M.Comm. (Computer Auditing) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This dissertation examines how differences between the strategic-systems audit approach and the traditional, transaction-based audit approach affect the content and complexity of client business knowledge in long-term memory, how these mental representations develop with experience, and how the representations affect risk assessment. Knowledge of the client?s business is essential to conducting an effective and efficient audit, but researchers have devoted little attention to how this knowledge is represented in memory and what effect it has on audit judgment. Moreover, proponents of the strategic-systems approach argue that this approach leads to the formation of a more-complex client business model and results in better audit judgments than the transaction-based approach. The study?s results contradict these claims, with the strategic-systems auditors having less-complex models than their TBA counterparts. Also, no experience-related differences were found in the client models, and risk assessments were only weakly affected by content and complexity differences between client models. After a variety of supplemental analyses, it was concluded that there is no evidence from this dissertation to suggest that the SSA methodology does not result in an auditor possessing an enhanced knowledge of the client?s business compared to that possessed by an auditor employing a traditional audit approach.

This dissertation examines how differences between the strategic-systems audit approach and the traditional, transaction-based audit approach affect the content and complexity of client business knowledge in long-term memory, how these mental representations develop with experience, and how the representations affect risk assessment. Knowledge of the client?s business is essential to conducting an effective and efficient audit, but researchers have devoted little attention to how this knowledge is represented in memory and what effect it has on audit judgment. Moreover, proponents of the strategic-systems approach argue that this approach leads to the formation of a more-complex client business model and results in better audit judgments than the transaction-based approach. The study?s results contradict these claims, with the strategic-systems auditors having less-complex models than their TBA counterparts. Also, no experience-related differences were found in the client models, and risk assessments were only weakly affected by content and complexity differences between client models. After a variety of supplemental analyses, it was concluded that there is no evidence from this dissertation to suggest that the SSA methodology does not result in an auditor possessing an enhanced knowledge of the client?s business compared to that possessed by an auditor employing a traditional audit approach.

The increasing dependence upon Information Systems (IS) in the last few decades by businesses has resulted in many concerns regarding auditing. Traditional IS auditing has changed from auditing "around the computer" to a hands-on approach (auditing through and with the computer). Technology is changing rapidly and so is the profession of IS auditing. As IS auditing is dependent on Infonnation Technology (IT), it is essential that an IS auditor possesses IT and auditing knowledge to bridge the gap between the IT and auditing professions. The aim of the study is to: 1) define the roles and responsibilities expected from IS auditors, based on the different types of audit assignments and the steps involved in perfonning an IS audit assignment; 2) describe the basic IT and audit knowledge required from IS auditors based on the roles and responsibilities identified; 3) describe the soft skills required from IS auditors to successfully perfonn an IS audit assignment; 4) define the main types of IS audit tools and techniques used most often to assist IS auditors in executing IS audit roles and responsibilities; and 5) establish an IS auditor's profile based on the 4 characteristics defined above / Computing / M.Sc.

A comunidade empresarial e os profissionais de Sistemas e Processamento de Dados enfrentam atualmente um novo tipo de desafio: A ameaça dos computadores. O crescente volume de computadores e a larga utilização das tecnologias de teleprocessamento e de redes estão levando as organizações à crescente dependencia de sua Estrutura de Informatica e de seu principal produto: os sistemas de informação e os demais elementos a eles associados. Não é dificil constatar que o impacto destas tecnologias tem sido absorvido apenas parcialmente não só por usuários mas tambem pelos profissionais. De fato o desenvolvimento dos computadores não é acompanhado pelo correspondente desenvolvimento dos princípios de Administração de Processamento de Dados. Isso significa que os princípios e normas administrativos e de controle para este tipo de atividade não se encontram no estágio desejado, isto é, não foram estabelecidos princípios e normas definitivos para obter-se uma area de Processamento de Dados completamente segura e confiável. Esta \"janela aberta\" é, como consequência, o caminho mais curto para práticas criminosas e erros generalizados, os quais resultarão em danos ás operações e aos ativos das organizações. O conceito de segurança amplamente utilizado atualmente refere-se mais à segurança física e não inclui todos os componentes de uma área de Processamento de Dados, como deveria ser compreendida, a saber: a) As instalações físicas - Incluindo equipamentos, softwares, instalações, equipamentos auxiliares, linhas telefonicas, etc. b) Os sistemas de informação por computador (sistemas \"batch\" tradicionais) c) Os Sistemas de Informação por computador que utilizam tecnologias avançadas tais como Banco de Dados e Comunicação de Dados Neste estudo propõe-se que o conceito de segurança seja extendiido a todos os elementos do ambiente de processamento de dados, como um fator que contribui para sua integridade e eficácia. Este trabalho contribui para o estudo da administração em Processamento de Dados pois apresenta, para cada elemento de uma área de Processamento de Dados as causas de ameaças e os controles mais importantes na redução do impacto dessas causas. / The business community and the Data Processing and Information Systems professionals are facing today a new kind of challenge: the Computer threat. The increasing number of installed computers and the large utilization of teleprocessing and networking techniques are pushing the organizations to be greatly dependent on the Information Processing Facility and its final product: the computerized information systems and the associated environment. It is not very difficult to verify that the impact of this fast growing technology has been only partially absorbed not only by users but also by the computer professionals. In fact, the computer development is not being followed by the corresponding development of the Data Processing Administration Principles. This means that the control and administration guidelines for this type of activity are not in the desirable stage, i.e., no final conclusions have been set up on how to obtain a completely secure and reliable Data Processing Installation. This open Window is, as a consequence, the shortest way for criminal practices and generalized errors which will result in the damage of the organizations assets and operations. The concept of security largely used today refers mostly to the physical security and does not cover all the components of the Data Processing Installation as it should be understood: a) The Physical Installation - including the hardware, software, lay-out, auxiliary equipment, telephone lines , etc.. b) The computerized information system (formal batch system) c) The computerized information systems using advanced techniques such as Data Base and Data Communication. d) The Process of Information Systems Development (Methodology) In this study, we propose that the concept of security be extended to all the elements of the Data Processing environment, as a basic factor which contributes to its integrity and effectiveness. As a contribution to the study of the Data Processing Administration, we present, for each element, the most critical causes of exposures and the most important controls which may reduce the impact of these causes.

