Generalized Audit Software
Because the author's experience and knowledge of GAS is primarily limited to ACL, that is the software used to demonstrate the value of implementing GAS in this article. For more software products, see the exhibit in the Bagranoff and Henry article, cited in footnote 3, and the list of GAS in the Sayana article, cited in footnote 1.
Experts say that generalized audit software (GAS) is the most common computer-assisted audit tool (CAAT) used in recent years. There are many reasons today for IT auditors to use a GAS, but to quote an article from this Journal, "Performing audits without using information technology is hardly an option."1 This article will inform IT auditors of the profitable return on learning and using GAS.
A number of issues motivate IT auditors to use GAS products, such as ACL, CA's Easytrieve, Statistical Analysis System (SAS), Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and IDEA. First, there is the focus on fraud in recent years. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and its 2004 "Report to the Nation" survey on fraud, more than 60 percent of all frauds are detected either by a tip or by accident. While internal audit has moved up on the list, there is clearly room for more proactive antifraud programs. One of the best ways to be proactive is to use a GAS to develop a cornucopia of computerized antifraud audit procedures that are run regularly against organizational databases.
Second, there is the issue of US Sarbanes-Oxley Act section 404. In a Journal article on Sarbanes-Oxley software, several GAS software products are included in the list provided in the authors' exhibit on data manipulation software.2 This indicates that GAS can be useful in testing internal controls embedded in information systems.
A third issue motivating auditors to use GAS software is that the demands on IT and internal auditors are increasing. Auditors will need to become more efficient to fulfill all of the responsibilities and tasks
Experts say that generalized audit software (GAS) is the most common computer-assisted audit tool (CAAT) used in recent years. There are many reasons today for IT auditors to use a GAS, but to quote an article from this Journal, "Performing audits without using information technology is hardly an option."1 This article will inform IT auditors of the profitable return on learning and using GAS.
A number of issues motivate IT auditors to use GAS products, such as ACL, CA's Easytrieve, Statistical Analysis System (SAS), Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and IDEA. First, there is the focus on fraud in recent years. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and its 2004 "Report to the Nation" survey on fraud, more than 60 percent of all frauds are detected either by a tip or by accident. While internal audit has moved up on the list, there is clearly room for more proactive antifraud programs. One of the best ways to be proactive is to use a GAS to develop a cornucopia of computerized antifraud audit procedures that are run regularly against organizational databases.
Second, there is the issue of US Sarbanes-Oxley Act section 404. In a Journal article on Sarbanes-Oxley software, several GAS software products are included in the list provided in the authors' exhibit on data manipulation software.2 This indicates that GAS can be useful in testing internal controls embedded in information systems.
A third issue motivating auditors to use GAS software is that the demands on IT and internal auditors are increasing. Auditors will need to become more efficient to fulfill all of the responsibilities and tasks