IT Audit & Compliance Blog

The Linford & Company Blog is written by our very own auditors, who are experts in IT audits, information security, and compliance topics. Their auditing experience encompasses a broad spectrum of industries and organizations, and their specialized expertise can help your company or organization make the right decision for your auditing needs. Our specific areas of focus in our IT Audit & Compliance Blog include SOC 1 Audits, SOC 2 Audits, HIPAA Audits, HITRUST Certification, and FedRAMP Assessments, NIST & CMMC, and Penetration Testing.

Risk of Material Misstatement

Risk of Material Misstatement – Audit Risk Components Related to SOC Reports

Obtaining evidence to confirm the design and operating effectiveness of controls used to support business objectives are completed during the audit process. One objective of this process is to look at the rate of deviations in an effort to determine if there is risk of material misstatement. In this post, we will look at different […]

Information security policies

Information Security Policies: Why They Are Important To Your Organization

In a previous blog post, I outlined how security procedures fit in an organization’s overall information security documentation library and how they provide the “how” when it comes to the consistent implementation of security controls in an organization. This blog post takes you back to the foundation of an organization’s security program – information security […]

Cyber security work from home during coronavirus outbreak

Maintaining Optimal Cybersecurity with Remote Staff Working from Home During Coronavirus Outbreak

With COVID-19 requiring nonessential workers to work from home or social distance, many organizations are trying to navigate having their workers not in the office and still maintaining the optimal security methods from their home offices. Keep reading for some recommendations on how to maintain optimal cybersecurity with remote staff. How Do You Keep Up […]

Establishing an Effective Internal Control Environment

Organizations flourish when they establish environments that foster the efficient execution of operations. Internal controls should help organizations deliver value to their stakeholders and achieve their strategic objectives while aligning with industry best practices, laws, and regulations to manage risks facing them. What Is the Control Environment of a Company? The Institute of Internal Auditors control environment definition states that the […]

Risk Management

Information Security Risk Management: A Comprehensive Guide

Some people may not believe this, but information security’s purpose is, or should be, to serve the business and help the company understand and manage its overall risk. Sure, there are some security professionals that appear to have the goal of spending as much money as possible and getting the latest and greatest software, and there are also some that like to say “no”…for everything…all the time, but the good ones are there to help.

FedRamp readiness assessment

An Expert Guide to a FedRAMP Readiness Assessment

  A FedRAMP Readiness Assessment is an opportunity for Cloud Service Providers (CSP) targeting government clients to demonstrate that they are ready to begin the FedRAMP process in earnest. With the end goal being a Provisional ATO (P-ATO) from the Joint Authorization Board (JAB) or an ATO granted by a Federal Agency, CSPs, through the […]

attestation services and engagements

What Is Attestation?

The definition of attestation is to affirm to be correct. In accounting, an attestation engagement is the process of providing an opinion on published financial and other business information of a business, public agency or other organization.