{"id":60015,"date":"2026-04-17T10:06:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T08:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itaf.eu\/?p=60015"},"modified":"2026-05-07T09:32:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T07:32:48","slug":"it-discovery-cleanup-audit-what-to-do-when-the-it-of-an-acquired-company-is-a-mess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itaf.eu\/en\/it-discovery-cleanup-audit-what-to-do-when-the-it-of-an-acquired-company-is-a-mess\/","title":{"rendered":"IT Discovery & Cleanup audit: what to do when the IT of an acquired company is a mess"},"content":{"rendered":"

You have just acquired a company, or are about to do so. The financials add up, the clients are happy, the staff are motivated – but the IT is a disaster. Outdated servers, no backups, passwords on sticky notes, software licences nobody recognises. This is not an exceptional situation. It is the rule. An IT Discovery & Cleanup audit maps out what exists, what is missing, what poses a security risk and what needs to be addressed urgently.  An IT Discovery & Cleanup audit is a technical evaluation used to inventory assets and remediate security risks after a business merger or acquisition. It is used when a new owner needs to transform a fragmented, legacy IT setup into a secure, managed infrastructure.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

This article explains how such an audit works, what you will know afterwards, and how ITAF handles this for SMBs in Flanders.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why is IT always a surprise in a business acquisition?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Definition:<\/span><\/b> IT Due Diligence is the process of investigating a target company’s IT assets, policies, and digital risks before or during an acquisition.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Due diligence typically covers financials, personnel and legal obligations thoroughly. IT is often assessed superficially or skipped entirely. Yet the IT risks in an acquisition can be significant:<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n