| Because the Sarbanes Oxley Act is so focused on | | | | privileges to enter the transaction? Do you know what |
| the finance aspect of businesses, the IT consultant is | | | | happens next? What tables are updated? Are you |
| often left wondering if there is any scope of SOX | | | | competent enough to produce a trace file showing the |
| implementation work that requires the services of IT | | | | logging of the transaction itself, and the relevant |
| professionals. | | | | updates to debits and credits in the correct accounts? |
| In this article, I will briefly outline how the IT professional | | | | Can transactions be modified? By whom? Where are |
| can make significant contributions to a SOX | | | | the Audit Trails? And so on. |
| compliance project, and how you can go about | | | | From the previous paragraph, it's very clear what |
| searching for SOX-related jobs and expand your IT | | | | tasks need to be performed on your part. |
| career in that direction. | | | | Demonstrate this competency convincingly, and the |
| First things first. SOX is all about internal controls over | | | | job is yours. Your ability in identifying internal and |
| financial reporting. And we know that a high | | | | external risks in the computing process is a valuable |
| percentage of, if not all, financial data is stored, | | | | asset that all SOX implementation teams require. It is |
| processed and managed by various computerized | | | | so difficult to find individuals who are suitably skilled in |
| financial systems. Here is where the IT professional | | | | Finance and Information Technology, so this is your |
| who has a strong background in computer security | | | | opportunity to break into the market. Competition for |
| and information technology system controls coupled | | | | such job roles is surely there, but supply is limited. |
| with an adequate understanding and appreciation of | | | | We now come to how you can search for job |
| accounting will get a head start in landing that SOX job. | | | | openings. Go to and search for the keyword "SOX" - |
| In other words, terms such as Inventory, General | | | | it's that simple. is generally more effective than |
| Ledger, Debits, Credits, the Accounting Cycle should | | | | because of its focus on tech-related opportunities. If |
| not intimidate you. You will be the individual who has | | | | you want a job which is more specific, then try to add |
| intimate knowledge of the workings of the financial | | | | keywords such as "compliance" or "IT governance" or |
| applications system. And you had better be good at | | | | "implementation". |
| communicating with the relevant accounting officers, | | | | In conclusion, there are all kinds of IT professionals, of |
| internal and external auditors when it comes to | | | | which the SOX type is only one of them. Are you the |
| dissecting the control measures currently in place and | | | | one? Answer yes if you have an interest in business |
| how to improve upon them or maintain the status quo. | | | | processes and finance matters. One more thing - |
| Let's take an example of the sales process. A sale | | | | SOX implementations involve a lot of back and forth |
| transaction is entered into the system. Are you able to | | | | communications between various parties, so make |
| identify the points in the system that authenticates the | | | | sure you are up to that task too. |
| user and only allows those with the necessary | | | | |