If we are looking to use data as part of an audit, we need to know what broad approach we will use before we start.

How specifically we will scope and plan the use of data. How we will determine...

This article focuses on public sector performance auditors. However, it will also be useful for internal auditors who want to go beyond traditional conformance audits.

In a recent article, we...

Infrequent but significant crises present new challenges for assurance leaders. But with challenge comes opportunity. Opportunity to re-assess how assurance activity is performed and, most...

This article focuses on principle #3 – Maximizing the benefits of using data in audit.

This is the 5^th article in this series.  The four earlier articles addressed related topics:

...

This article focuses on principle #2 – Quality – for governing data within audit.

This is the 4^th article in this series.  The previous articles:

1. Outlined why the use of data...

This article sets out 3 key principles for Data Governance within audit.

A core set of guidelines that we, as audit professionals, can check ourselves against in planning for and using data.

This...

This article is about control over access to data within the audit function, to help guide the decision regarding which of these two options would be appropriate:

• Open access:...

As a business leader, you are risk-aware. You want to innovate to add value, while maintaining compliance.

You do this because you want your organisation to succeed, and delight customers.

As...

Why you, as an auditor, need to think a bit differently to the rest of the organization, and specifically govern the data that you use for audits.

In your audits, you will regularly...

It’s not often that internal auditors get the opportunity to help in identifying revenue leakage. 

Most audits focus on compliance matters or loss prevention. 

So, when the...

When using data, one of the main challenges faced by auditors is the volume of exceptions generated. How can we overcome this?

Traditional audit sampling typically involves evaluation of...

This article is for:                            

• ...

If you use or plan to use a cloud/SaaS/hosted solution, how do you ensure that the service provider is protecting your systems and data?

Rely on their SAS70 reports, right?

Not quite.

In this...

This post originally detailed how contingent resourcing and SEO could damage brands.

It has since been expanded, with the update first, followed by the original post.

Update: 24 Sep 2019

If...

In a recent article we spoke about a privacy impact assessment (PIA) that did not consider all the risks. The resulting breach occurred, in part, because of the false sense of security...

There has been a raft of data breaches over the past few months.

Some of those were due to poor controls and/or significant effort by hackers.

But some recent breaches have been rather inadvertent....

Management action flowing from an internal audit finding often focuses on the specific sample or weakness that was identified. We call this "remedial action" - but is it really a remedy at all?

We...

You already know that there is untapped value within your systems and the data they contain.

But user access limitations - because of audit, risk and compliance expectations – mean that it is...

During the late 90's, the strategic planners at an African university decided to improve access to information.

So they created a data warehouse.

At the time, financials and payroll were delivered...

As an auditor, you will be involved in automation for your own function and the business more broadly. 

In this article, reference to automation and augmentation covers both scenarios i.e.,...

Spreadsheets are often used (and have been for decades) for modelling and analysis, largely because they are easy to use and highly flexible.

But what happens when a simple error like...

When you hear the phrases "artificial intelligence", "machine learning" or "autonomous systems", what images do they conjure up?

You might be imagining a world with endless possibility. The eternal...

If you are an assurance leader (internal audit/performance audit/risk assurance), you want to:

• provide assurance to the Board and to management.

• help maximise value (efficiency,...