Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is a certification issued by ISACA to people in charge of ensuring that an organization's IT and business systems are monitored, managed and protected; the certification is presented after completion of a comprehensive testing and application process. The CISA certification is a globally recognized standard for appraising an IT auditor's knowledge, expertise and skill in assessing vulnerabilities and instituting IT controls in an enterprise environment. It is designed for IT auditors, audit managers, consultants and security professionals.

Attaining CISA certification is considered beneficial since it is accepted by employers worldwide and is often requested for IT audit and security information management (SIM) positions. The certification provides the holder with greater visibility throughout the job application process since most recruiters prefer and keep an eye out for IT auditors with a CISA certification.

Responsibilities of a Certified Information Systems Auditor

The primary duties of a CISA include:

Implementing an audit strategy for information systems (IS) that is based on risk management.

Planning audits that can be used to determine whether or not IT assets are protected, managed and valuable.

Executing the audits in compliance with the organization's set standards and objectives.

Sharing audit results and providing recommendations to management based on the results.

Performing reexaminations of the audits to ensure the recommended actions have been performed by management.

How to become a Certified Information Systems Auditor

In order to become CISA certified, applicants must complete the following five steps:

The process of auditing information systems.

Governance and management of IT.

Information systems, acquisition, development and implementation.

IS operations, maintenance and service management.

Protection of information assets.