An IS auditor has completed an audit of an organization's accounts payable system.
Which of the following should be rated as the HIGHEST risk in the audit report and requires immediate remediation?
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A. B. C. D.A.
As an IS auditor, when auditing an organization's accounts payable system, it is important to assess the risks and control weaknesses in the system. The objective is to identify areas that require immediate remediation to prevent fraud, errors, or unauthorized access.
Among the options provided, the highest risk in the audit report that requires immediate remediation is the lack of segregation of duty controls for reversing payment transactions. This is because it has the potential to result in financial loss to the organization through fraudulent activity.
The segregation of duty controls is a critical aspect of the accounts payable process to prevent fraud and errors. It involves separating the duties of individuals involved in the process to prevent any one person from having complete control over a transaction from beginning to end. This is done to ensure that no single person can both initiate and approve a transaction.
Option A, lack of segregation of duty controls for reconciliation of payment transactions, is a concern, but it is not as high of a risk as the lack of segregation of duty controls for reversing payment transactions. Reconciliation of payment transactions involves the comparison of accounts payable records with bank statements and involves ensuring that payments were made to the correct vendors.
Option B, lack of segregation of duty controls for removal of vendor records, is also a concern, but it is a lower risk than the lack of segregation of duty controls for updating the vendor master file. Removal of vendor records is a concern because it may result in the loss of data that may be necessary for reporting, compliance, or audits.
Option C, lack of segregation of duty controls for updating the vendor master file, is also a concern, but it is not as high of a risk as the lack of segregation of duty controls for reversing payment transactions. Updating the vendor master file involves the maintenance of vendor records, which may include the addition of new vendors or changes to existing vendor records.
Therefore, the highest risk in the audit report and requires immediate remediation is the lack of segregation of duty controls for reversing payment transactions. This is because it has the potential to result in financial loss to the organization through fraudulent activity.