Category: Research Digest

As SOX Costs Rise, Internal Audit Still Lags on Automation

It’s been 16 years since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act took effect in 2002, and companies are still wrestling with SOX compliance. Now, a new study shows they are paying more to meet the regulation’s requirements and have generally not done a good job of using technology to automate controls and ease Read More

automated controls

Companies Push to Automate Financial Reporting Controls

Companies are moving to add more automation to their internal controls over financial reporting and plan to increase their investment in automation of ICFR in the next 6-to-18 months, according to a new study. The survey, conducted by the Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF), found that more than 80 percent Read More

research digest

What’s Eating Internal Audit Executives?

The tops risks that chief audit executives face, as identified by a new report, are likely to be familiar foes for most internal audit leaders. Chief audit executives (CAEs) are unlikely to be alarmed by a new report listing the top five risks confronting internal audit; they’ve been battling them Read More

Survey Finds Upstream Supply Chain Risks Increasing

Audits of the extended enterprise can yield benefits, such as greater flexibility, innovation, brand confidence, and even revenue gains. There are big risks lurking in your supply chain and in interactions with the vast network of third parties with whom companies do business. A new survey by Deloitte finds that Read More

Think Your Company’s High-Value IP Is Safe from Hackers? Think Again!

New survey results from the Ponemon Institute are likely to send shivers down the spines of IT auditors, cybersecurity professionals, and risk managers. The alarming results say companies are losing the battle to protect digital assets and intellectual property from hackers and online thieves. Here’s the lowlights: A whopping 82 Read More

Research Finds Internal Audit Lags in Tech Adoption: Here’s Why

A trio of internal audit studies published recently indicate that internal audit departments in the United States have a big technology problem. Internal audit is generally behind the times when it comes to adopting leading-edge technology, the reports find. The studies shed some needed light—along with some dire warnings—on why Read More

Whistleblowing on the Rise; But so Too Is Retaliation

Reporting of suspected wrongdoing in organizations has reached a historic high in the United States, but so too have instances of retaliation against those who report violations. Meanwhile, only one in five employees say their company has a strong ethical culture. The percentage of employees who say they have reported Read More

Companies Increasingly Outsourcing Internal Audit

Companies are increasingly turning to outside service providers to help out with their internal audit activities, especially when it comes to specialized work, according to a recent report. An annual survey of global internal audit professionals finds that, on average, one in three corporate internal audit departments worldwide outsource some Read More