The Current State and Future Direction of IT Audit: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACT: Embracing the spirit of the Pathways Commission's focus of enhancing the value of practitioner/educator exchanges, the inaugural Journal of Information Systems Conference (JISC) brought together 30 academic researchers and 15 practitioners to discuss the current state and the future direction of information technology (IT) audit research and practice. Panelists, comprised of practitioners from government, public accounting, and industry, provided insight into current IT audit issues. The first panel discussed the role of IT auditors in helping organizations meet compliance requirements and ensuring that information systems add value to the organization. The second panel addressed the future of IT audit in a world of advanced analytics and emerging technologies. Although the panels addressed separate topics, common themes emerged from the discussions. Issues facing the IT audit profession as a result of the increasing volume of data available, coupled with changing technology and increasing regulatory requirements, underscored much of the discussion. Big Data, compliance, and emerging technology issues were addressed from both internal audit and external audit perspectives. This commentary provides a review and synthesis of the information presented during panel discussions at the conference and suggests potential research questions.