The increasing dependence upon Information Systems (IS) in the last few decades by businesses has resulted in many concerns regarding auditing. Traditional IS auditing has changed from auditing "around the computer" to a hands-on approach (auditing through and with the computer). Technology is changing rapidly and so is the profession of IS auditing. As IS auditing is dependent on Infonnation Technology (IT), it is essential that an IS auditor possesses IT and auditing knowledge to bridge the gap between the IT and auditing professions. The aim of the study is to: 1) define the roles and responsibilities expected from IS auditors, based on the different types of audit assignments and the steps involved in perfonning an IS audit assignment; 2) describe the basic IT and audit knowledge required from IS auditors based on the roles and responsibilities identified; 3) describe the soft skills required from IS auditors to successfully perfonn an IS audit assignment; 4) define the main types of IS audit tools and techniques used most often to assist IS auditors in executing IS audit roles and responsibilities; and 5) establish an IS auditor's profile based on the 4 characteristics defined above / Computing / M.Sc.

A comunidade empresarial e os profissionais de Sistemas e Processamento de Dados enfrentam atualmente um novo tipo de desafio: A ameaça dos computadores. O crescente volume de computadores e a larga utilização das tecnologias de teleprocessamento e de redes estão levando as organizações à crescente dependencia de sua Estrutura de Informatica e de seu principal produto: os sistemas de informação e os demais elementos a eles associados. Não é dificil constatar que o impacto destas tecnologias tem sido absorvido apenas parcialmente não só por usuários mas tambem pelos profissionais. De fato o desenvolvimento dos computadores não é acompanhado pelo correspondente desenvolvimento dos princípios de Administração de Processamento de Dados. Isso significa que os princípios e normas administrativos e de controle para este tipo de atividade não se encontram no estágio desejado, isto é, não foram estabelecidos princípios e normas definitivos para obter-se uma area de Processamento de Dados completamente segura e confiável. Esta \"janela aberta\" é, como consequência, o caminho mais curto para práticas criminosas e erros generalizados, os quais resultarão em danos ás operações e aos ativos das organizações. O conceito de segurança amplamente utilizado atualmente refere-se mais à segurança física e não inclui todos os componentes de uma área de Processamento de Dados, como deveria ser compreendida, a saber: a) As instalações físicas - Incluindo equipamentos, softwares, instalações, equipamentos auxiliares, linhas telefonicas, etc. b) Os sistemas de informação por computador (sistemas \"batch\" tradicionais) c) Os Sistemas de Informação por computador que utilizam tecnologias avançadas tais como Banco de Dados e Comunicação de Dados Neste estudo propõe-se que o conceito de segurança seja extendiido a todos os elementos do ambiente de processamento de dados, como um fator que contribui para sua integridade e eficácia. Este trabalho contribui para o estudo da administração em Processamento de Dados pois apresenta, para cada elemento de uma área de Processamento de Dados as causas de ameaças e os controles mais importantes na redução do impacto dessas causas. / The business community and the Data Processing and Information Systems professionals are facing today a new kind of challenge: the Computer threat. The increasing number of installed computers and the large utilization of teleprocessing and networking techniques are pushing the organizations to be greatly dependent on the Information Processing Facility and its final product: the computerized information systems and the associated environment. It is not very difficult to verify that the impact of this fast growing technology has been only partially absorbed not only by users but also by the computer professionals. In fact, the computer development is not being followed by the corresponding development of the Data Processing Administration Principles. This means that the control and administration guidelines for this type of activity are not in the desirable stage, i.e., no final conclusions have been set up on how to obtain a completely secure and reliable Data Processing Installation. This open Window is, as a consequence, the shortest way for criminal practices and generalized errors which will result in the damage of the organizations assets and operations. The concept of security largely used today refers mostly to the physical security and does not cover all the components of the Data Processing Installation as it should be understood: a) The Physical Installation - including the hardware, software, lay-out, auxiliary equipment, telephone lines , etc.. b) The computerized information system (formal batch system) c) The computerized information systems using advanced techniques such as Data Base and Data Communication. d) The Process of Information Systems Development (Methodology) In this study, we propose that the concept of security be extended to all the elements of the Data Processing environment, as a basic factor which contributes to its integrity and effectiveness. As a contribution to the study of the Data Processing Administration, we present, for each element, the most critical causes of exposures and the most important controls which may reduce the impact of these causes.