Economist article on risks to an open, free and global internet

We read an Economist article recently titled 'A Virtual Counter-Revolution' (Economist, Sept 2, 2010 issue, see link below). The article makes the point that although the internet has been a free and open global communication network, there are now powerful forces threatening to 'balkanize' it into proprietary, restricted and controlled digital spaces.

The main culprits are three separate forces. First, governments are setting limits on what is and what is not acceptable. Second, global companies are carving out their own restricted spaces where they control the activity. Third, large telecom carriers are moving to control and prioritize digital traffic.

We encourage our friends and clients to take a look at this interesting article.
http://www4.economist.com/node/16941635

IT Audit Standards from ISACA and IIA

We have just updated ourselves on the latest IT audit standards from ISACA and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) – our senior management are members of both organizations.

It is worth mentioning that the ISACA IT Audit and Assurance Standards S10 ‘IT Governance’ and S11 ‘Use of Risk Assessment in Audit Planning’ are subject areas that have presented difficulties to many IT audit shops. IT Governance has gotten a lot of attention in recent years and rightfully so in our opinion. ISACA has volumes of information on this subject.

We encourage industry professionals to review these standards. Not only are these standards required of ISACA members, but they can be seen as ‘best practices.’

http://www.isaca.org/Knowledge-Center/Standards/Pages/Standards-for-IT-Audit-and-Assurance-English-.aspx