Information technology plays a pivotal role in financial control and audit: most if not all financial data is now digitally recorded, and dispersed among servers, clouds and networks of computers over which the audited firm has no control. Additionally, firm data – particularly in finance, software, insurance and biotech firms – comprises most of the audited value of the firm. Financial audits are critical mechanisms ensuring the integrity of information systems and the reporting of organizational finances. They help avoid the abuses that led to passage of legislation such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. They help provide assurance that International Accounting Standards are consistently applied in calculating firm value, and avoid period stock market crashes. Unfortunately, audit effectiveness has rapidly declined over the past decade as auditor skillsets have failed to keep up with advances in information technology.Information and communications technology lie at the core of commerce today, and are integrated in business processes around the world. The need for information technology control and audit has never been greater, or more complex. This book is designed to meet the increasing need of audit professionals to understand information technology and the controls required to manage it. It provides a broad survey of IT audit, and develops the foundations for preparation for the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) examination. Read Less