Category: Articles

IIA Supports SEC Proposal on New Climate Disclosure Rules

The Institute of Internal Auditors has announced that it is supporting new rules proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission that would require public companies to say much more about their environmental, social, and governance initiatives. “The Institute of Internal Auditors applauds this week’s release by the U.S. Securities and Read More

phishing attacks

Study: Companies Are Bolstering Internal Controls to Combat Cyber Fraud

A new study finds that organizations are reporting increases in cyber fraud and phishing scams due to rapidly changing work practices as a result of the pandemic. It also found that companies are improving internal controls and providing new resources to internal audit to fight such fraud and they are Read More

Internal Audit Benchmarking Report Finds Crisis Subsiding

A new survey on the state of the internal audit profession finds that companies are slightly investing in internal audit again and working to return to normal on the back end—fingers crossed—of the pandemic. The overall message of the report may well be that only incremental change has come to Read More

Fomer Fort Lauderdale City Auditor

Fired Fort Lauderdale Internal Auditor Files Whistleblower Complaint

Longtime internal auditor for the city of Fort Lauderdale, John Herbst, was abruptly fired from his job last month after initiating an investigation of the city’s chief of police. Now he is firing back by filing a formal compliant under the Whistleblower Act, alleging that he was retaliated against and Read More

Only Half of Companies with ESG Disclosures Receive Internal Audit Function Assurance

A new survey found that two-thirds of organizations have an ESG program in place and another 24 percent have plans to implement one. However, only half (51 percent) of organizations that report on ESG obtain some level of assurance from their internal audit functions. So while companies may be listening Read More

government internal audit

To Elevate Internal Audit, Governments Need to Get It Right First

The increasing number of organizational failures in government and non-government sectors have resulted in major reforms in corporate governance codes and practices worldwide.  The reforms, such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act in 2002 and The Cadbury Report in 1992, focused mainly on enhancing transparency, accountability, and responsibility at various organizational Read More

Securities and Exchange Whistleblower program

SEC Proposes Two Rule Changes to Its Whistleblower Program

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed two amendments to the rules governing its whistleblower program. The first proposed amendment concerns award claims for related actions that would be otherwise covered by an alternative whistleblower program. The second affirms the Commission’s authority to consider the dollar amount of a potential Read More

Assessing Internal audit culture

Looking in the Mirror: What About Internal Audit’s Own Culture?

It’s become common practice at many companies to conduct internal audits of the company’s culture. Auditors assess leadership, tone at the top, ethics, and the general emphasis on doing the right thing, among other aspects. Culture audits can be completed as part of a stand-alone assessment of the entire organization’s Read More

TI Corruption Perceptions Index

Where Bribery Still Reigns: The World’s Most Corrupt Countries

The 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released this week by Transparency International shows that corruption levels remain at a standstill worldwide, with 86 percent of countries making little to no progress in the last 10 years. Nearly two-thirds of nations scored below 50 on the 100-point scale this year. The Read More