Standards that have been WITHDRAWN:

PSA 310, Knowledge of Business

PSA 400, Risk Assessments and Internal Control
PSA 401, Auditing in a Computer Information System Environment
PAPS 1001, CIS Environment Stand-Alone Personal Computers
PAPS 1002, CIS Environment On-line Computer Systems
PAPS 1003, CIS Environment Database Systems
PAPS 1008, Risk Assessments and Internal Control CIS Characteristics
and Considerations
PAPS 1009, Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques

PSA 401: AUDITING IN A COMPUTER

INFORMATION SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENT

By: Abilay, Runith

The auditor should consider how a CIS environment affects the

audit.
The overall objective and scope of an audit does not change in a CIS environment. However, the
use of a computer changes the processing, storage and communication of financial information
and may affect the accounting and internal control systems employed by the entity.

CIS Environment may affect:

Procedures followed by the auditor in obtaining a sufficient
understanding of the accounting and internal control
systems.
Consideration of inherent risk and control risk through
which the auditor arrives at the risk assessment.
Auditors design and performance of tests of control and
substantive procedures appropriate to meet the audit
objective

Skills and Competence:

The auditor should have sufficient knowledge of the CIS to
plan, direct, supervise and review the work performed.
The auditor should consider whether specialized CIS skills
are needed in an audit.
Obtain a sufficient understanding of the accounting and
internal control systems affected by the CIS environment.
Determine the effect of the CIS environment on the
assessment of overall risk and of risk at the account
balance and class of transactions level.
Design and perform appropriate tests of control and
substantive procedures.

Skills and Competence:

If specialized skills are needed, the auditor would seek the
assistance of a professional possessing such skills, who may be
either on the auditors staff or an outside professional.

If the use of such a professional is planned,

the
auditor
should
obtain
sufficient
appropriate audit evidence that such work is
adequate for the purposes of the audit, in
accordance with ISA 620, Using the Work of
an Expert.

Planning:
In accordance with ISA 400 Risk Assessments and
Internal Control, the auditor should obtain an
understanding of the accounting and internal control
systems sufficient to plan the audit and develop an
effective audit approach.

Planning:
In planning the portions of the audit which may be
affected by the clients CIS environment, the auditor
should obtain an understanding of the significance
and complexity of the CIS activities and the
availability of data for use in the audit.
This understanding would include such matters as:
The significance and complexity of computer processing in
each significant accounting application.
The organizational structure of the clients CIS activities and
the extent of concentration or distribution of computer
processing throughout the entity.
The availability of data.

Planning:
An application may be considered to be complex when:
The volume of transactions is such that users would find it
difficult to identify and correct errors in processing.
The computer automatically generates material transactions
or entries directly to another application.
The computer performs complicated computations of financial
information and/or automatically generates material
transactions or entries that cannot be (or are not) validated
independently.
Transactions are exchanged electronically with other
organizations (as in electronic data interchange (EDI)
systems) without manual review for propriety or
reasonableness.

Planning:
When the CIS are significant, the auditor should
also
obtain
an
understanding
of
the
CIS
environment and whether it may influence the
assessment of inherent and control risks.
The nature of the risks and the internal control
characteristics in CIS environments include the following:
Lack of transaction trails
Uniform processing of transactions
Lack of segregation of functions
Potential for errors and irregularities
Initiation or execution of transactions
Dependence of other controls over computer processing
Potential for increased management supervision
Potential for the use of computer-assisted audit techniques.

Assessment of Risk:
In accordance with ISA 400, Risk Assessments and
Internal Control, the auditor should make an
assessment of inherent and control risks for material
financial statement assertions.
The inherent risks and control risks in a CIS environment
may have both a pervasive effect and an account-specific
effect on the likelihood of material misstatements, as
follows:
The risks may result from deficiencies in pervasive CIS
activities
The risks may increase the potential for errors or fraudulent
activities in specific applications, in specific databases or
master files, or in specific processing activities.

Audit Procedures:
In accordance with ISA 400, Risk Assessments and
Internal Control, the auditor should consider the CIS
environment in designing audit procedures to reduce
audit risk to an acceptably low level.
To obtain sufficient evidential matter, the
auditor can use either:
manual audit procedures,
computer-assisted audit techniques, or
a combination of both

Philippine Auditing
Practice Statement (PAPS)
1013
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
EFFECT ON
THE AUDIT OF FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
By: Abad, Jose Reynaldo A.

