Internal Audit Insights

2019-08-27 14:43:27

Cybersecurity Progress: Where Does Internal Audit Stand Today?

By Marcos Colon

August 27, 2019

In the full video interview below, MISTI's Director of Instructional Technologies and Innovation, Shawna Flanders, discusses where internal audit stands today as it relates to cybersecurity, and offers up some tips on increasing collaboration between the audit and information security functions.

2019-08-13 05:51:21

Regulations That Beef Up Security in 2019

By Marcos Colon

August 13, 2019

It's not only the information security department that needs to stay on top of cybersecurity regulations. Internal audit also plays a big role. In this interview with MISTI's Shawna Flanders, she discusses the regulations internal audit should keep top of mind.

2019-04-09 05:54:38

9 Critical InfoSec Tips That Every Internal Auditor Should Master

By Karen Kroll

April 09, 2019

Cybersecurity is top of mind for most executives and board members, as well as to internal audit. While the information security team may be in charge of measurably reducing cyber risk within the business, internal audit has an important role to play too.

2019-02-28 05:53:38

Interested in Becoming an IT Auditor? Here’s What to Know and Do

By Heather Dean Bennington

February 28, 2019

So, what exactly does an IT auditor do? In this article, we provide a broad breakdown of an IT auditor's responsibilities, the necessary skills to become one, how an IT auditor interacts with other roles throughout their organization, and more.

2019-02-21 05:37:39

7 Things to Know About IT GRC in the Cloud

By Heather Bennington

February 21, 2019

In migrating to the cloud, many challenges are present, and perhaps one of the largest challenges is updating an organization’s overall GRC program. Here, we've gathered a number of things that IT auditors should know about IT GRC in the cloud.

2019-02-07 05:43:42

Cybersecurity and Regulatory Changes in 2019

By Heather Bennington

February 07, 2019

As we work toward the thick of the year, we've compiled a list of which cybersecurity regulations could be impactful this year, some of the challenges that they could present, and the reasons behind some of the changes we've highlighted below.

2019-01-22 05:54:01

Privacy in the Age of Big Brother: What It Means for IT Audit

By Marcos Colón

January 22, 2019

Technology has impacted quite a lot, but privacy is likely what hits closest to home for everyone. Internal Audit Insights catches up with IHS Markit Internal Audit Director Tony Redlinger, who discusses what the state of privacy is today, and more importantly, what impact it has on the modern-day IT auditor.

2019-01-03 05:43:44

How Non-Technical Auditors Can Tackle IT Risks

By Marcos Colón

January 03, 2019

Internal Audit Insights caught up with Jami Shine, corporate and IT audit manager at Quiktrip Corp, who shared some proven advice on how non-technical auditors can overcome some of the challenges associated with IT risks.

2018-12-13 05:18:05

Implementing Your Audit Department’s Top Technological Audit Practices

By Marcos Colón

December 13, 2018

Data analytics is being leveraged more than ever by internal audit departments, but for those that haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, this interview with CVS Health's head of data analytics explains the benefits, challenges, and misconceptions tied to the technology.

2018-11-27 05:48:42

Preparing for Robotic Process Automation: What Internal Auditors Need to Know

By Ed Williams & Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy

November 27, 2018

RPA, robotics, robots, bots … as internal auditors you have undoubtedly been hearing this terminology tossed around more and more. What exactly is it? Why is it such a hot topic? Here we answer those questions.

2018-11-22 05:27:11

GRC at the Speed of Business

By Marcos Colón

November 22, 2018

Internal Audit Insights catches up with Ford Winslow, CEO of ICE Cybersecurity, to discuss what the “speed of business” has had on GRC controls, and what IT auditors should prepare for.

2018-11-08 05:51:37

Do DevOps and Compliance Go Hand in Hand?

By Marcos Colón

November 08, 2018

IT audit is only beginning to familiarize itself with DevOps as more organizations begin to deploy successful programs. But is it fair to say that DevOps and compliance go hand in hand? In this video interview with Atlassian Risk Futurist Guy Herbert, he gives his take on the topic.

