Computer Audit Topics. It is important that companies have internal audit departments with separate computer audit functions. Indeed, the computer audit profession has emerged in the past decade with its own professional certification programme (the Certified Information Systems Auditor) and its own set of auditing standards.

Required

A. Review audit journals recommended by your instructor (the CIS Auditor journal and The Internal Auditor are possibilities) for the past two years and prepare a list of computer audit topics addressed in each journal. Prepare a summary of topics covered. Classify the topics and use the classification as a basis for determining an aspect of the scope of computer audit activities.

B. Interview a computer auditor and inquire about the nature of audit work performed.

Review his or her audit plan for a year.

C. To what extent, and under what conditions, might the external auditor utilize the work of an internal computer auditor in either performing substantive testing or in assessing control risk associated with a client's computerized environment?

D. List 5 to 10 audit activities pertaining to a computerized environment in which an internal computer audit function might have a competitive advantage in performing detailed analysis over the external auditor.

Briefly indicate why you believe the competitive advantage might exist with the internal computer audit function.