The Auditor's Guide to Internet Resources, 2nd Edition is the only book on the Internet written expressly for internal auditors. Expanded and updated to include the latest Internet trends and resources, the book provides all the Internet competency skills auditors need to become digitally literate. Order your copy now!  Call 877-867-4947 (Toll free in U.S. and Canada) or FAX 770-442-9742 or email iiapubs@pbd.com  Use Order Number KPR320 and receive the IIA member price. It pays to use AuditNet! 

Available on CD-ROM!

AuditNet Free!

AuditNet remains free to the global audit community because it is supported by sponsors. By supporting our sponsors you are supporting AuditNet and ensuring it's continued existence.

If you support our sponsors you help keep AuditNet a free resource to the global audit community. There are many opportunities for corporations and vendors to sponsor the AuditNet site. Contact editor@auditnet.org for information.

What's Good for the Goose... Security Manager Concerns!

It is always worthwhile for auditors to look at the concerns of other information professionals to identify organizational risks. According to a recent security survey of Fortune 1000 companies the top 10 security threats include Internet/intranet security, employee selection, fraud, disaster recovery, theft of software and unethical business conduct. This might be a good time to look at your business risk assessment and see whether any of the identified security threats pose a risk to your organization.  More on this survey can be found at the Pinkerton's Web site.  

Data Recovery Services:
The Cost of Not Backing Up

Recently I learned the hard way how it important it is to back up your data regularly. Like most people running a business from their home I did not pay much attention to a specific routine for scheduled back ups of data on our two computers. Once a month stretched in to two then three and so on. Recently the unthinkable happened. Click here for the "rest of the story" and potential problems with hard disks on HP computers!

AuditNet welcomes Paisley Consulting to the growing list of sponsors. Paisley Consulting sponsors the AuditNet Virtual Library (provide link) and the Search Page (provide link), two of AuditNet's  frequently visited resources. Paisley Consulting offers workflow applications which automate the processes of conducting audits, fraud investigations and criminal investigations. Their toolset offers products which simplify the tasks of scheduling, reporting, and data recovery. Check out their products, ask for a demo, and make sure you mention AuditNet when contacting them. 

Need an answer to to an audit question? Looking for an audit program? Then perhaps you should give the ANA (Ask the 'Net Auditor) forum a try. Send your question along with a contribution of an audit work program, ICQ, checklist, or other audit resource and the audit gurus at AuditNet will try to answer the query to the best of their ability. No guarantees but with the Internet at our side we do a pretty good job!  

Wow! 
New Programs and Workpapers 
Added to AuditNet

The following programs are either text or word format or as indicated. To access the programs in another format go to the AuditNet home page or the  Audit Programs page. 

Accounts Payable Purchasing Audit Program
Audit Guide for Web Based Applications
Bank and Cash
E-commerce Questionnaire and Audit Program (xls)
Fixed Assets 
General Services Expenditures Audit Program (Word)
Human Resources Audit Program (Excel)
IT Audit Checklist (Word)
Internet Review Audit Program (Word)
LAN (Novell 4.1) Audit Program (Word) 
Physical Inventory
Post Balance Sheet Events and Contingencies (Excel)Purchasing/Payables Cycle
Retail Store Audit Program
Unit Trust New Business Audit Program (South Africa) (Word)
Unit Trust Repurchases Audit Program (South Africa) (Word)
Web Server Audit Program

Auditors Sharing Audit Workpapers

Control Self Assessment ICQ (Cadbury) (Word)
Finding Development Worksheet
Summary of Audit Results and Potential Recommendations 

Do you have an audit work program to contribute?  Send it to editor@auditnet.org. To see audit programs that auditors are looking for, go to Audit Programs and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Coming next month!

The following audit programs will be posted next month. Interested in them now? Send an audit work program, ICQ, checklist or other audit template and receive them via e-mail:

Accounts Payable SAP Application Controls
Accounts Payable SAP Risk Matrix 
Gas Production Audit Program
Licensee/Royalty Audit Program
Materials Audit Questionnaire
Oil Refinery Audit Program

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Archives of Posted Messages

Many times auditors want to see what messages were posted to the list to see if their question can be answered there. Also new subscribers have an opportunity to review the archives as another research resource. AuditNet uses a public archive service for both Audit-l and AuditPrograms-l. The URL's to reach these archives is as follows.

Archives for Audit-L www.mail-archive.com/audit-l@list.auditnet.org/

Archives for Auditprograms-l www.mail-archive.com/auditprograms-l@list.auditnet.org/

 

Publication Offers a Discount to AuditNet Users

White-Collar Crime Fighter www.wccfighter.com the only source of exclusive, authoritative "how-to" information for financial crime fighters offers AuditNet users a discounted subscription rate of $77-- a savings of $20 off the regular rate. 

This is a great publication and well worth the annual subscription rate. I find at least one practical article from each issue that helps me focus on fraud issues within my organization! 

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Productivity Tip

Virtual Internet Search Tips for Auditors (VISTA)

I spend a lot of time searching the Internet for audit related resources. I also am asked to do a lot of searching by other auditors either directly through e-mail, via the AuditNet guest page or the Ask the Auditor Forum. I have a high degree of success using one or two search engines. The key is knowing the little tricks that search engines provide for narrowing the search. One of my favorites is using the "+ "sign.  Just something as simple as including + audit in your query can provide positive results. For the next several months I will share with you my techniques for finding solutions to those elusive questions and problems.   

