It Compliance And Controls: Best Practices for Implementation

Chapter 1. Operating in an Interconnected Universe

THE INTEGRATED UNIVERSE

Entire industries, societies, and newly developing cultures are being created and older ones are being integrated into the most elaborate, global, intertwined, and automated technological system that has ever been seen. The significance of these computing environments in every enterprise, company, government, association, and affiliation of every size cannot be exaggerated. Yet the technological environment within which this evolution is occurring has few, if any, structured or defined boundaries. For any enterprise to ensure operational effectiveness and efficiency in the future, much less to avoid lethal syndromes and mortal traumas, it is critical that, at the very least, the board of directors and senior management understand the importance and significance of information technology (IT) controls. This is as vital today as it was for boards and management to grasp accounting control concepts 50 to 100 years ago.

The intention of this book is to enlighten those with fiduciary or senior responsibilities for the enterprise on the impact of the technological relationships being established around the world and to provide overview and direction for the IT controls their enterprise should establish. Throughout nature a balance exists where virtually all species live their daily lives in a complementary arrangement that is supported by complex interrelationships among plant, animal, and nature. These relationships ...