Message from Chairman, IT Committee for ISA members – May 2005

Dear Members,

I welcome you to this issue of IT Harmony on Systems and Process Assurance (SPA). I am sure you would have found the last issue on “Life Cycle Management” informative and appropriate to the current Indian economic scenario.

Recently, I read an interesting statement made by the eminent professor of Computer Sciences Dr Eugene H. Spafford :

“The only truly secure system is one that is powered off, cast in a block of concrete and sealed in a lead-lined room with armed guards -- and even then I have my doubts”

In reality, however, one cannot deny that a strong System and Process Assurance enables the business firms to make viable decisions towards accomplishing the organizational goals. In an e-commerce world, where controls and interdependency have no geographic or organizational boundaries, it becomes imperative that due guidance is available for managing systems and technology at all levels of the organization.

System And Process Assurance has become an increasingly significant requirement in the growing e-commerce world. The SPA Group is an integral group of assurance with particular expertise in areas of systems, processes, controls and information technology providing:

• Expertise for management and control systems with special emphasis on compliance and regulations
  
• Independent analysis, assessments and improvements of systems and processes that support governance, control and compliance.

In this scenario, the current IT Harmony deals with System and Process Assurance. The articles highlight on the importance and the need for Assurance at various levels on different aspects of business. When the audit practices have totally taken a shift in its focus, the article on Tips to Tech Accountants with the triple “A” test on systems audit, I am sure, will be of help to the upcoming System Auditors to update their knowledge base.

I have great pleasure in informing you that the workshop on “IS Audit of Banks/ Banking Application” on effective application of SPA for banks has received positive feedback. We propose to hold such workshops on request by interested banks. The request for such workshops may be sent at secyitc@icai.org .

Similar workshop is proposed to be organized at Chennai Proof of Concept Laboratory on May 14, 2005. Further, a workshop on use of “CAAT Tools Application” is also scheduled at Chennai on May 22, 2005. Details of these workshops are available on the ISA Portal at www.isaicai.org.

I wish success to members taking the ISA ET on May 14, 2005.

With regards,

S. Gopalakrishnan
Chairman
Committee on Information Technology

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