Information Risk Management Topics and Trends for Internal Auditors and Audit Committees - a Vonya Global Web Seminar

As the old adage goes, “Information is Power.” It is undeniable that the company with the best information has an advantage. Access to information impacts every decision a company makes from long-term strategic planning, to which suppliers to use, to which markets to serve, to which employees to hire or promote, all the way down which paperclips to order.

On the flip side, losing information can do more damage than having it in the first place. Competitive advantages can be lost, privacy can be violated, security can be threatened, and reputations can be ruined. It is critical to understand and manage the risks to information and unfortunately it is getting harder each day.

On August 18, Vonya Global will be hosting a one hour web-based seminar on Information Risk Management and the latest trends that have Chief Information Risk Officer’s concerned. The presentation is geared towards the Internal Audit and Audit Committee communities and will cover:

• Consumerization of IT
• Cloud Computing
• Mobile Security
• Social Media

To capture the potential these new technologies offer, companies need to embrace the opportunity while balancing solid risk management. We invite you to learn about these technologies and what they mean from an Information Risk Management perspective. If you are in the Internal Audit profession or seated on an Audit Committee, you should attend this session.

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To register please visit http://www.vonyaglobal.com/ and follow the link to the session.

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Vonya Global to Present on Power of Social Media at IIA Chicago Breakfast May 16

Think Social Media is just for keeping up with friends? Think again. While it is true you can stay updated on long lost friends and former colleagues, there are many practical business uses for Social Media which will add value and efficiency to your daily routines. By attending this session you will gain a basic understanding of the various social media platforms as well as some of the more useful supporting applications.

As an added bonus - part of this session will be a hands-on tutorial so if you have access to a computer with WiFi, you will want to bring it along.

The objectives of the session include:

• Gain an understanding of the various social media platforms
• Gain an understanding of the purpose of each social media platform
• Gain an understanding of the various applications to make social media user friendly
• Learn how to use the various social media platforms for business gain

Please visit the IIA Chicago Chapter Website for more information and to register.

Social Media - is it Friend or Foe?

Social media is rapidly becoming a critical tool for communication not only bringing benefits, but also risks. For many organizations, social media is a vital channel for communication to customers, partners and stakeholders. However, some organizations see it as a distraction to their employees and a potential security threat and reputation risks. The key, of course, is to maximize the opportunities it presents and minimize the risks.

As an alternative to simply banning or limiting employees from using social media, organizations should understand the role that these innovative services have in today’s world. With the appropriate amount of governance, organizations can leverage social media to help reach their objectives.

In order to develop, implement, monitor and improve social media activities within an organization, an effective governance framework is imperative. A social media strategy and policy should be established followed by a risk assessment. Based on the outcome of the risk assessment, embed key controls, including an acceptable use agreement, corporate image rules and branding guidelines. Implementation of operational best practice guidelines should cover blogging and usage of popular sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Finally, ensure that roles and responsibilities are defined, metrics and monitoring procedures are established, and training and communication organization-wide takes place to help provide awareness and conformity.

Whether your objectives are to generate exposure for your business, increase traffic to your site, build new business partnerships or bring in new, qualified leads, benefits from social media can be realized as long as there is an effective governance structure in place to mitigate the associated risks.