IT challenges under ISACA microscope

Peter Dinham
Tuesday, 07 July 2009 09:13

IT Industry - Market

IT assurance, governance and security challenges facing organisations will be come under the microscope at a conference in Canberra later this year of the Oceania chapter of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

Information system professionals from around the region will debate and have a close look at how well companies and organisations are prepared to face challenges in the next few years, particularly issues they have confronted through the current economic downturn.

The Oceania Computer Audit, Control and Security (CACS) conference - hosted by the ISACA Canberra Chapter, Oceania CACS - will be held at the National Convention Centre from 6-11 September.

Scott Waters, president of the ISACA Canberra Chapter, says “the sharp shock to the global economy” has resulted in many new challenges for enterprises and “made them wary of the future.”
“Yet, history has shown that companies that are prepared and proactive can survive, and even thrive, through a recession and beyond.”

Speakers at the Canberra conference include Sir Peter Gershon, CEO of the UK Office of Government Commerce; Alec Dorling, international convener of ISO/IEC 15504 (SPICE); Paul Ducklin, head of technology, Asia-Pacific, at Sophos; Alistair McGibbin, an internationally respected authority on high-tech crime and founder of the Internet Safety Institute; Bruce Turner, chief internal auditor at the Australian Taxation Office; and Marcus Sachs, Verizon’s executive director for national security policy.

Waters says the conference will tackle a number of issues with speakers addressing a range of topics including COBIT and Val IT implementation, world-class IT governance in the public sector, PCI opportunities, continuous assurance, trusted access, ISACA’s new business model for information security, training IT auditors, fireproofing the ICT shop, enterprise risk management and relevance of IT governance to the CIO/CEO and board members.

Waters also sad attendees could earn up to 22 continuing professional education (CPE) hours for attending the conference and additional CPE hours for attending the master classes following the conference - www.isaca-canberra.org.au/CACS2009.