Nearly two-thirds of organizations say tech skills gap is impacting IT audits

Technologies such as AI are reshaping the future of IT auditors, but auditors are largely optimistic about the future, according to new research from ISACA.

In the Future of IT Audit, the results of a survey of more than 2,400 IT auditors worldwide, 92 percent of IT auditors responded that they are optimistic about how technology will impact them professionally over the next five years. Nearly 8 in 10 say their IT audit team has the technical skills and training to keep up with the technology changes affecting them.

Additional good news is that IT auditors are increasingly involved in major tech projects. Thirty-five percent say they are brought in during the planning phase of such projects, 44 percent say they have a significant impact on major tech projects in their organizations, and nearly half (47 percent) say IT auditors will be significantly more involved in these projects in the next three to five years.

Among the new technologies that IT auditors most want to learn more about are:

• Predictive analytics (53 percent)
• Artificial intelligence (51 percent)
• Blockchain (48 percent)
• Machine learning (45 percent)
• Robotic process automation (45 percent)

Those who obtain this knowledge are likely to be in high demand, according to people seeking to hire IT auditors. More than two-thirds (67 percent) say they have difficulty recruiting auditors with the required technical skills, and 64 percent say the technical skills gap is having an impact on performing IT audits with a high degree of confidence.

Todd Weinman, president and chief recruiting officer of an audit and GRC search firm, is seeing this reflected in his clients’ priorities.

“The one unmistakable trend I am seeing is a return to the more technical auditor,” said Weinman. “With the heightened attention to cybersecurity risks, companies realize they need IT audit talent with deeper technical understanding.”