a plurality of client systems;
 wherein the step of executing the at least one controls evaluation step on the aggregated data comprises determining an audit control to be executed, executing the audit control on the data corresponding to each of the plurality of client systems, and obtaining an audit control result for each of the plurality of client systems; and   wherein generating and updating the plurality of dashboards based on the result comprises simultaneously displaying each of the audit control results for each of the plurality of client systems.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises simultaneously executing a plurality of information technology audits, each of the plurality of information technology audits being operated in multi-tenanted form on the automated platform. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining, via a multi-factor authentication step, a right of access of the user and a level of access of the user; and   limiting the set of client data based on the level of access of the user.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of client data further comprises an organizational hierarchy, and wherein the method further comprises:
 identifying, in the set of client data, a user profile;   transmitting, to an administrator of the organizational hierarchy, a unique code associated with the user profile; and   linking the user profile to the organizational hierarchy.   
     
     
         19 . A system for performing elements of an information technology audit on a network environment, the system comprising:
 a plurality of connectors, each connector comprising a software tool governing integration of data from at least one other software tool or platform into the system, each of the connectors configured to retrieve data from a data source and provide a data output;   an automated platform comprising an application programming interface (API) and services platform and a processing platform, the API and services platform configured to receive the data output and connect to the processing platform via a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) representational state transfer (REST) API, and the processing platform configured to execute processing on data provided via the HTTPS REST API; and   a user interface;   wherein the system is configured to perform the steps of:   receiving, via the user interface, an instruction to create a connector having a connector type, said connector type comprising a specific data type, and receiving instructions via the user interface providing a configuration for the connector based on the connector type;   storing the configuration for the connector as a stored connector configuration in the automated platform, and adding the connector to the plurality of connectors;   assigning one or more credentials to the connector via the user interface, and validating, with the automated platform, the one or more credentials;   after a validation of the credentials, retrieving, from the automated platform, the stored connector configuration, and synchronizing a connector configuration between the connector and the stored connector configuration, wherein synchronizing the connector configuration comprises:   determining whether a connector version implemented in the connector and a connector version of the stored connector configuration are different, and, when the connector version implemented in the connector and the connector version of the stored connector configuration are different, updating at least one of the connector version implemented in the connector and the connector version of the stored connector configuration to a most current configuration;   collecting, from the data source and via a connector in the plurality of connectors, a set of client data comprising both structured data and unstructured data, wherein structured data is of the specific data type for the connector and unstructured data is not of the specific data type for the connector, said client data comprising one or more technical security features implemented on the network environment, and providing a data output to the API and services platform based on the set of client data;   identifying, in the set of client data, the unstructured data, wherein identifying the unstructured data comprises matching the structured data to connectors in a plurality of connectors based on one or more identifiers in the structured data, and determining unmatched data to be unstructured;   executing, on the API and services platform, at least one data interpretation step, the at least one data interpretation step comprising passing the data output to at least one skills API, and performing, with the at least one skills API, digital interpretation of unstructured data provided in the data output, and aggregating the structured data and interpreted unstructured data into aggregated data;   executing, on the processing platform, at least one controls evaluation step on the aggregated data, the at least one controls evaluation step comprising determination of an audit control output based on a result of the at least one data interpretation step, and further storing a result on the processing platform;   generating and updating a plurality of dashboards based on the result, a first dashboard being a summary dashboard comprising a plurality of graphical displays, each of the graphical displays corresponding to one or more audit control results, and a second dashboard being a monitoring dashboard comprising at least one currently actionable item identified by the processing platform, and displaying the plurality of dashboards on the user interface; and   generating and outputting at least one recommendation for remediation of the at least one actionable item based on at least one comparison of a remediation solution to an alternative solution by the processing platform, and providing the at least one recommendation to the user interface.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code that, when executed, causes a system comprising a plurality of connectors each configured to retrieve data from a data source and provide a data output, an automated platform comprising an application programming interface (API) and services platform and a processing platform and configured to receive the data output and connect to the processing platform via a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) representational state transfer (REST) API and execute processing on data provided via the HTTPS REST API, and a user interface, to execute the steps of:
 receiving, via the user interface, an instruction to create a connector, said connector comprising a software tool governing integration of data from at least one other software tool or platform into the automated platform, the connector having a connector type, said connector type comprising a specific data type, and receiving instructions via the user interface providing a configuration for the connector based on the connector type;   storing the configuration for the connector as a stored connector configuration in the automated platform, and adding the connector to the plurality of connectors;   assigning one or more credentials to the connector via the user interface, and validating, with the automated platform, the one or more credentials;   after a validation of the credentials, retrieving, from the automated platform, the stored configuration, and synchronizing a connector configuration between the connector and the stored connector configuration, wherein synchronizing the connector configuration comprises: determining whether a connector version implemented in the connector and a connector version of the stored connector configuration are different, and, when the connector version implemented in the connector and the connector version of the stored connector configuration are different, updating at least one of the connector version implemented in the connector and the connector version of the stored connector configuration to a most current configuration;   collecting, from the data source and via a connector in the plurality of connectors, a set of client data, comprising both structured data and unstructured data, wherein structured data is of the specific data type for the connector and unstructured data is not of the specific data type for the connector, said client data comprising one or more technical security features implemented on the network environment, and providing a data output to the API and services platform based on the set of client data;   identifying, in the set of client data, the unstructured data, wherein identifying the unstructured data comprises matching the structured data to connectors in a plurality of connectors based on one or more identifiers in the structured data, and determining unmatched data to be unstructured;   executing, on the API and services platform, at least one data interpretation step, the at least one data interpretation step comprising passing the data output to at least one skills API, performing, with the at least one skills API, digital interpretation of unstructured data provided in the data output, and aggregating the structured data and interpreted unstructured data into aggregated data;   executing, on the processing platform, at least one controls evaluation step on the aggregated data, the at least one controls evaluation step comprising determination of an audit control output based on a result of the at least one data interpretation step, and further storing a result on the processing platform;   generating and updating a plurality of dashboards based on the result, a first dashboard being a summary dashboard comprising a plurality of graphical displays, each of the graphical displays corresponding to one or more audit control results, and a second dashboard being a monitoring dashboard comprising at least one currently actionable item identified by the processing platform, and displaying the plurality of dashboards on the user interface; and   generating and outputting at least one recommendation for remediation of the at least one actionable item based on at least one comparison of a remediation solution to an alternative solution by the processing platform, and providing the at least one recommendation to the user interface.