The Audit Connection Blog
Keep software current to reduce cybersecurity risk
If you’re a smaller government without your own full-time information technology staff, you might find it challenging to stay on top of IT-related maintenance. Larger entities have entire departments dedicated to maintaining computer infrastructure, while you may be working with a part-time contractor or even volunteers to meet your IT needs. And that’s okay, but remember: having the latest security software, web browser and operating system on your devices is an important defense against cyberattacks. ... CONTINUE READING
People are looking at your FIT data—are you?
Your government’s data is in FIT, and it’s available to the public. Continue reading to learn who is looking at your data and why it’s in every local government’s the best interest to check it for accuracy. ... CONTINUE READING
Summary infographic of the 2020 State of Washington Single Audit
Every year, SAO audits state agencies for compliance with certain requirements that come with federal awards. This visual report provides a summary of our 2020 Single Audit, including a breakdown of where pandemic funding went, how spent agencies spent federal money, and how Washington can improve its compliance with federal rules. ... CONTINUE READING
FIT’s projection feature pushes your finances into 2022 and beyond
Our Financial Intelligence Tool’s (FIT) “Add Projection” feature allows governments to adjust their known or anticipated revenues and expenditures, and then project those amounts into the future. Continue reading to learn how to access this feature and start projecting today. ... CONTINUE READING
K&P leadership series: Encouraging the heart
“Encourage the heart,” one of the five behaviors in the Kouzes and Posner (K&P) Leadership Challenge, can help you connect with your new team as a new leader. Encouraging the heart will help you create a team culture built on genuine respect and caring behavior. To do this, you need to focus on two areas at the same time: recognizing individual contributions and valuing team accomplishments. ... CONTINUE READING
New accounts payable checklist can help you create strong controls
We recently released a new accounts payable internal control checklist that you can use to evaluate your existing internal control systems and identify potential areas for improvement. Periodically reevaluating your control systems is a best practice. Your government should consider doing this annually, unless staffing or system changes require a more frequent review. ... CONTINUE READING
FIT Data Stories: New 2020 financial data tells a story of COVID-19
2020 was anything but normal, and we can look at the annual reports that Washington’s cities and towns recently submitted to see how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their operations. How did the pandemic affect sales tax collections? How did federal funding support our cities and towns as they navigated the economic challenges of the pandemic? ... CONTINUE READING
Increase your government’s account security with multi-factor authentication
Strengthening your government’s guard against the threats that compromised passwords pose is a necessary control for decreasing the risk of unauthorized users gaining access to your computers, network, or database. In this post, we explain how passwords get compromised and how multi-factor authentication (MFA) can help governments improve their account security to better protect their systems. ... CONTINUE READING
September quarterly update brings fresh data to FIT
With new annual report filings from nearly 200 governments across the state since June 30, we’re excited to share our first quarterly update of the 2020 fiscal year financial data in the Financial Intelligence Tool (FIT). ... CONTINUE READING
A message from State Auditor Pat McCarthy: Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility
It can be tempting to think it’s the experts’ job to keep us safe online. We trust our colleagues who are IT professionals and the technology services we use to stay up to date on the latest threats. But all of us, whether or not we are technology experts, have a part to play in cybersecurity. That’s why this year’s theme for October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month is “Do your part, #BeCyberSmart.” ... CONTINUE READING