April 2003

Hacking for Auditors

In today’s business environment, almost all accounting records are digital and stored on networked computers. From the mom-and-pop shops with a stand-alone computer to large corporations, accounting workstations usually have e-mail and Internet access. These tools provide great opportunities for fast communication and access to information, but they also bring risks of unauthorized changes to accounting records, and destruction or disclosure of confidential information.

Many businesses think they are safe, believing they are not targets and hackers are not interested in them. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Internet is populated with hoards of roving malicious hackers on the prowl for a victim. They are constantly rattling the doors and windows in the world’s connected network neighborhood looking for an easy system to hack into. Will yours or your clients’ be next?

Learn the tricks and tools hackers use, and how to protect yourself and your clients, by attending the May 14 continuing professional education (CPE) evening presentation organized by the New York State Society of CPAs’ Technology Assurance (TA) Committee.

The objectives of this seminar are to discuss the ways outsiders and insiders break into computer systems and jeopardize the integrity of financial information. The topics covered will include:

• How hackers identify their victim’s computer systems
• Automated free tools that hackers and auditors use to identify access control weaknesses
• Common vulnerabilities: how hackers find them and exploit them
• Social engineering and case studies

Date: Wednesday, May 14
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: registration, networking, free sandwiches and soft drinks; 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: CPE session
Presenter: Shane MacDougall
Location: NYSSCPA headquarters, 530 Fifth Ave. (between 44th and 45th streets), fifth floor, New York City

About the Presenter

Shane MacDougal is an information technology (IT) auditor and network penetration specialist for Jefferson Wells. He can be reached at shane_macdougall@jeffersonwells.com

Additional Information

This NYSSCPA/Foundation for Accounting Education CPE evening technical session is $45 for NYSSCPA members and $50 for nonmembers to qualify for three hours of CPE credit. A $25 additional walk-in fee will be charged to those who register at the door.

At the session you will get the chance to network with the profession’s and the industry’s IT leaders. Advance registration is recommended because seating is limited.

For additional information, contact Gary E. Carpenter at 315-487-4567 or gcarpenter-cit@worldnet.att.net or Bruce H. Nearon at 973-403-6955 or bnearon@jhcohn.com.

For more information on the Technology Assurance Committee, visit www.nysscpa.org, click on the Find Committees tab on the left-hand side of the page and then scroll down to the Technology Assurance Committee link.

Registration

To register: contact FAE at 212-719-8383 or 800-537-3635 or visit the Society’s website at www.nysscpa.org (you will need your Society member number to register). Go to the Technology Assurance Committee homepage and select “05/14/03-Hacking for Auditors ” located under the Free IT CPE banner.

Acknowledgments

J.H. Cohn LLP and Carpenter Information Technologies, Inc., helped provide the funding and resources for the free sandwiches and soft drinks, marketing and publicity, and administration of this event.