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| 1 | #+date: <2025-05-30 Fri 10:53:28> | |
| 2 | #+title: Future-Proof Your Audit Career: Emerging Technologies | |
| 3 | #+description: Practical steps for auditors looking to break into AI, blockchain, cloud, DevOps, and automation-focused assurance roles. | |
| 4 | #+filetags: :audit: | |
| 5 | #+slug: it-audit-career | |
| 6 | ||
| 7 | * Introduction | |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | As trends have shown, the auditing and assurance world is increasingly becoming | |
| 10 | overwhelmed with topics like [[https://kpmg.com/xx/en/what-we-do/services/ai/trusted-ai-framework.html][AI]], [[https://pcaobus.org/Documents/Audits-Involving-Cryptoassets-Spotlight.pdf][Digital Assets]], [[https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2023/building-trust-cloud-environments.html][Cloud]], [[https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2023/role-of-internal-audit-devops.html][DevOps]], and [[https://kpmg.com/ch/en/insights/technology/audit-transformation.html][Automation]]. | |
| 11 | ||
| 12 | While these trends are rapidly transforming businesses and industries, audit | |
| 13 | firms and departments are working hard to ensure they stay aligned with business | |
| 14 | objectives. | |
| 15 | ||
| 16 | Throughout my career, I've seen topics like "AI" evolve from LLM-based projects | |
| 17 | used by data scientists to everyday tools accessible to the masses and integrated | |
| 18 | directly into business operations. | |
| 19 | ||
| 20 | As an auditor, skills in emerging technologies are an invaluable asset that can | |
| 21 | translate into massive career opportunities and long-term job security. | |
| 22 | ||
| 23 | I have experienced this firsthand as topics like automation, AI, cloud | |
| 24 | assurance, and DevOps have kept me in a secure position with significant potential | |
| 25 | for growth and learning. | |
| 26 | ||
| 27 | In this post, I'm going to walk through the process of becoming skilled in an | |
| 28 | emerging technology and how to translate that into a rewarding audit career. | |
| 29 | ||
| 30 | * Step 1: Build a Strong Foundation in Audit & Risk | |
| 31 | ||
| 32 | To start, I want to note that learning about emerging technologies is only | |
| 33 | useful if you already have a base in auditing. You can't audit a cloud | |
| 34 | environment with cloud knowledge alone — you also need to understand the | |
| 35 | fundamentals of auditing. | |
| 36 | ||
| 37 | If you find that you're highly technical already, focus your time on learning | |
| 38 | audit standards and guidance. | |
| 39 | ||
| 40 | You can customize this to any frameworks applicable to your company or industry, | |
| 41 | but these are generally the baseline for an audit career: | |
| 42 | ||
| 43 | - [[https://www.coso.org/Pages/default.aspx][COSO]] | |
| 44 | - [[https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework][NIST CSF]] | |
| 45 | - [[https://www.iso.org/isoiec-27001-information-security.html][ISO/IEC 27001]] | |
| 46 | - [[https://pcaobus.org/][PCAOB]] | |
| 47 | - [[https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/assurance][AICPA]] | |
| 48 | ||
| 49 | The consistent theme throughout these frameworks is that audits rely on | |
| 50 | independent parties who provide consistent documentation, appropriate | |
| 51 | considerations of risks and responses, scoping, and reporting. | |
| 52 | ||
| 53 | One of the easiest ways to get this knowledge is by doing. While it can be | |
| 54 | challenging, the concept is straightforward. If you are working in a role within | |
| 55 | a department like internal audit, external audit, risk, compliance, etc., focus | |
| 56 | on performing your role exceptionally and continuously challenge yourself to | |
| 57 | learn more about audit and risk each day you work. | |
| 58 | ||
| 59 | * Step 2: Learn the Tech That's Changing the Profession | |
