IT Audit

This article provides an overview of IT auditing, including its purpose, focus areas, and key positions in the audit team. It also discusses the benefits of co-sourcing in adding value to the organization.

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IT Audit
Name:
Institution:
Date:

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IT Audit team
Introduction
An IT auditing team is responsible for evaluation and examination of a company’s
information technology infrastructure, operations and policies. This type of audit is done to
determine if IT controls safeguard and ensure that that there is data integrity as well as if they
can protect corporate assets Dutta, Geiger & Lanvin (2015).. It audit is also done to check
whether the information technology is aligned with the overall goals of the organization.
Identify the focus for the team
The IT audit team will focus on the following;
 To assess the system and controls in place that secure company data.
 To establish risks to the organization’s information assets, and to come up with ways
that mitigate against those risks.
 They should also certify that the information management processes are in accordance
with the policies, standards and specific laws that govern the IT management.
 To establish whether there are any inefficiencies in the IT systems and associated
management.
Select key positions from which to fill your team
Information Systems analyst
The systems analyst is an information technology (IT) specialist specialized in developing
computerized systems capable of meeting the needs and objectives of the contracting
organization.

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The systems analyst is the professional who offers the solution to a problem through the use
of information systems. In order to do this, it needs to understand the needs of the customer
(know their type of business well) and to plan, develop or even customize computer systems
capable of performing the tasks properly Rafati & Poels (2015).
Information System Auditor
Among the best known, we can mention text editors, messaging programs, mobile
applications and spreadsheets. A software has a logical sequence of instructions that perform
specific tasks from the information we insert into it. The role of the systems Auditor is to
understand business activities of the organization and to recommend on the scope and
objectives of assigned audits, , perform detailed analyses ,execute audit procedures, reach
sound conclusions, and document results for assigned audit activities Bell, Causholli &
Knechel (2015).
The auditor works closely with the customer to identify the needs of future system users. The
survey of requirements is of great importance to guide the project as a whole. Knowing
exactly where you want to go makes work more efficient. After the survey, it is necessary to
do the analysis of the requirements. The analyst makes a detailed study of the data previously
raised to create a solution strategy for the problem and to define what activities the program
will perform Hsu,Chou, Lee & Kuo (2019).. The analyst describes how the software
architecture, the user interface, the programming language used, the database management
system, and so on.
Network Administor

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In the area of network administration, the systems analyst manages the entire computer
network of a company. It is the professional responsible for the entire IT infrastructure,
performing the installation, configuration and maintenance of operating systems and
software. It is also the responsibility of the systems analyst to take care of network security. It
must install and parameterize specific data protection programs and also configure the
manner and frequency with which back-ups of the existing data will be performed. Allied to
the work of development of systems is also the one of support to the users. It is the
responsibility of the systems analyst to make constant software updates to fit the new needs
that may arise in the company.
Key traits
The member being sought for should have the necessary educational background,
Certifications such as CISA, CISSP are an added advantage. Secondly, they should have
behavioral aptitude, that is, they should be accountable Baller,Dutta & Lanvin (2016). They
should also manifest critical thinking and inference. They should also have Technical
proficiency to be able to advice accordingly. The IT auditor should be a team player and also
have guidance and leadership skills.
Co-sourcing
Co sourcing allows the organization to cut costs, maintain control and maximize internal
audit capabilities. The in house auditor is able to retain responsibility for the internal audit
process while relying on the outside for specialized skill. Co sourcing allows the company to
get maximum value from the internal audit while saving on long term investment of staff
Endaya & Hanefah (2016). The downside of this is that there might be turf wars between the
outside personnel and the in-house personnel that may lead to a weak audit.

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Adding value
Co sourcing adds value to the organization because of the specialized skill that it gets .
References
Baller, S., Dutta, S., & Lanvin, B. (2016). Global information technology report 2016.
Geneva: Ouranos.

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Bell, T. B., Causholli, M., & Knechel, W. R. (2015). Audit firm tenure, non‐audit services,
and internal assessments of audit quality. Journal of Accounting Research, 53(3), 461-509.
Dutta, S., Geiger, T., & Lanvin, B. (2015). The global information technology report 2015.
In World Economic Forum(Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. P80-85).
Endaya, K. A., & Hanefah, M. M. (2016). Internal auditor characteristics, internal audit
effectiveness, and moderating effect of senior management. Journal of Economic and
Administrative Sciences, 32(2), 160-176.
Hsu, S. M., Chou, T. C., Lee, G. G., & Kuo, R. Z. (2019). The role of relational norms in
linking inter-partner learning and IT co-sourcing performance: A study of Taiwan
enterprises. Information Technology & People.
Rafati, L., & Poels, G. (2015, February). Towards model-based strategic sourcing. In Global
Sourcing Workshop 2015 (pp. 29-51). Springer, Cham.