Potential Liability For Certified Information Systems

Power and duties of auditors

Discuss about the Potential Liability for Certified Information Systems.

The auditor is a person who is qualified to evaluate and validate that the accounting information given by an audited organization precisely fits in to the actions that are acquired by an organization. The auditor’s responsibility is to prepare a report at the end of the audit, which decides the standard of accurateness and clearness that the company has considered.  For a moment, if every step related to accounting prepared by an organization is illustrated in the records, and all information that is noticeable in the books matches to the course of trade in an organization, then it states that audit will show no inaccuracy (Economic, 2016).

The power of the auditor’s helps them to properly analyze the financial position of the firm. Auditors should have right to access the accounts and vouchers of organization. The organizations management should provide all the relevant data to the auditors, for performing duties without any hindrance. Auditors have the authority of signing the audit report of organization and other financial documents as well (Bainbridge, 2012). Notices and communications related to any meeting should be properly sent to auditors on time. Remuneration of the auditors should be made clear within the general meetings or any other way of communication. The duties of the auditors make them responsible for indicating things in advance to organization (Cannon, 2011). Auditors should make audit report for the company, as it helps to know about the financial statements. Auditors work should based on the certain principles of the auditing. Auditor while performing his/her duties founds out that illegal act is involved, fraud is being committed in opposition to the organization by officers or employees, auditors should right away inform the fact to the Central Government on time and by following approved procedure (Pickett, 2010).

Duty of care can be explained as, the accountability or the lawful duty of an individual or association to keep away from actions or measures, which can create damage for others. An accountant owes it in properly developing organizations accounts, an auditor owes it in validating an organizations financial statements appropriately, which represents financial position of an organization. Director to shareholders it is owed in preserving the firm’s assets and manufacturer to consumers it is owed for the security of goods and every party to a contract it is owed to the other parties who are contracting (Giove, 2015).

Duty of care

Global financial crisis is a universal era of financial complexity accustomed by markets and customers. A global financial crisis is a complex business environment to do well because possible customers are likely to decrease their acquisition of products and services up till the economic conditions develops (Davies, 2010).

 The global financial crisis (GFC) is frequently presumed to have begun in July 2007, when there was loss of motivation by US financers in the worth of sub-prime debts induced a liquidity crisis. This, sequentially, evolved out in the US Federal Bank introducing a huge amount of investment into monetary markets. With September 2008, the crisis had aggravated as stock markets across the universe strike and resulted in extremely unstable manner. Customer motivation hit the rock bottom as everybody tightens belts in terror of what could happen further (Davies, 2014).

Auditors are under attention due to faith that a green signal provided by the auditor means that a states that organizations accounting application have approved inspection (Pal, 2010). The table below illustrates that anxious ?nancial ventures, in Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, UK, France, USA, or Switzerland, acknowledged unquali?ed audit viewpoints on their ?nancial statements issued right away former to the public announcement of ?nancial problems. These viewpoints were given by one of the Big Four accounting enterprise Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte & Touche, and Price water house Coopers.

The principles of auditing in Australia are very much associated with international principles of auditing, which illustrates that the auditor’s process essentially engage a thought of the organizations capability to carry on in operational continuation for the future nearby. Sequentially, that compels deliberation of the present and the probable future conditions of the company and the surroundings in which it works. Principles of auditing also need auditors to present audit process planned to acquire adequate suitable audit proof that all proceedings until date of the report of auditor may need modification of, or revelation in, the ?nancial statements, which is recognized (Malb, 2013).

On 28 January 2008, Lehman Brothers who acknowledged an unquali?ed audit viewpoint on its accounts annually, on 10 July 2008, which was chased by vigorous clean bill in terms of accounts quarterly (Rootzen, 2011). On the other hand, nearby August it was undergoing rigorous ?nancial troubles and on 14 September 2008 registered for insolvency. Bear Stearns, America’s fifth chief investment bank, on 28 January 2008 acquired an unquali?ed audit viewpoint. On the other hand, by 10 March, its ?nancial troubles strike the headings and on 14 March, with the help of state, JP Morgan Chase purchased it (Harress and Caulderwood, 2013).

