Category: Articles

Equifax to Pay up to $700 Million to Settle Charges over Massive Data Breach

Equifax has agreed to pay at least $575 million, and potentially up to $700 million, as part of a global settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and 50 U.S. states and territories, which alleged that the credit reporting company’s failure to take reasonable steps Read More

Conversation Starter
Eight Common Internal Audit Hiring and Retention Mistakes

Editor’s Note: This is the first in an occasional new series we are calling “Conversation Starter.” In each segment we will offer a brief take on a particular internal audit issue, along with a plea to you, our readers, to provide your own experiences and views in the comments section Read More

Chartered Institute of internal auditors issues draft practice code

New U.K. Internal Audit Draft Code Calls for ‘Unrestricted’ Access

The professional association for internal auditors in the United Kingdom and Ireland has issued a draft version today of a new “Code of Practice” that is says will promote more extensive access for internal auditors. The draft, issued by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, is intended to strengthen corporate Read More

SEC to change compliance definitions for SOX 404

SEC Charges Health Care Company Accountant with Insider Trading

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed insider trading charges against Martha Patricia Bustos, a former accountant at Illumina Inc. and a certified public accountant, and her close friend, Donald Blakstad, whom Bustos allegedly illegally tipped with confidential information in advance of her company’s quarterly performance announcements. The alleged insider trading Read More

hynotic watch

Is Internal Audit Being Distracted by Consultants Bearing Shiny New Toys?

GUEST BLOG Over the years, Big Four audit and consulting firm PwC has provided great value through their annual commentaries and reports on internal auditing. However, in their 2019 State of the Internal Audit Profession Study, they are advising internal auditors to adopt approaches and practices with which I disagree. Read More

Study Suggests Companies with Female CFOs Less Likely to Cook the Books

A new academic research study indicates that companies with women serving as chief financial officers are significantly less likely to misreport financial results. The study, by three professors from the University of Alabama, a professor from the University of Missouri, and one from St. Louis University used a “financial statement Read More

research digest

Survey: Companies Still Struggle on SOX Compliance

Ever since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act passed in 2002, compliance with the law, known as “SOX,” has been a bit of a thorn in the side of many companies. In earlier years, companies spent millions of dollars and hundreds of employee-hours each to ensure the sophisticated controls over financial reporting that Read More