How To Become An IT Auditor

A Step-by-Step Guide on How To Become an IT Auditor

Becoming an IT Auditor takes a balance of highly in-demand tech and general audit skills, but the foundations of the job are eagle-eyed diligence mixed with specialised IT security knowledge.

The development path to becoming a trained, respected and required IT auditor is long and winding, but with a bit of perseverance and guidance, you can make an incredible impact on enterprises anywhere in the world.

Accurate IT auditing requires hard skills (the basic knowledge of IT networks, auditing principles, security, training, processes and protocols) – and soft skills (communication, diligence, negotiation, team management, and accurate reporting). Successful auditors understand their role is to apply this deep appreciation of IT processes and guidance on improving and reporting on those systems to a team to implement. In this regard, IT auditing parallels other regulatory auditing roles in other industries, especially concerning team management and stakeholder communications. Pathways into IT auditing are similar to specialist roles in skills direction and requirement.

As discussed below, the ideal candidate for a career in IT Auditing needs experience primarily in IT security, network management and system integrity. However, with much of the world undergoing rapid digital transformation, IT auditing in state-sized essential industries such as finance, healthcare, logistics, and defence takes an inordinate amount of cross-collaboration with other auditing bodies to guarantee system integrity and systems improvement.

Please visit our job description page to learn more about an IT auditor’s day-to-day responsibilities.

Step 1 – Get the Right Base Experience

Establishing a career, or moving into an IT auditing career, can happen from various roles (such as within law, finance or fintech) and education backgrounds (financial, legal, business management). We advise seeking positions that give auditing experience, no matter the sector. Learning about auditing systems, regulations, and, critically, reporting will stand you in good stead for moving into IT auditing specifically.

Other raw skills and experience that prepare you for the role of IT auditor are working as an IT systems administrator, DevOps or software developer.

Step 2 – Certification

To work as an IT auditor, you need a certification from an auditing body such as ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association). The Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification provides the knowledge base and regulatory background to step into an IT systems or business auditing role and is perfect for entry-level or mid-level IT or business executives.

Then, follow-on certifications such as the Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) and Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) can elevate a career in IT auditing and beyond.

Step 3 – The Business of IT Requires Consistent Learning

Never stop learning. The IT world is full of rapidly innovating products, and your job is to remain cognizant of changing trends, novel changes to IT systems, and the rise of web3 and immersive tech, all whilst keeping abreast of regulations and requirements.

This is especially important when considering the effects of reporting and recommendations, especially regarding traditional substantive testing and how they align with new tech, new internal controls and the expectations of enterprises and their users.

Find out more about life as an IT auditor and other details by following the below links:

Job Description & Profile, Salary & Pay, Qualifications, Skills & Requirements, CV Template & Examples

Search Jobs to find out about any IT Auditor job roles we currently have available.

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