2018-10-18 05:39:10

The IT Audit Checklist for Emerging Risks

By Sarah Swanson

October 18, 2018

Many organizations are still failing to effectively audit areas such as cloud security or even social media. So what areas should you be covering and why? This article answers questions tied to that topic. Here you'll find the top IT risks that consistently vex companies and protect your assets.

2018-09-25 05:07:21

Assessing Cyber Risk: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

By Stephen Head

September 25, 2018

Measurably reducing cyber risk in the business is an obstacle nearly all organizations face today. Needless to say, it's critical for businesses to conduct cyber risk assessments. In this contributed article by Experis' Stephen Head, he dives into the topic.

2018-08-23 05:45:28

The Dos and Don'ts of IT GRC in the Cloud

By Marcos Colón

August 23, 2018

IT audit expert Mark Thomas, president of Escoute Consulting, chats with Internal Audit Insights on the impact that cloud migration has had on the business, and shares the major Dos and Don'ts that IT auditors should know about GRC in the cloud.

2018-08-16 05:58:29

Training the Internal Auditors of Tomorrow

By Karen Kroll

August 16, 2018

As the business world changes at an accelerating rate, auditors need to keep up or risk becoming irrelevant and unable to provide the insight that will allow their organizations to succeed. That means they’ll need to continually add to their skills and knowledge.

2018-08-14 05:57:34

Innovation: The New Imperative for Internal Audit

By Terry Hatherell, Deloitte Global Internal Audit Leader

August 14, 2018

As organizations continue to evolve and innovate, new risks arise. Meanwhile, the larger business environment continues to change, often rapidly and in unexpected ways. This places new demands on the internal audit function.

2018-08-02 05:55:30

What Risks Do Blockchain Present the Enterprise?

By Karen Kroll

August 02, 2018

As the number of blockchain implementations continues to grow, internal auditors will need to learn about both the promise and risk this technology offers. So what exactly is blockchain technology and what does it mean to you as an internal auditor? This article answers that question.

2018-06-28 05:44:33

How IT Audit Can Break Down Communication Silos

By Marcos Colón

June 28, 2018

Escoute Consulting President Mark Thomas dives into the topic of communication challenges within the enterprise, why they exist among IT audit and cybersecurity, and the steps you can take to ensure those silos are broken down.

2018-06-14 05:15:21

DevOps: What IT Audit Needs to Know

By Marcos Colón

June 14, 2018

XebiaLabs’ Robert Stroud highlights what it is that IT audit needs to know about DevOps, why they should care, and offers up ways in which they can approach DevOps in a constructive manner that ultimately reduces risk in the organization.

2018-03-08 06:05:03

Why Auditing Social Media is Becoming Increasingly Important

By Marcos Colón

March 08, 2018

In this recent video shot at MISTI’s ITAC Conference, INARMA's Jason Claycomb gives his take on the state of auditing social media in the enterprise, and what steps internal auditors can take to monitor the risks associated with the technology.

2018-02-20 06:23:28

Why Speaking Cybersecurity Goes a Long Way for Internal Audit

By Sarah Swanson

February 20, 2018

Since the cards might feel a little stacked against the auditor at the cybersecurity table, let’s define a few Aces in the hand that you can use when you’re auditing cybersecurity and communicate helpful root causes and risks.

2018-01-25 06:09:50

The Benefits of Leveraging the CIS Critical Security Controls

By Marcos Colón

January 25, 2018

Technology continues to flood organizations and IT auditors are facing increasing challenges. The Center for Internet Security's Critical Security Controls are intended to help the cause. In this exclusive video interview with Internal Audit Insights, subject matter experts define the controls and discuss their benefits for IT auditors.

2018-01-16 05:20:53

The Secret to Driving Value Through Artificial Intelligence

By Sarah Swanson

January 16, 2018

Rather than robotic humanoids or machines who have become “self-aware,” artificial intelligence might be better described as computer systems that can predict human behavior. For internal audit, it can be a handy tool for specific processes within audit and analyzing overall sets of data with greater accuracy and even predict risk.

2017-12-14 04:16:12

The IT Auditor's Role in Today’s Complex, Evolving Enterprise

By Marcos Colón

December 14, 2017

Forrester Research's Robert Stroud discusses the current state of the enterprise as it relates to IT auditors and why it’s important to bridge the gaps between audit, IT audit, compliance, and security within organizations.