| 60 | ||
| 61 | Getting to the point of this post, there's a wide range of technologies transforming the audit | |
| 62 | world. To accelerate career growth and discover a niche you enjoy, I've compiled | |
| 63 | a short list of topics that are currently (1) growing in demand, (2) have a need | |
| 64 | for more experts within the audit field, and (3) are expected to remain relevant. | |
| 65 | ||
| 66 | - *Automation & Data Analytics*: Alteryx, Python, Power BI, Tableau | |
| 67 | - *Cloud*: AWS, Azure, GCP, IBM | |
| 68 | - *Blockchain*: Decentralization, smart contracts, chain of custody | |
| 69 | - *DevOps*: Azure DevOps, CI/CD, DevSecOps, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins | |
| 70 | - *AI/ML*: AI in business, AI in auditing, AI assurance | |
| 71 | ||
| 72 | #+BEGIN_QUOTE | |
| 73 | *Pro Tip*: Tackle one area at a time. You don't need to become an expert, but | |
| 74 | make sure you learn enough to conceptualize the technologies and logic behind | |
| 75 | the topics you're auditing. | |
| 76 | ||
| 77 | If you focus on one at a time, you can dedicate time to that sole topic to | |
| 78 | understand it more deeply before moving on to the next. | |
| 79 | #+END_QUOTE | |
| 80 | ||
| 81 | * Step 3: Earn Certifications That Signal Credibility | |
| 82 | ||
| 83 | If you don't have much experience, or can't demonstrate your knowledge in a | |
| 84 | particular area due to job constraints or otherwise, you can utilize courses | |
| 85 | and certifications to boost your credibility. This is an effective way to | |
| 86 | establish credibility and demonstrate your qualifications. | |
| 87 | ||
| 88 | - [[https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cisa][CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)]]: Core certification for IT | |
| 89 | auditors covering systems, controls, governance, and assurance. | |
| 90 | - [[https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/certifications/azure-fundamentals/][Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)]] / [[https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-cloud-practitioner/][AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner]]: Entry-level | |
| 91 | cloud certifications covering core cloud concepts, services, pricing, and | |
| 92 | security. | |
| 93 | - [[https://www.alteryx.com/certification/designer-core][Alteryx Designer Core Certification]]: Validates your ability to build data | |
| 94 | prep, blending, and analytics workflows in Alteryx. | |
| 95 | - [[https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/ibm-data-science][IBM Data Science Professional Certificate]] (via Coursera): Teaches data | |
| 96 | science fundamentals, Python, SQL, and AI basics; popular for aspiring data | |
| 97 | auditors and analysts. | |
| 98 | - Entry-level technical certifications: | |
| 99 | - [[https://pythoninstitute.org/pcep][PCEP (Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer) by Python Institute]] | |
| 100 | - [[https://www.edx.org/learn/artificial-intelligence][AI certifications on edX]] covering foundations, governance, and AI ethics. | |
| 101 | - [[https://www.blockchain-council.org/certifications/certified-blockchain-professional-expert/][Certified Blockchain Expert]] | |
| 102 | ||
| 103 | I have earned the following certifications and have seen great responses | |
| 104 | throughout my career due to the credibility they provided in these focus areas: | |
| 105 | ||
| 106 | - GitLab Certified Git Associate | |
| 107 | - GitHub Foundations | |
| 108 | - Alteryx Designer Core Certified | |
| 109 | - Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals | |
| 110 | - Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) | |
| 111 | - Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP) | |
| 112 | - Data Science Professional Certificate | |
| 113 | - Cybersecurity Audit Certificate | |