For more productivity tips order a copy of The Auditor's Guide to Internet Resources 2nd Edition from the IIA

 

Looking to make a career change? Go to AuditNet's Audit Jobs section for the latest job opportunities. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week you have the ability to not only look at available jobs, but you can also post your resume, apply for open jobs, research companies and obtain career advice. If you are in the market for a new job, make AuditNet your first stop to check out what's available.

This is just another benefit of using AuditNet as your one stop shop for all your audit and career resources.

Help Keep AuditNet Current!

AuditNet is a tool used by auditors from around
the world. It is therefore very important that the 
links are current.  If you find a link that is out-
dated, broken, or going to the wrong site, be
a helpful user and let us know. Send an email to 
editor@auditnet.org and provide the details in-
cluding the date, URL of the bad address and 
the name of the site. We will do our best to 
either correct the link or remove it so that all
AuditNet users benefit. 

Thanks!  

The Editor

No Budget for Audit Software
(AuditNet Article exclusive from PCProfile)

This month's AuditNet exclusive from PCProfile discusses the issue of overcoming management resistance to investing in software audit tools. The article provides very convincing arguments on why management should be taking this risk seriously!

Click here for the complete AuditNet exclusive! 

Marketing Internal Audit Seminar Soon Available!

Another digital seminar titled "Marketing Internal Audit" is in the planning stage for which we are soliciting information from people who do it successfully.

The CD will be available in the Fall.

Anyone submitting an article, URL not already listed (as a sample), PowerPoint presentation, capabilities brochure, or other material that we use can have copies of the finished CD. We are particularly seeking capabilities brochures and presentation developed by Internal Auditors.

Authors that can author an entire CD can receive royalty payments - contact Joe Pleier at jpleier@pleier.com for details.

ICQ's, Checklists and Forms, OH MY!

In the spirit of continuing to offer new free resources and tools to the global audit community, AuditNet is now accepting contributions of internal control questionnaires, audit checklists and standard forms that auditors use for projects.  The Auditors Sharing Audit Workpapers Project provides you with the opportunity to share your best practice standard forms with other auditors. Send your favorite forms to jmkaplan@ix.netcom.com.

For more workpaper solutions for your audit office check out the following AuditNet sponsors:

Declaring War on Software Pirates 

Save $$ on the 
Software Compliance Auditors Toolkit

Be prepared when the software police come knocking on your door!

AuditNet Users Save $200 - Save $$ and get legal! Check it out!

Employers Seeking Audit Candidates?

Looking to fill an audit position for your organization?

Consider using the AuditNet Audit Jobs area. The page provides exposure to over 17,000 audit professionals every month from all over the world. The Jobs page receives between 3000-4000 hits per month. The cost is low. Tell your HR department about using this option when you are looking for audit candidates. Go to the AuditNet home page at www.auditnet.org and click on Audit Jobs. Click on Post Jobs for posting information.

R.T. Edwards, Inc., the publisher of the Journal of Forensic Accounting offers AuditNet user organizations the opportunity to subscribe at the institutional rate.  A sample article Black Tech Forensics: Collection and Control of Electronic Evidence is available for your review. For more information on the publication go to the discounts page.

CAREER TIPS FOR AUDITORS

Ten Considerations Before Preparing a Resume 

by Robbie Miller Kaplan

A professional I met recently with 26 years of experience was planning to make a transition from the government to another sector. He decided to begin the process by writing his resume. He painfully realized as he struggled through the process that it is imperative to give great thought to transitions before jumping in.

Here are ten things to consider before starting your resume:

1. What would you love to do in a new job or role?

2. Which of your qualifications, credentials, and accomplishments are most attractive to prospective employers?

3. Do you have an existing network to help you with the transition?

4. Who are employers who may need your services?

5. How will you reach them?

6. Have you located job descriptions or announcements for the job you'd love?

8. If not, can you easily acquire them?

9. What are the application requirements for jobs and organizations that interest you?

10.Are your job search techniques up to date?

Once you have answered these questions, it is time to evaluate and assess your work history, accomplishments, skills, education, training, and credentials such as licenses, certifications, publications, and affiliations. It is only after you have done this preliminary analysis that you should begin the documentation necessary for resume preparation. If you begin without adequate thought, research, and reflection you will surely find yourself paralyzed and frustrated in the process.

Good luck!

Each month the AuditNet Resource Newsletter includes a career-related tip from Robbie Miller Kaplan, author of How to Say It in Your Job Search (available November 2001). If you like these tips, check out her books! For more career tips go the Job-Resources Web site at www.job-resources.com.

Book Review 

Digital Analysis Using Benford's Law 

by Mark J. Nigrini

Benford's Law, first identified by Simon Newcomb in 1881, states that if you randomly select a number from a table of physical constants or statistical data, the probability that the first digit will be a "1" is about 30%, rather than 10% as we might expect if all digits were equally likely.

According to Mark Nigrini, the author of Digital Analysis Using Benford's Law, the audit technology known as Digital Analysis (DA), tests for abnormalities in the digit patterns and abnormal number duplication in corporate data. Mr. Nigrini does a formidable job of explaining how to use digital analysis in performing audit tests of data.

For the full book review click here!

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