By Daniel Roberts


Audit is a thorough examination of books of account by either internal or external auditor with a goal of expressing an opinion thereof. Internal auditors are auditors employed by the firm or company and receive salary from the company. Internal auditors are not completely independent. They report to the management and the manager can influence their findings. IT auditing can be carried out by an independent auditor and sometimes by internal auditor.

The audit may actually be conducted in connection with some financial regularity selective audits. Since the operations of almost all organizations are computerized, there is need to review as well as evaluate information technology controls within the course of audit. Due to technological advancement and the need to simplify the accounting work, many organizations chose to use computerized packages.

There are two types of auditors, internal auditor and external auditor. Internal auditors are hired by the management of a company. Their main purpose is to conduct internal audits with the aim of strengthening internal control systems. They are put on salary just like any other employee. Their reports are not presented to the shareholders but rather the management.

The decisions to be made are with regards to either an auditor should carry out compliance testing or whether substantive testing is the best. When applying risk-based approach, information technology auditors usually rely on operational controls and internal controls. This auditor will also need to be knowledgeable or have vast knowledge of the business or company.

IT audit is simply an examination that comprises of evaluation and review of IT systems put in place in an organization. The audit will also review all non automated processes and even review the interfaces among them. Before conducting any form of audit, auditors are advised to plan adequately for the process. Before undertaking any audit procedure or activity, the following tips should be considered.

Due to the massive subscription to IT systems by organizations, there has been an increasing demand of information technology audits. Many organizations are basically spending a lot in terms of money on IT because of the benefit associated with such a system. As much as the system is beneficial, an organization should always ensure that their systems are secure, reliable and cannot be vulnerable to any kind of computer attacks.

IT audits are very important since they provide assurance to companies that information systems are properly protected. The audit will also provide reasonable assurance to the users of IT systems that the information they get from the system is reliable. The system should also be managed properly to achieve the organizational intended benefits.

Risk based audit concept is being embraced today by many companies. The risk approach is used by these auditors to ensure that IT auditors only make informed decisions. The role of IT or information technology and audit today has become completely critical with respect to ensuring the truthfulness of IS in organizations.

The following items should be identified, control environment, detecting risk assessment, control procedures among others. The following are also worth noting that is control risk assessment and equate total risk. Once IT auditor has necessary information which is sufficient enough, they can commence the planning process. Areas to be audited need to be selected by the auditor.




About the Author:



Axact

Money Making

I am passionate about educating university students about money and careers, and have been doing so since 2007. I see the same confusion and mistakes being replicated every year. The way I help is through Save the Student. I'm always on the look out for new contributors, so get in touch if you're wanting to get involved! Aside from the site, my main interests are travelling, writing, photography, webdesign, sailing, football and cycling.

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