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Establish an Effective System of Internal IT Controls to Mitigate Risks

The only thing worse than a lack of control is the illusion of control.

  • Deficiencies in controls could result in a serious breach for the company, or worse – your job.
  • Despite these drastic consequences, improving the system of internal controls remains a low priority for many IT organizations and their leaders.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • You don’t need to implement every control. Maximize your risk mitigation at a low cost by focusing on your organization’s greatest risks.

Impact and Result

This research will help you prevent or resolve the following situations:

  • High Risk Operations: Risks that could damage the business are not being mitigated.
  • Lack of Clarity: We don’t know what our controls are. There is no documentation and processes differ from business unit to business unit.
  • Lack of Adherence: Effective internal controls exist, but no one follows them.
  • Lack of Effectiveness: We have controls in place that are followed, but they seem to be ineffective or we don’t know how effective they are.

Establish an Effective System of Internal IT Controls to Mitigate Risks Research & Tools

1. Understand the importance of internal controls

Gain an understanding of the process of establishing a well-designed system of internal controls.

2. Assess need for control

Identify and analyze the severity of IT’s risks; the level of control will be determined by the severity of the risk.

3. Assess control coverage

Map current controls to risks and create an action plan to close the gaps in your current control coverage.

4. Establish controls

Develop and communicate controls effectively to ensure adoption.

5. Monitor and evaluate controls

Adapt to changing risks by continuously and effectively monitoring and evaluating your system of internal controls.

6. Assemble proof of effective controls

Provide artifacts to auditors.

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Risk Management: How to take a targeted approach

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Business Process Controls & Internal Audit

The only thing worse than a lack of control is the illusion of control.
This course makes up part of the Security & Risk Certificate.

Now Playing:
Academy: Business Process Controls & Internal Audit | Executive Brief

An active membership is required to access Info-Tech Academy
  • Course Modules: 5
  • Estimated Completion Time: 2-2.5 hours
  • Featured Analysts:
  • David Yackness, Sr. Research Director, CIO Practice
  • James Alexander, SVP of Research and Advisory, CIO Practice
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Available Soon

Risk Management: How to take a targeted approach

Check back soon to watch this webinar on demand.

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David
Yackness

Info-Tech Research Group

The only thing worse than a lack of control is the illusion of control.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

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Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 4 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.

Guided Implementation 1:
  • Call 1: Assess need for controls

    Assess your current state. Select metrics to measure your system of internal controls, and assess your IT organization’s risks to identify areas in greatest need of internal control. Ask an Info-Tech advisor to review your metrics and provide guidance on your risk analysis.

Guided Implementation 2:
  • Call 1: Assess control coverage

    Assess the gaps in your current control coverage. Use Info-Tech’s Internal Control Prioritization Tool to map your current controls to risks and identify the type of controls you need to be adequately covered against risk. Ask an Info-Tech advisor to help you evaluate the type of controls you need for each risk.

Guided Implementation 3:
  • Call 1: Establish controls

    Determine what the right controls are to implement, design them using best practices, document them to prove their existence, and communicate them to end users to ensure adoption. Ask an Info-Tech advisor to help you select the right controls and provide guidance on establishing them.

Guided Implementation 4:
  • Call 1: Monitor and evaluate

    Risks are constantly changing. Your control system must keep up with the pace of change or become ineffective. Ask an Info-Tech advisor for guidance on monitoring and evaluating your system of internal controls.

Authors

David Yackness

Katie Forth

Contributors

  • Five anonymous organizations contributed information to assist with the development of this Blueprint.
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