2017-12-05 05:56:00

5 Critical Social Media Tips for Internal Auditors

By Sarah Swanson

December 05, 2017

If you’re going to audit social media, then develop a method. Kate Mullin, a social engineering expert, shares a formulaic approach to begin thinking like a hacker and doing the reconnaissance a hacker would do so that you can protect your organization.

2017-10-26 06:49:17

Auditor Wanted: Must Have Cybersecurity Skills

By Shawna Flanders

October 26, 2017

Seeing as many IT audit positions require candidates to hold information security certificates, how do we as an assurance community prepare tomorrow's security-savvy workforce?

2017-10-19 06:16:09

You Are What the Search Engine Finds!: Tips to Ensure Online Privacy

By Shawna Flanders

October 19, 2017

When is the last time you looked for your name on the internet? Which of the links and images are tied to you? More importantly, where does all this information come from? Here are 13 important tips to leverage at your organization to ensure online privacy.

2017-10-12 06:07:40

Cybersecurity in the Workplace is Everyone’s Business

By Shawna Flanders

October 12, 2017

The cyber threat landscape is evolving and as an internal auditor it's important to become familiar the risks the organization is facing. Here are 11 helpful tips you can leverage to make sure your company steers clear of known exploits.

2017-10-05 06:00:31

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: 17 Simple Steps to Online Safety

By Shawna Flanders

October 05, 2017

It's week one of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so what better way to kick things off than focusing on protecting yourself with these 17 important tips.

2017-09-12 06:06:16

Internal Audit’s Role in Third Party Data Protection

By Tom O'Reilly

September 12, 2017

Internal audit can provide assurance to their board and executive team whether or not a process is in place to manage risks of third parties maintaining critical data, and that third parties have their data protection controls in place.

2017-07-06 07:51:49

What Internal Auditors Must Do To Remain Relevant

By Hernan Murdock

July 06, 2017

As internal auditors, we work in complex and demanding environments where business, social, and other dynamics challenge us to meet the increasing expectations of upstream management.

2017-06-20 11:30:00

These Internal Auditors Aren’t Afraid to Get a Little Dirty

By Joseph McCafferty

June 20, 2017

When Woodforest National Bank wanted to test whether employees were properly destroying physical data, it hit on an idea that would require internal auditors to roll up their sleeves and get messy.

2017-06-09 13:27:00

Internal Auditors Say Their Departments Lack Some Important Skills

By Joseph McCafferty

June 09, 2017

According to a recent MISTI survey, internal auditors say their internal audit seniors and managers most lack data analytic skills, understanding of IT auditing concepts, and ability to influence and persuade.

2017-06-01 06:27:00

Internal Audit Departments Struggle to Retain High Performers

By Joseph McCafferty

June 01, 2017

Internal audit leaders continue to fret about hanging on to their top talent. In a recent survey, they ranked staffing concerns, including retention, as among their greatest worries.

2017-05-26 06:27:00

What’s on the Audit Plan this Year?

By Joseph McCafferty

May 26, 2017

Cybersecurity is the most frequent area on internal audit's audit plans for 2017, and for good reason. Other IT topics and traditional audit areas are also on many audit plans.

2017-05-02 06:27:00

Are You Ready for the New EU Data Privacy Protections?

By Rachel Rose and Joseph McCafferty

May 02, 2017

In a little more than a year, U.S. companies that do business in Europe or have customers or employees there will need to comply with a new set of European Union data protection and privacy laws.

2017-03-22 10:30:00

Auditing the Use of Open Source Software Code

By Joseph McCafferty

March 22, 2017

With as much as 50 percent of some applications based on open source code, companies must ensure they are meeting compliance obligations.

2017-03-17 14:30:05

Lines Blurring Between IT Audit and InfoSec Professionals

By Shawna Flanders

March 17, 2017

Employers are looking for more certifications and a broad work experience, even as they struggle to fill these evolving positions.

