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- The value of IT investment becomes clearer for CFOs
Chief financial officers are realizing that IT can be used for business and strategic advantage, according to a Gartner survey of U.S.-based CFOs. Top IT-investment priorities are information and financial analysis, followed by information management and knowledge sharing. The survey also found that an increasing number of CFOs are becoming involved with the IT department. CIO.com.au (Australia)
(11/21)     
- How to assess a cloud-computing project
Chief financial officers have to weigh trade-offs when approving a cloud-computing project. Author, systems architect and consultant Dan Sullivan offers a checklist of issues CFOs should consider, including understanding service risk, planning for outages, assessing service-level agreements, reviewing compliance procedures and estimating deployment costs. TechTarget.com/SearchCloudComputing
(11/1)
- Cloud computing could be answer to disaster recovery
Technology researcher Gartner forecast that nearly a third of midsize companies will use cloud computing for disaster recovery by 2014. Though cloud computing could be an important piece of a disaster-recovery strategy, companies should carefully vet the provider's capabilities, writes Rob Livingstone, author of "Navigating Through the Cloud." CFO.com
(11/14)
| Emerging Trends | | |
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- What CPAs need to know about Windows 8
Microsoft's game plan with Windows 8 is to establish a consistent user interface across smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops to encourage business users to stay with Microsoft as computing shifts to mobile and the cloud, writes Jeff Drew, senior editor of the Journal of Accountancy. Whether Microsoft remains the dominant business player remains to be seen. Drew warns that Microsoft's fate will affect every accountant as Windows and Excel are staples in the industry. AICPA Insights
(11/28)
- How to limit online shopping at work
Lost productivity because of online shopping is a concern for companies this time of year. Companies can limit shopping with work devices using next-generation firewalls that block certain websites or software that monitors employees' Internet usage. JournalofAccountancy.com
(11/25)
- Compliance in the cloud brings questions
Regulatory compliance and use of cloud computing raise many questions, writes Edwin Schouten of IBM Global Technology Services. Can the cloud provider guarantee that data are erased once a service contract is terminated or when a single service within a contract is terminated? How does the right to audit apply to cloud providers? "Perhaps the future will bring an end-to-end scoped industry certification and continuous, fully automated auditing mechanisms that guarantee 'real-time' compliance," he writes. Wired.com
(11/28)
| Security Corner | | |
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- Some cyberdefense strategies carry legal risk
Some approaches being advocated for cyberdefense might be illegal, writes Jody Westby, CEO of Global Cyber Risk. Tactics such as hacking back, striking back or active defense might "result in significant criminal penalties and civil liabilities for the companies and personnel who engage in them," she writes. Forbes
(11/29)
- Borderless enterprises must adopt new cybersecurity framework
A borderless enterprise requires a different approach to security and enterprise architecture, writes
Nicholas Evans, who leads strategic innovation at Unisys. "In a borderless enterprise, the traditional security perimeter no longer exists," he writes. "Organizations are now faced with the task of securing highly virtualized IT environments that embrace cloud, mobile and social computing and server virtualization." Computerworld
(11/27)
| Regulatory & Legislative | | |
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- White House wants input on cybersecurity executive order
The Obama administration is seeking input from industry sources on how to craft an executive order to implement provisions of a failed cybersecurity bill. However, an executive order, unlike a law, cannot address all elements of the defeated legislation, such as liability protection for information sharing and increased criminal penalties for cyberattackers. eWeek
(11/27)
| IMTA Community News & Events | | |
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Interactive IT Case Study for Accounting Professionals
The AICPA Information Management and Technology Assurance Section has developed the Interactive IT Case Study for Accounting Professionals. The training provides an interactive environment to address top technology concerns by accounting professionals and offers a snapshot of what professionals need to know. In the case study, the user acts as a company's new chief financial officer and decides to assess the business' vulnerability to cyberthreats and explore emerging technology.
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Resources are available to prepare for the CITP examination
The Complete Guide to the CITP Body of Knowledge is available to accounting professionals interested in information management and technology assurance. This guide is an in-depth and comprehensive review of fundamental concepts of the CITP Body of Knowledge. It is designed not only to assist in a candidate's preparation for the CITP examination but also to enhance the user's knowledge base in the marketplace. The guide is also available as a self-study course through continuing professional education. Note: Information Management and Technology Assurance Section members and CITP credential holders receive an additional discount of as much as 32% off the AICPA member price on both products. Visit the CITP exam Web page for more resources to help you prepare.
| AICPA News | | |
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2013 Practitioners Symposium and Tech+ Conference, in partnership with the Association for Accounting Marketing Summit
The 2013 Practitioners Symposium and TECH+ Conference, in partnership with the Association for Accounting Marketing Summit, will help you define a clear path for the future by providing the latest learning, tools and technological information to keep you on the cutting edge. Gain knowledge on the latest business- and practice-management topics. Explore emerging technology and how a dramatic shift toward mobile and cloud-based solutions has changed the way business is conducted. Register! Note: Information Management and Technology Assurance Section members and CITP credential holders save an additional $100 or $125, respectively, off the AICPA member price.
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | People always call it luck when you've acted more sensibly than they have."
--Anne Tyler,
American novelist
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| AICPA IMTA Section Resources |
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| About the Information Management and Technology Assurance Section |
The AICPA's Information Management and Technology Assurance Section supports CPAs with a focus in ensuring data reliability, relevance, and availability
using technology. The use of technology also enables CPAs to manage financial information effectively. The
IMTA Section resources provide valuable information to help members achieve profitability for their organizations and of their clients.
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| About the Certified Information Technology Professional Credential |
The Certified Information Technology Professional
credential distinguishes CPAs who leverage technology to provide expertise in information assurance,
internal controls, business process improvement, data analytics, and enhanced business reporting.
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| | Recent InfoTech Update Issues:
- Thursday, November 01, 2012
- Thursday, October 04, 2012
- Thursday, September 06, 2012
- Thursday, August 02, 2012
- Thursday, July 05, 2012
| | | Lead Editor: Tom Anderson
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