Philippine Auditing Practice

Statements (PAPSs)

Issued by Auditing Standards and Practices Council (ASPC)

Provide practical assistance in implementing PSAs (Philippine Standards

on Auditing)

Promote good practice

No authority like PSAs

PAPS 1013

Approved by ASPC in June 2003; effective Dec 31, 2003

Guidance on application on PSAs

Applicable to entities using public (i.e. Internet) & private networks (i.e.
Intranet)

Provides material to enhance awareness of financial statements audit

issues in this rapidly developing area.

Application of PSA 300 Planning, PSA 310, Knowledge of the

Business and PSA 400, Risk Assessments and Internal Control.

PAPS 1013
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
The auditor considers:

Complexity of entitys e-commerce activities

Whether personnel assigned to the engagement have appropriate IT and

Internet business knowledge

PAPS 1013
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

*when e-commerce has significant effect on entitys

business, appropriate levels of both information
technology (IT) and Internet business knowledge may be
required to:

Understand:
o Entitys e-commerce strategy and activities
o Technology used to facilitate e-com activities and the IT skills and knowledge
of entity personnel
o Risks involved and management of risks (internal control)

PAPS 1013
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Determine nature, timing, extent of audit procedures and evaluate audit

evidence

Consider effect of entitys dependence on e-com activities on its ability

to continue as going concern

PAPS 1013
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
In some circumstance, auditor may decide to use the work of an expert.
The auditor:
Obtains sufficient appropriate audit evidence in accordance with PSA 620
Using the Work of an Expert;
Considers how the work is integrated with work of others on the audit, & what
procedures are undertaken regarding risks identified through the experts
work.

PAPS 1013
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS

PSA 310, Knowledge of the Business requires that the auditor obtain
a knowledge of the business sufficient to enable the auditor to
identify and understand the events, transactions and practices
that may have a significant effect on the financial statements or on the
audit report.

Includes knowledge of economy and industry

fundamental to assessing the significance of e-commerce to the entitys

business activities and any effect on audit risk

PAPS 1013
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS

In obtaining or updating knowledge of the entitys

business, the auditor considers, so far as they affect the
financial statements:
Entitys business activities and industry
Entitys e-com strategy
Extent of entitys e-com activities
Entitys outsourcing arrangements

PAPS 1013
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS

Matters that may be relevant to the auditor when considering the entitys ecommerce strategy in the context of the auditors understanding of the control
environment, include:
involvement of those charged with governance in considering the alignment
of e-commerce activities with the entitys overall business strategy,
whether e-commerce supports a new activity for the entity, or whether it is
intended to make existing activities more efficient or reach new markets for
existing activities,
sources of revenue for the entity and how these are changing (for example,
whether the entity will be acting as a principal or agent for goods or services
sold),

PAPS 1013
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS

managements evaluation of how e-commerce affects the earnings of

the entity and its financial requirements,

managements attitude to risk and how this may affect the risk profile of
the entity,

the extent to which management has identified e-commerce

opportunities and risks in a documented strategy that is supported by
appropriate controls, or whether e-commerce is subject to ad hoc
development responding to opportunities and risks as they arise, and

managements commitment to relevant codes of best practice or web

seal programs.

PAPS 1013
KNOWLEDGE OF BUSINESS

The extent of e-commerce use affects the nature of risks to be

addressed by the entity

* As an entity becomes more involved with e-commerce, and as its internal

systems become more integrated and complex, it becomes more likely that
new ways of transacting business will differ from traditional forms of
business activity and will introduce new types of risks.

PAPS 1013
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BUSINESS

Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Application Service Providers (ASPs)

and data hosting companies may provide many or all of the IT
requirements of e-commerce as well as order fulfillment, delivery of
goods, operation of call centers and certain accounting functions.

PSA 402, Audit Considerations Relating to Entities Using Service

Organizations provides guidance on assessing the effect that the
service entity has on control risk.

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION
Business risks to e-com activities:
1.

Loss of transaction integrity

lack of an adequate audit trail in either paper or

electronic form
-

2.

Pervasive e-commerce security risks

- virus attacks and fraud by customers, employees and

others through unauthorized access or identity
misrepresentation
3.

System availability risks

risk that the entitys infrastructure is not capable of meeting disclosed

system availability requirements, security practices, and applicable laws
and regulations

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION
4.

Loss of information privacy

leading to loss in customer confidence

personal information collected by websites not

adequately protected or is misused

5.

Improper accounting policies

6.

noncompliance with taxation and other legal and regulatory requirements

particularly when Internet e-commerce transactions are

conducted across international boundaries

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION
7.

failure to ensure that contracts evidenced only by electronic means are

binding

8.

