Publications

November 14, 2011
Behind the Renewed Focus on Mandatory Auditor Rotation
The PCAOB has recently begun assessing the potential benefits, costs and unintended consequences of requiring periodic rotation of auditors by SEC registrants. Advocates of term limits believe rotation could address the conflict of the auditor being paid by the auditee, but the potential for additional costs and disruption to companies are also important factors. Inside, Columnist Robert Herz assesses both sides of the issue.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: External Auditor, PCAOB, Section 404-Internal Control Reporting, Laws & Regulations

November 14, 2011
Organizational Balance
Organizational balance is an essential requirement for successful risk management. The degree of tension between business units and risk managers should be appropriate to manage the risk successfully. The prospective requirement in the United States for independent board-level risk committees may support improvement in this area at the very top of major financial institutions.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: Audit Committee & Board, Enterprise Risk Management, Risk Assessment, Strategic Risk, Performance Management/Measurement, Segregation of Duties, Self-Assessment

November 14, 2011
Poll: Mandatory Auditor Rotation
This week’s poll question asks, "If the PCAOB's proposed auditor rotation rule comes into effect, how do you think it will impact the quality of external audits?"
CONTENT AREA: Polls
TOPICS: External Auditor, PCAOB, Section 404-Internal Control Reporting, Laws & Regulations

November 14, 2011
The U.K. and the EU Data Protection Directives
This section of "The Global Privacy and Information Security Landscape: Frequently Asked Questions" focuses on the U.K. and the EU data protection directives. Topics covered include: How has the United Kingdom addressed the EU Data Protection Directives? Which authority in the United Kingdom administers compliance with the General DP Directive? And, what geographical areas are covered by the U.K. DPA?
CONTENT AREA: Questions & Answers
TOPICS: Cross Border & Non-US Issues, European Union, United Kingdom, Security, Laws & Regulations, Privacy

November 14, 2011
Top Business Challenges in 2012
Over the past year, the economic environment has shown signs of stabilizing. However, recent events suggest the seas are likely to remain choppy for some time. There are many factors contributing to the uncertainty businesses face as they look to the future. In this podcast, Protiviti President and CEO Joe Tarantino reviews some of the top challenges companies must address in 2012.
CONTENT AREA: Podcasts
TOPICS: Internal Audit, Audit Committee & Board, Audit Planning, Performance Management/Measurement

November 7, 2011
6 Steps to Security Policy Excellence
Achieving and maintaining security policy compliance becomes more difficult to sustain as organizations grow, become more geographically dispersed and more highly regulated. But, it doesn't have to be this way.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: Risk Assessment, Security, Governance Risk & Compliance

November 7, 2011
Healthcare Internal Auditors Prioritize Where They Need to Improve
Emerging risks, ICD-10 compliance, numerous other regulatory demands, and the ongoing process of balancing strategic contributions and tactical work represent the top areas in need of improvement among internal auditors in the healthcare industry. These and dozens of other priorities for improvement represent insights culled from Protiviti’s “2011 Internal Audit Capabilities and Needs Survey.” This article first presents key findings from this study and then focuses on results from the survey’s U.S. healthcare industry respondents.
CONTENT AREA: Articles
TOPICS: Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals Industry, Internal Audit, Audit Committee & Board, Compliance, Laws & Regulations

November 7, 2011
Preparing a Technology Company for an IPO
After several years of relative dormancy, interest in IPOs is surging again; but the landscape for a company going public has changed significantly, requiring these organizations to plan carefully and diligently. In this podcast, Protiviti Managing Directors Steve Hobbs and Gordon Tucker discuss the steps technology firms should take to undergo a successful public offering.
CONTENT AREA: Podcasts
TOPICS: Financial Reporting, Technology Industry, Initial Public Offering, Performance Management/Measurement

November 7, 2011
Reducing the Risk of Rogue Trading
Recent public disclosures by a major bank that it had incurred around $2 billion in trading losses serves as a wake-up call on what can happen when trading financial derivatives goes awry. Because this situation is neither new nor limited to the financial services industry, boards and senior executives may want to evaluate their organization’s use of financial instruments that can have explosive consequences if not used properly or as authorized. This issue of Board Perspectives: Risk Oversight focuses on such matters as “tone at the top” and effective internal control as well as some important questions for boards and senior executives to consider.
CONTENT AREA: Newsletters
TOPICS: Audit Committee & Board, Enterprise Risk Management, Strategic Risk, Entity-Level Control

November 7, 2011
Refocusing the Internal Audit Agenda: Capitalizing on Changing Expectations (重订内部审计工作重点：变中求机)
国际内部审计师协会(IIA)在多年前将内部审计正式定义为“一种独立、客观的确认和咨询活动，旨在增加价值和改善组织运营”。此定义侧重于广泛的评估和改善活动，即“风险管理、控制和治理过程”。时至今日，仍然有人认为IIA的定义是超前的，因为很多内部审计职能仍然缺乏必要的知识和技能，以致无法扩大审计计划的工作重点来执行全部活动。本期通讯探讨了一些促使内部审计职能期望上升的因素，并概述了首席审计执行官——在管理层和审计委员会的协助下——应当如何应对这些挑战。
CONTENT AREA: Newsletters
TOPICS: Strategic Risk, Internal Audit, Audit Committee & Board, Change Management, Performance Management/Measurement, China