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ISAE 3402 - abstract. Some key concepts and the major differences when compared to SAS70 Drs. T. (Temme) Sikkema RA – t.sikkema@hutco.nl – – www.hutaudit.nl NL – September 2009. The importance of Third Party Reporting 1. Outsourcing has become a strategic issue
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ISAE 3402 - abstract Some key concepts and the major differences when compared to SAS70Drs. T. (Temme) Sikkema RA – t.sikkema@hutco.nl – – www.hutaudit.nl NL – September 2009
The importance of Third Party Reporting 1 • Outsourcing has become a strategic issue • Cost reduction, return to core activities and increase of flexibility are drivers for “user organisations” to source certain activities to service organisations • User organisations need assurance that the service organisation controls are properly designed, implemented and are working effectively www.hutaudit.nl
The importance of Third Party Reporting 2 • The service organisation may receive multiple requests for annual audits from their clients • The service organisation may instead choose to share a Third Party Assurance Report regarding controls it deems relevant with their clients www.hutaudit.nl
Third Party Reporting: enter SAS70 • SAS70 is the American standard for third party assurance that has been adopted around the globe • SAS70 enables the user organisation (and its auditors) to acquire assurance regarding the design and operating effectiveness of those controls they find relevant • SAS70 may enable the user organisation’s compliance to legal and internal requirements www.hutaudit.nl
SAS70 – key features 1 • SAS70 addresses the financial reporting requirements of users of service organisations and is thus limited to controls regarding the processing of financial transactions • The actual SAS70 report is generally divided into three or four sections, depending on the type of engagement • There are two types of Service Auditor’s Reports: Type I and Type II www.hutaudit.nl
SAS70 – key features 2 • A Type I report describes the service organisation’s description of controls at a specific point in time • A Type II report adds detailed testing of the service organisation’s controls over a minimum six month period www.hutaudit.nl
SAS70 – key features 3 • SAS70 is an auditing standard and not a pre-determined set of standards that a service organisation must meet to “pass” the test • In a SAS70 audit the service organisation is responsible for describing the controls that will be disclosed in the service auditor’s report • The scoping of the audit is therefore a very essential phase www.hutaudit.nl
Generally tested types of processes • Control environment • Control activities • Risk assessment processes • Information and communication processes • Monitoring processes www.hutaudit.nl
Generally tested types of controls • Organizational controls • Application development and maintenance controls • Logical access controls • Application controls • System maintenance controls • Data processing controls • [Business continuity controls] – in a separate section of the report, but no assurance given www.hutaudit.nl
SAS70 audit renders an opinion on: • Whether or not the service organisation’s description of controls is presented fairly • Whether or not the service organisation’s controls are designed effectively • Whether or not the service organisation’s controls are placed in operation as of a specified date • Whether or not the service organisation’s controls are operating effectively over a specified period of time (Type II engagements only) www.hutaudit.nl
Third Party Reporting: enter ISAE3402 1 • ISA402 – Audit Considerations Relating to Entities Using Service Organisations • ISA402 gives guidance to user organisations and their auditors regarding the impact that service organisations have on the audit of the financial statement of the user organisation • However, ISA402 does not give any guidance to service auditors • Enter………ISAE3402 www.hutaudit.nl
Third Party Reporting: enter ISAE3402 2 • ISAE3402 – International Standard on Assurance Engagements 3402 – Assurance Reports on controls at a Third Party Service Organisation • Goal: create an international alternative for the American SAS70 standard, while increasing the usability of the report for a broader range of end users www.hutaudit.nl
ISAE3402 – key features 1 • ISAE3402 does not limit the scope of the audit to control objectives for financial reporting requirements • Like SAS70, ISAE3402 is assertion-based • Like SAS70, the ISAE3402 standard has two types of reports (Type A and Type B) that have basically the same scope • In addition to the auditor’s opinion, management of the service organisation needs to provide a formal assertion, affirming its responsibilities for the controls in the report.This is a major difference when compared to SAS70 www.hutaudit.nl
ISAE3402 – key features 2 • ISAE3000 requires the service auditor to assess the suitability of criteria, and the appropriateness of the subject matter • ISAE3402 proposes a minimal set of such criteria • Can the audit community make these criteria S.M.A.R.T.? www.hutaudit.nl