Over reliance on e-commerce when placing significant business

systems or other business transactions on the Internet

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION
Appropriate security infrastructure and related controls, which generally
include measures to:
1.

verify the identity of customers and suppliers,

2.

ensure the integrity of transactions and business processes,

3.

ensure that information and information systems are available during

the period disclosed by the entity,

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION
4.

obtain agreement on terms of trade, including agreement of

delivery and credit terms and dispute resolution processes, which may
address tracking of transactions and procedures to ensure a party to a
transaction cannot later deny having agreed to specified terms
(nonrepudiation procedures),

5.

obtain payment from, or secure credit facilities for, customers, and

6.

establish privacy and information protection protocols.

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION

A comprehensive international legal framework for e-commerce

and an efficient infrastructure to support such a framework does
not yet exist.

Legal or regulatory issues that may be particularly relevant in an ecommerce environment include:
1.

adherence to national and international privacy requirements,

2.

adherence to national and international requirements for

regulated industries,

3.

the enforceability of contracts,

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION
4.

the legality of particular activities, for example Internet gambling,

5.

the risk of money laundering, and

6.

violation of intellectual property rights.

PAPS 1013
RISK IDENTIFICATION

PSA 250, Consideration of Laws and Regulations in an Audit of Financial

Statements requires that when planning and performing audit
procedures and in evaluating and reporting the results thereof, the
auditor recognize that noncompliance by the entity with laws and
regulations may materially affect the financial statements. PSA 250 also
requires that, in order to plan the audit, the auditor should obtain a
general understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable
to the entity and the industry and how the entity is complying with that
framework.

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS

In accordance with PSA 400, Risk Assessments and Internal Control,

the auditor considers the control environment and control procedures
the entity has applied to its e-commerce activities to the extent they are
relevant to the financial statement assertions

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS
The auditor considers such matters as:
1.

the effective use of firewalls and virus protection software,

2.

the effective use of encryption, including both:

3.

maintaining the privacy and security of transmissions

preventing the misuse of encryption technology

controls over the development and implementation of systems used to

support e-commerce activities,

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS
4.

whether security controls in place continue to be effective, and

5.

whether the control environment supports the control procedures

implemented

Auditor considers completeness, accuracy, timeliness and authorization

of information provided for recording and processing in the entitys
financial records (transaction integrity).

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS

audit procedures for sophisticated e-commerce often focus on

automated controls that relate to the integrity of transactions as they
are captured and then immediately and automatically processed

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS
In an e-commerce environment, controls relating to transaction integrity
are often designed to, for example:

validate input,

prevent duplication or omission of transactions,

ensure the terms of trade have been agreed before an order is

processed, including delivery and credit terms, which may require, for
example, that payment is obtained when an order is placed,

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS

distinguish between customer browsing and orders placed, ensure

a party to a transaction cannot later deny having agreed to
specified terms (non-repudiation), and ensure transactions are
with approved parties when appropriate,

prevent incomplete processing by ensuring all steps are

completed and recorded (for example, for a business to consumer
transaction: order accepted, payment received, goods/services
delivered and accounting system updated) or if all steps are not
completed and recorded, by rejecting the order,

ensure the proper distribution of transaction details across

multiple systems in a network (for example, when data is collected
centrally and is communicated to various resource managers to
execute the transaction), and

ensure records are properly retained, backed-up and secured.

PAPS 1013
INTERNAL CONTROL CONSIDERATION

Process alignment refers to the way various IT systems are

integrated with one another and thus operate, in effect, as one
system

The way e-commerce transactions are captured and transferred to

the entitys accounting system may affect such matters as:

1.

the completeness and accuracy of transaction processing and

information storage,

2.

the timing of the recognition of sales revenues, purchases and

other transactions, and

3.

identification and recording of disputed transactions.

PAPS 1013
EFFECT OF ELECTRONIC RECORDS ON AUDIT EVIDENCE

The auditor considers whether the entitys security of information

policies, and security controls as implemented, are adequate to prevent
unauthorized changes to the accounting system or records, or to
systems that provide data to the accounting system.

PAPS 1013

The auditor may test automated controls, such as record integrity

checks, electronic date stamps, digital signatures, and version controls
when considering the integrity of electronic evidence. Depending on the
auditors assessment of these controls, the auditor may also consider
the need to perform additional procedures such as confirming
transaction details or account balances with third parties (refer to PSA
505, External Confirmations).