The past year was a busy one for internal auditors. Most internal audit shops are still coming to grips with some big underlying shifts in internal audit. The biggest trend was the acceleration in the use of technology to fulfill internal audit’s objectives. The second theme of 2018 was finding ways for internal audit to add additional value in the organization, well beyond simple assurance and particularly moving beyond auditing traditional areas like financial transactions.
These trends certainly aren’t new, but they seemed to accelerate in 2018. Most internal audit leaders are keenly aware of the fact that they old way of doing things will no longer cut it, but there still seems to be a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about what mix of strategies will lead to success. Should internal audit focus more on providing risk management advice? Should it help operations work on process improvement? Does it want to become the data analytics experts of the organization? What can internal audit add to the critical effort to solve cybersecurity? How can it expand into these areas while not loosing a step—or objectively—on needed auditing and assurance functions?
These questions and trends are well reflected in the top articles of 2018 from Internal Audit 360°. These are the articles that garnered the most attention—and page views—from readers in the past year and are listed below.
As we look forward into 2019, there will be new developments, but these underlying trends will continue to challenge and shape internal audit in the coming year. We at Internal Audit 360° look forward to covering these critical issues and continuing the discussion on how internal audit can excel and make great contributions to the overall success of the organization.
Top Articles of 2018
1. Five Reasons Talented Candidates Choose Internal Audit
Perhaps you are considering becoming an internal auditor or are looking for some material to convince someone to join your internal audit team. Here are five of the top reasons talented, young professionals choose to make a career of internal audit, as well as what they will gain from the pursuit. MORE
2. How Internal Audit Can Better Convey Risk Using a Heat Map
In this definitive guide to producing, using, and improving a risk heat map at your company, we look at eight steps that go into producing a risk heat map and seven tips for making them better. We also look at their limitations and some problems with the typical risk heat map. MORE
3. Many Internal Audit Failures Stem from Misalignment with the Company Strategy
Misalignment between internal audit and the strategy or business unit priorities can lead to problems. This misalignment is at the root of many recent blunders that have resulted in costly and embarrassing public scandals. When business units and internal audit have different goals and incentives, disaster is often not far behind. MORE
4. Eight Steps Internal Audit Should Take to Aid Risk Management
If we want to think more broadly and completely about the role of internal audit in risk management, we need to think beyond controls. So then, what tools are required for the internal audit function to navigate the volatile and complex risk environment to create value? MORE
5. How Internal Audit Can Work with Compliance to Increase Value
Here are the 10 things that internal audit needs to keep in mind when working with compliance that, when accomplished, can increase the value that both functions bring to the organization. MORE
Achieving Success in 2019
We at Internal Audit 360° will have much more to say on these issues and many other internal audit topics in 2019. Have a great year ahead, and we wish you much success in your internal audit pursuits.
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Thank You! Here’s to a happy, healthy, and successful 2019! 
Joseph McCafferty is Publisher & Editor of Internal Audit 360°