| 114 | ||
| 115 | * Step 4: Join Emerging Tech Projects and Pilots | |
| 116 | ||
| 117 | Once you have the knowledge and, if applicable, the credentials to showcase your | |
| 118 | skills, you need the chance to network and show what you can do. | |
| 119 | ||
| 120 | To do this, I recommend joining a group focused on the topic you're passionate | |
| 121 | about. Normally, this is easiest within your own company. However, sometimes you | |
| 122 | may need to seek other opportunities in your community or online to find the | |
| 123 | project that works best for you. | |
| 124 | ||
| 125 | - Seek opportunities internally: AI pilots, automation and data analysis | |
| 126 | projects, blockchain initiatives. | |
| 127 | - If they don't exist — propose them. | |
| 128 | - Suggest automating risk assessments, piloting AI tools, or testing continuous | |
| 129 | assurance routines. | |
| 130 | ||
| 131 | *Why this matters*: These projects become resume differentiators and position | |
| 132 | you for leadership roles. | |
| 133 | ||
| 134 | * Step 5: Build a Network of Tech-Savvy Auditors & Consultants | |
| 135 | ||
| 136 | As a segue from Step 4, ensure that you have a network of like-minded | |
| 137 | individuals who can challenge you and expose you to new ideas. This helps keep | |
| 138 | you sharp and open to innovation. Some suggestions include: | |
| 139 | ||
| 140 | - Join ISACA, local AI/ML meetups, blockchain working groups. | |
| 141 | - Engage with emerging tech communities on LinkedIn — share posts, comment on | |
| 142 | thought leadership, or publish insights. | |
| 143 | ||
| 144 | * Step 6: Stay Curious and Keep Learning | |
| 145 | ||
| 146 | Last, but not least, keep learning! While you may feel like you know everything, | |
| 147 | there's always more to explore. I enjoy revisiting known problems from different | |
| 148 | perspectives, as it's helped me grow and realize that alternative approaches | |
| 149 | often yield better results with experience. | |
| 150 | ||
| 151 | - The landscape is changing rapidly — stay current on AI regulation, blockchain | |
| 152 | security, cloud assurance frameworks, or whatever interests you. | |
| 153 | - Subscribe to niche newsletters (e.g., The Cybersecurity 202, AI Ethics | |
| 154 | Weekly). | |
| 155 | - Take one course or certification per year to stay sharp. | |
| 156 | ||
| 157 | * Closing | |
| 158 | ||
| 159 | You don't need to be an engineer or software developer to thrive in technology — | |
| 160 | but you do need to understand enough to assess risk. With these steps, I have | |
| 161 | found a wonderful and fulfilling career, and I know you can too. | |
| 162 | ||
| 163 | If you have any questions on how to break into tech risk and audit, feel free to | |
| 164 | reach out over email or anywhere else — I would love to connect and chat! | |
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| @@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ sub rsa4096 2022-11-16 [E]</pre> | ||
| 9 | 9 | <section> |
| 10 | 10 | <h2>Recent Blog Posts</h2> |
| 11 | 11 | |
| 12 | <div class="post"> | |
| 13 | <time datetime="2025-05-30 10:53:28">2025-05-30</time> | |
| 14 | <a href="/blog/it-audit-career.html">Future-Proof Your Audit Career: Emerging Technologies</a> | |
| 15 | </div> | |
| 16 | ||
| 12 | 17 | <div class="post"> |
| 13 | 18 | <time datetime="2025-05-02 Fri 21:10:00">2025-05-02</time> |
| 14 | 19 | <a href="/blog/asahi-linux.html">Trying Out Asahi Linux on the M2 |
| @@ -21,11 +26,6 @@ sub rsa4096 2022-11-16 [E]</pre> | ||
| 21 | 26 | GitLab</a> |
| 22 | 27 | </div> |
| 23 | 28 | |
| 24 | <div class="post"> | |
| 25 | <time datetime="2025-02-24 19:20:05">2025-02-24</time> | |
| 26 | <a href="/blog/email-migration.html">A Painful Email Migration</a> | |
| 27 | </div> | |
| 28 | ||
| 29 | 29 | <br /> |
| 30 | 30 | <a href="/blog/">All Posts →</a> |
| 31 | 31 | </section> |