2017-02-27 14:52:18

Lines Blurring Between IT Audit and InfoSec Professionals, Both in High Demand

By Shawna Flanders

February 27, 2017

Employers are looking for more certifications and a broad work experience, even as they struggle to fill these evolving positions.

2017-02-06 15:30:00

Information Security vs. Cybersecurity: Untangling Misconceptions

By Shawna Flanders

February 06, 2017

Is it historic or historical? Mass or weight? Mean or average? Coke or Pepsi? The items in these pairs are similar to each other and certainly related, but have important distinctions that make them different in how they are defined and applied (or in that last case, enjoyed).

2017-02-06 11:30:00

NIST Publishes Update to Its Cybersecurity Framework

By Joseph McCafferty

February 06, 2017

Last month, the National Institute of Standards and Technology issued a new update to its Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.

2017-01-25 12:51:49

Are You Ready for Data Privacy Day?

By Shawna Flanders

January 25, 2017

We love our national holidays and, with a little help from Twitter, those lesser known, quirky commemoratives like national doughnut day, national left-handers day, and national roller-coaster day are making their way into our collective awareness.

2017-01-18 12:51:49

A Primer on Auditing the Internet of Things

By Shawna Flanders

January 18, 2017

As IT auditors, we've audited mainframes, servers, applications, and many other IT devices and systems for years and have become proficient in determining the reasonable effectiveness of a company's suite of controls to safeguard them.

2017-01-04 11:35:00

Survey Finds Directors Lack Understanding of Cyber-Risks

By Joseph McCafferty

January 04, 2017

In a survey by the National Association of Corporate Directors, many board members admit they need to improve their knowledge of cybersecurity.

2017-01-03 11:30:00

Balancing the Risks and Costs of Cybersecurity

By Joseph McCafferty

January 03, 2017

The consequences of a cyber-attack—including a hit to reputation, lost customers, diminished credibility, and the cost of repairing the damage, just to name a few—are such that companies will do everything they can to defend against them.

2016-12-22 11:20:00

The Top 10 MISTI Internal Audit Articles of 2016

By Joseph McCafferty

December 22, 2016

It's been a busy year for internal audit. Below are the top 10, most read articles from MISTI's Internal Audit Insights for 2016.

2016-12-14 08:30:00

Keeping Employees from Gaining Unauthorized Access to Inside Information

By Joseph McCafferty

December 14, 2016

A former IT staffer at Expedia was recently charged with trading on non-public information. Could it happen at your company?

2016-12-07 07:30:00

Six IT Audit Hiring Mistakes Companies Make

By Joseph McCafferty

December 07, 2016

IT auditors are in high demand these days. Recruiters and competitors are looking to snatch high-quality talent with the right set of skills and background.

2016-12-06 11:30:00

Pre-Implementation Audits: Waterfall vs. Agile

By Joseph McCafferty

December 06, 2016

A conversation with Sheryl Austin, a director of information security and risk management at Johnson & Johnson on pre-implementation audits.

2016-11-22 09:00:00

Finding Solutions for Filling Cybersecurity Skills and Knowledge Gaps

By Joseph McCafferty

November 22, 2016

A new survey out from the Institute of Internal Auditors finds that many internal audit departments either outsource cybersecurity audits, or worse, they don't do them at all.

2016-11-16 12:30:00

Too Much Data, Coming Too Fast?

By Joseph McCafferty

November 16, 2016

Financial Executives are straining to keep up as the increasing volume and pace of data clouds their ability to provide meaningful insights to boards quickly and accurately.

2016-11-09 09:00:00

Tech Talks: Keynote Addresses for ITAC to Focus on Emerging Technology and Risks

By Joseph McCafferty

November 09, 2016

IT audit experts from such companies as Dropbox, Juniper Networks, Lockheed Martin, and others to address audit conference.

2016-11-03 11:30:00

Focusing IT Audit on Machine Learning Algorithms

By Andrew T. Clark

November 03, 2016

Machine learning algorithms are becoming more commonplace, but what are the risks they could err? Sounds like a job for IT audit.

2016-11-01 11:30:00

How Much Cybersecurity Is Enough?

By Marius Bosman

November 01, 2016

Most companies struggle with how much is enough when it comes to protecting the company's vital data and information.

