Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance: Fundamentals and Practice

Course overview

Description generated based on course syllabus and open data.

This course focuses on how information systems auditing, controls and assurance support risk management, compliance, and data integrity. It covers core IS controls across the SDLC, change management controls, and methods and standards commonly used in IT audit practice (including ISACA and CISA as industry references).

Who IS auditing, controls and assurance suit, and who they do not

Suitable for

• Students and graduates in IS, IT, and computer science seeking foundational IS auditing and assurance knowledge.
• IT practitioners involved in security, compliance, risk management, or SDLC who want structured understanding of controls.
• Analysts and administrators working with change control, access, and data integrity.

Not suitable for

• Those expecting deep preparation for advanced penetration testing or cryptographic engineering.
• Those seeking only tool-specific instructions without the theoretical basis of IS auditing and assurance.

IS challenges and expected outcomes of controls and assurance

• Challenge: data privacy and access risks → Outcome: enforced authorization controls, logging, and access segmentation.
• Challenge: regulatory non-compliance → Outcome: control-to-requirement mapping, verification procedures, and audit evidence.
• Challenge: unmanaged system changes → Outcome: formal change management, reviews, and documented emergency changes.
• Challenge: SDLC risks (from analysis to deployment) → Outcome: audit checkpoints in each phase, testing and acceptance.

Comparison with alternatives in information systems auditing

Self-study

Flexible, but may lack a structured control logic across SDLC and examples of audit evidence.

External consulting

Provides expertise for specific projects, yet may not build an internal baseline for IS assurance practices.

In-house training

Useful for local policies and processes, but often limited to internal practices without broader ISACA-aligned perspective.

Learning outcomes in IS auditing, controls and assurance

• Understand IS risks and select appropriate controls aligned to business processes.
• Plan and perform basic IS audit procedures within the SDLC.
• Document observations, compile evidence, and draft control recommendations.
• Apply fundamentals of change management controls, including emergency changes.
• Navigate IS auditing standards and ethics (ISACA) as a basis for further professional development, including CISA.