Digital processes can be made more cost-effective, efficient, and secure with the aid of advanced IT. However, weak or badly implemented IT can create unnecessary roadblocks, expose organizations to cyberthreats, and enable internal data to be compromised.

Organizations nowadays must regularly assess their capabilities to protect information assets due to rapid development of technology. Therefore, to understand main technological risks and how your organization is minimizing and controlling those risks, an IT Audit should be carried out.

What is IT Audit?

IT Audit is an investigation and evaluation of IT systems, infrastructures, policies, and operations. It assesses the protection of organization’s assets, data integrity, and alignment with business and financial controls. Cited from Otero (2018), IT audit can be defined as the formal, independent, and objective examination of an organization’s IT infrastructure to determine whether the activities (e.g., procedures, controls, etc.) involved in gathering, processing, storing, distributing, and using information comply with guidelines, safeguard assets, maintain data integrity, and operate effectively and efficiently to achieve the organization’s objectives.

The purpose of an IT Audit is to examine the security procedures and processes as well as IT governance in general. It is necessary to evaluate how well the application systems within the organization can process data, how well the internal controls are in place, and how well the assets controlled by those systems are protected.

An IT audit will assist your organization in achieving its objectives by detecting risks and any required changes. If so, which areas should we consider assessing for a successful and comprehensive IT Audit?

10 Crucial Things to Add in Your IT Audit Checklist

1. Information Security

How quickly can your organization react to a security breach?

Is the IT plan effective and includes all the equipment required to identify and report defective controls?

2. Business Continuity Management

Are there policies in place to restore regular operations after a system attack?

3. Cloud Security

Do the cloud services satisfy your criteria for data storage and privacy compliance?

Is there a backup strategy in case that access to cloud services is lost?

4. IT Risk Management

How effective is the IT risk assessment process?

5. Program Risk

Is the organization equipped to deal with issues that could jeopardize the execution of any projects or programs?

6. Software/IT Asset Management

Does your organization employ a system for managing IT assets and software?

7. Social Media Risk Management

Are employees aware of the risks associated with social media and equipped to detect and manage such risks?

8. Identity and Access Management

Are there protocols in place for separating duties?

9. Data Loss Prevention and Privacy

Where is the sensitive data kept, and are there any security measures in place to protect it?

10. Mobile Security

Are there processes in place in case that a device is lost or stolen?

In case of a security attacks, are there processes in place?

Considering the importance of an IT Audit being regularly carried out, it drives organizations to hire specialists who can identify pain points and new ways to handle current IT systems while ensuring their compliance. As IT is highly essential to modern business, the demand to hire professional, or even entry-level, IT auditors is rising.

The Role of IT Auditor in IT Audit

They also discover any IT issues that are part of the audit, particularly problems with security and risk management.

The auditor evaluating today’s complex systems must have highly developed technical skills to understand the evolving methods of information processing (Otero, 2018). However, it is important to remember that aside from technical skills, IT auditors also require to have soft skills like communication and teamwork.

Having said that, here are 6 essential skills needed for a professional IT Auditor!

6 Essential IT Auditor Skills for a Successful IT Auditor

1. Detail-Oriented

IT auditors require great attention to detail, enabling them to spot red flags like errors in record-keeping, fraud or theft, and increased costs in a certain area.

2. Business-Minded

Business knowledge is vital for IT auditors as it enables them to determine potential risks. It thus makes it possible for them to determine whether they can address the risks and produce a thorough audit report.

3. Professional

IT auditors must be a clear communicator. They must use common sense when discussing critical information. All communication must be clear and professional to prevent misunderstandings.

4. Tech Savvy

IT auditors require a strong foundation of computer skills as they use computer-assisted audit tools to perform their job. They must become familiar with those tools and use the appropriate ones.

5. Flexibility

When conducting IT audits of complex systems, IT auditors are required to be flexible to modify their method or approach. With that, they can adjust their speed and keep working productively.

6. Certified

Being a certified IT auditor is advantageous as it shows your competitiveness in the technology industry and ensures your knowledge is up to date.

In both large and small organizations, an IT Audit is crucial to ensure that new technologies never expose the organization to risks. Thus, adding the 10 things in your checklist will ensure that your organization is doing everything necessary to secure its data and application processing capabilities. In addition to that, skilful IT Auditors can ensure that your IT infrastructure is in line with the compliance standards and is not vulnerable to any attacks, especially in this digital age.

Reference:

Chaves, T. (2016, October 26). Skills of an IT Auditor. Small Business - Chron.com. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/skills-auditor-41838.html

Otero, Angel. (2018). Information Technology Control and Audit. United States: Taylor & Francis Group.

Potjeau, E. (2021, October 19). Ten Things to Have on Your IT Audit Checklist. Vonya Global. https://vonyaglobal.com/insights/it-audit-checklist/