2016-10-18 11:30:00

Implementing a Risk-Based IT Audit Planning Methodology

By Fred Roth

October 18, 2016

From preventing failures in regulatory compliance to helping avoid devastating harm to the reputation of the organization from headline-making security breaches, IT auditors have an obligation and value-adding opportunities to assess enterprise vulnerabilities.

2016-10-04 16:00:00

Four Big Challenges Facing Internal Audit

By Joseph McCafferty

October 04, 2016

FedEx Chief Audit Executive Robert King on what internal audit departments need to do to rise to the occasion.

2016-10-03 16:30:00

How Technology Is Changing the Internal Audit Function

By Joseph McCafferty

October 03, 2016

Whether it's data analytics; governance, risk, and compliance solutions; or planning and collaboration software packages, most internal audit departments are looking to improve their use of technology as they strive to do more with less.

2016-09-21 12:00:00

Time for More Reporting on Cybersecurity Efforts

By Joseph McCafferty

September 21, 2016

There's a lot going around these days: viruses, malware, Trojans, ransomware, you name it. And if you're not careful, you could catch a nasty case of any of these inflictions.

2016-09-13 17:00:00

Audit Once, Use Many: The Benefits of a HITRUST Certification

By Joseph McCafferty

September 13, 2016

As you may have heard, healthcare organizations have been under attack during the last three-plus years by various types of malicious hackers. The biggest of those attacks came against a healthcare payer organization which had over 100 million of its healthcare records exposed to a hostile government entity.

2016-07-26 11:07:00

Auditing the Incident Response Plan

By Joseph McCafferty

July 26, 2016

No organization is 100 percent safe from hacks, cybercrime, or boneheaded employee actions that can expose the company to data breaches. Most companies have shifted from a purely prevention mindset to one of a risk-based approach to cybersecurity with a robust incident response plan.

2016-07-20 11:20:00

Should Internal Audit Have a Bigger Cybersecurity Role?

By Joseph McCafferty

July 20, 2016

There isn't a company out there, big or small, that doesn't have some concerns about cybersecurity. Some have called it the biggest problem of our time for companies.

2016-07-12 12:30:00

Navigating the Complex Data Privacy and Security Regulatory Terrain

By Joseph McCafferty

July 12, 2016

A patchwork of laws in the United States and abroad is making it difficult for companies to manage and transmit data across borders.

2016-07-06 12:30:00

Tools to Help Identity Governance Are Becoming More Vital

By Joseph McCafferty

July 06, 2016

What if access to our online bank accounts was managed the same way we manage access to information systems at work? Would we know who can get into our accounts? Who could see how much we have in what accounts? Who could take money out?

2016-06-21 12:00:00

Taking a ‘Healthy Living’ Approach to Cybersecurity

By Matt Kelly

June 21, 2016

Cybersecurity is unlike any other business risk because it isn't a risk at all. It's simply a new manifestation of all the business risks you already have.

2016-05-05 08:00:00

What Makes an IT Audit Shop World Class?

By Fred Roth

May 05, 2016

As the use of information technology continues to proliferate so do the associated risks organizations face.

2016-04-06 12:30:00

In Search of a New Data Security Model

By Joseph McCafferty

April 06, 2016

Most information security experts aren't afraid to state bluntly: "We're losing the battle for information security." But then again, we already knew that. Near-daily headlines about the latest cyber-theft or data breach have made that pretty clear to most people.

2016-04-06 12:00:00

Five Steps to Planning an Effective IT Audit Program

By Joseph McCafferty

April 06, 2016

A new report from global IT association ISACA identifies five steps organizations should take to create an effective audit program and reap the benefits of a successful information systems audit.

2016-03-02 14:00:00

Cybersecurity Becoming a Regular Part of Audit Plan

By Joseph McCafferty

March 02, 2016

A new survey by consulting firm Protiviti finds that more companies are evaluating cyber-security risks as part of their annual audit plans.

2016-02-05 11:07:00

Integrating IT into the Internal Audit Process

By Fred Roth

February 05, 2016

Internal audit leaders looking for a way to improve staff skills and increase audit efficiencies would do well to consider integrated auditing, an approach that can help them on both counts.