You are an internal IT auditor working for a medium$-$sized financial services firm. Your team has been assigned to conduct a comprehensive review of the organization's IT infrastructure to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. During the audit process, you uncover several potential vulnerabilities in the network security architecture, including outdated software patches and inadequate access controls.

However, you also encounter resistance from certain departments reluctant to implement the recommended security measures due to concerns about operational disruptions. How would you navigate this situation as an internal auditor, balancing the need for thorough risk assessment with the imperative to maintain operational continuity?

Discuss the strategies you would employ to communicate findings effectively to senior management and collaborate with stakeholders to address identified vulnerabilities while minimizing disruption to business operations.