Category: Articles

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

Customer service internal audit

How Some Teams Are Taking a Customer-Service Approach to Internal Auditing

It’s no secret that internal auditors and the managers of the units, departments, and functions they audit don’t always get along. After all, it’s not easy to embrace the idea of strangers coming into your offices, looking over your shoulder, sifting through your documents and data to find all the Read More

Data Analytics Myths

The 4 Biggest Myths About Using Data Analytics in Internal Audit

Why do some internal auditors shy away from using data analytics? Some say the complexity and jargon surrounding it are too overwhelming. Team leaders don’t know how to distinguish between hype and practical application. Team members are hungry to learn how to apply data analytics but aren’t sure where to Read More