What Is a Security Audit?
A security audit provides a structured, independent evaluation of your organisation’s security measures, policies and physical infrastructure. The process involves reviewing existing documentation and procedures, inspecting physical systems and identifying compliance gaps against recognised frameworks and regulatory requirements.
The audit report outlines the specific controls evaluated, documents instances of non-compliance and delivers prioritised recommendations, forming the defensible record required by insurers, legal counsel, corporate boards and governance frameworks.
The findings of a security audit also provide a strong foundation for any subsequent security risk and threat assessment, giving a clear picture of existing security measures before threats and vulnerabilities are evaluated.
Assessing Compliance with Security Standards and Regulatory Requirements
A core function of a security audit is establishing whether your organisation’s security measures, documentation and procedures meet the requirements set by recognised external frameworks. We evaluate compliance against British Standards (BS 8220, BS 7858), ISO 31000, and applicable regulatory requirements, identifying instances of non-compliance and the actionable steps required to resolve them.
For many organisations, formal compliance documentation is not optional. Insurers, corporate boards, legal counsel, and family office trustees increasingly require evidence that security measures meet an independently verified standard.
Auditing Physical Implementation
Beyond written policy, a security audit examines whether your security measures are in place, properly configured and maintained. We inspect physical infrastructure and review site records to verify that hardware, security systems and personnel adhere to documented procedures.
This identifies where day-to-day operations no longer reflect security policies, and provides estate managers, corporate leadership and trustees with evidence that controls are actively maintained and contractors are held accountable to their service agreements.
Our Security Audit Process
We conduct every security audit through a structured four-stage methodology designed to gather objective evidence while causing minimal disruption to your daily operations.
01. Baseline & Documentation Review
We examine existing security documentation including written policies, risk registers, guard assignment instructions, SLA contracts and insurance requirements. This establishes the formal compliance and operational baseline against which all on-site findings are evaluated.
02. On-Site Physical Inspection
We inspect active site infrastructure, physical perimeters, access barriers, electronic security systems and hardware configurations. This physical walk-through verifies whether installed controls conform to recognised standards such as BS 8220 and are properly maintained in working order.
03. Operational Observation & Records Sampling
04. Gap Analysis & Executive Reporting
We benchmark all collected evidence against your regulatory obligations, internal policies and external frameworks. The final deliverable provides corporate leadership and trustees with a clear gap analysis, a formal record for insurers and a prioritised remediation roadmap.
What We Audit
A security audit provides a structured evaluation across physical infrastructure, technical systems, security personnel and governance frameworks.
Perimeter & Physical Infrastructure
Electronic Security Systems
Personnel & Guard Operations
Governance & Emergency Procedures
Common Triggers for a Security Audit
Corporate boards, family office trustees and estate managers across London and the UK engage an independent physical security audit when key operational, legal or governance requirements arise.
Change of Ownership, Occupancy or Acquisition
Evaluating inherited physical security infrastructure and establishing a verified baseline prior to assuming management responsibility for an estate, facility, or asset.
Insurance Policy Renewals or Mandates
Security Contractor Onboarding or Contract Renewal
Verifying third-party security contractor adherence to service level agreements (SLAs), post instructions, and BS 7858 vetting standards.
Periodic Governance & Risk Reviews
Fulfilling board, trustee, or regulatory requirements for scheduled, independent verification of physical security controls.
Post-Incident Remediation
Verifying that corrective actions and physical upgrades have been properly implemented following a security breach or procedural failure.
Security Audit Deliverables
Following site inspection and evidence review, you receive three core deliverables:
01. Executive Summary
A concise briefing on overall compliance status, critical findings and key vulnerabilities for board and trustee review.
02. Itemised Gap Analysis
A line-by-line audit log documenting specific hardware, physical barrier and procedural failures benchmarked against recognised frameworks.
03. Prioritised Action Plan
A risk-ranked plan of recommended corrective steps, from immediate operational fixes to longer-term physical upgrades.
Kabul: Safeguarding 350+ International Personnel in an Active Conflict Zone
Pegasus Ops was brought in to design and build a complete security infrastructure for a high-threat site in Kabul, housing more than 350 international personnel, following a catastrophic attack on a nearby compound that exposed critical failures in its existing security framework.
Physical Security Audit FAQs
How does a physical security audit differ from a risk assessment or physical penetration test?
Why hire an independent auditor instead of letting our guard provider or installer self-audit?
Internal teams and security vendors face an inherent conflict of interest. Hardware installers are incentivised to recommend costly equipment upgrades, while security contractors rarely highlight their own procedural lapses or service failures. An independent security audit provides objective, third-party verification that satisfies corporate boards, family office trustees and insurance underwriters.”
What standards do you benchmark against, and are reports accepted by insurers?
How often should a physical security audit be conducted?
What documentation or site access is required before the audit begins?
We conduct a document review prior to arriving on site to maximise efficiency during the physical inspection. This typically includes site floor plans, security contractor post instructions, maintenance records for access control and CCTV systems, contract SLAs and any applicable insurance policy requirements.
Is all information and documentation kept confidential?
Yes. All site inspections, documentation, system records and final reports are handled under strict non-disclosure agreements and treated with complete confidentiality. We do not share client information, findings or site details with any third party.
Will an on-site security audit disrupt our daily operations or tenants?
No. Walkthroughs, physical inspections and record sampling are conducted alongside your estate manager or security lead, ensuring no disruption to corporate staff, commercial tenants or family routines.
What happens after the audit? Do you help resolve the issues identified?
Yes. The audit concludes with a Prioritised Action Plan detailing recommended corrective steps. For clients who require it, we can provide ongoing advisory support to help prioritise and implement recommendations.
How long does an audit take, and what geographical areas do you cover?
On-site inspections typically take 1 to 3 days depending on site size and complexity, with final reporting delivered within 10 business days. We conduct audits across London, the wider UK and internationally for clients with single assets or multi-site portfolios.