The financial crisis and auditor liability

The German migrant Henry Lehman and his brothers came with the establishing Lehman Brothers in the 1850s. In its initial years organization traded cotton, however with the commencement of the 20^th century the organization entered in trading of banking and securities, ultimately became a speculation bank (Historical Resources, 2010). Financing and performing business in rising section of the 20^th century, moreover, preceding worldwide and obtaining other firms, Lehman Brothers extended along with becoming world’s chief speculation banks .

Modern speculation banks like Lehman are complicated academies with superior and difficult formation, with every day undertakings of numerous billion of dollars. Prior to the fall down of Lehman Brothers the chief business sectors was characteristic speculation banking, also equities, capital markets, fixed income and speculation administration. Lehman Brothers speculation banking industry gave financial services like, underwritings and issuing securities, mergers and acquisitions (Rootzen, 2011).

Further business areas related to the equity sector of Lehman financed in equity across the globe. However, the fixed income, speculation administration and capital markets sector focused on wealth administration and different services. The size of the undertakings or services given was charged and their major revenues were acquired from these (Hantoft and Jerkrot, 2012).

Lehman Brothers executive and auditor’s failure caused the bank collapse that unbinds the worst of financial crisis. Lehman Brothers continuously extended their own domestic risk limits and commands and huge range of worst calls due to its management caused the failure of bank, stated in the report commenced by inspector Anton Valukas. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to examine the causes of Lehman’s failure appointed Valukas, of New York law firm Jenner & Block, in January 2009 (Wong and Smith, 2010).

Credit crunch led investor motivation to fall down and in 2008, Lehman tried to anticipate collapse creating a false image of its financial situation. Lehman Brother’s executives could have done better in comparison. Valukas, held responsible Lehman executives for aggravating the organizations troubles, creating the financial down fall for creditors and shareholders. The executives’ behavior towards balance sheet manipulation is a severe but unoccupiable mistake related to business decision.

Lehman Brothers make use of Repo 105 to make their accounting records look better. Instead of selling $ 50 million at a loss, they used Repo 105 to create a false picture in the balance sheet, which removes these assets from the balance sheet (Wong and Smith, 2010). Lehman Brothers global financial controller provided confirmation in context of Repo 105 use was only for showing reduction in transaction from balance sheet. Ernst & Young the auditor was conscious about the use of Repo 105, except that also it did not confront or inquiry in context of this. However, there was not any evidence regarding the awareness of auditors about the use of Repo 105 (The Guardian, 2015).

Lehman brothers case

Charlie Perkins Ernst & Young representative pivoted liability from his company, stating that Lehman Brother’s insolvency was the outcome of a sequence of unfavorable proceedings in the financial markets. Ernst & Young stated that they audited the financial statements according to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Hence, auditors are not liable for the insolvency of Lehman Brothers (CNBC, 2016).

Based on the report it can be recommended that accountants, managers, boards of members are responsible along with auditor for financial crisis. Hence, it becomes the combined responsibility of the all of these to work in a proper format to avoid financial crisis following prescribed standards. Regulators should be allowed to take responsibility directly for auditing. It is not anticipated from auditors to provide assurance for the continued existence of any organization. Rather than auditors should be allowed to work independently for the organizations they are auditing and should work out sensibly with concern and ability. Auditors should be good at predicting the performance of the organization since previous 12 months accurately, by providing justified and reasonable view over the performance. Auditors work is to focus on the historic information not over the future prediction. The auditors should focus on the reliability and impartiality strategy. The cooperation of the management is necessary for the auditors to create a fair audit report for the organization. The organization must inform the auditors about the meetings that have to be attended on time. Public expectations and actual facts should be met out, there should not be any gap between actual and expected.

Conclusion

From the report, it can be evaluated that financial crisis has the huge impact on auditor’s liability. Principle of auditing has been changed from time to time.  Auditors’ play very crucial role in the organization. Investors and lenders before dealing with nay organization focus over the auditing reports of any company. Auditing report helps to judge the financial position of the organization. Power and duties help auditor has to perform their jobs properly. Auditors cannot be fully blamed for financial crisis, as accountants, manager, board members are also responsible for the organization. Direct responsibility of the regulators can restrict financial crisis probably. Auditors do not have the liability to provide guarantee for the survival of the organization. Auditors can only analyze the financial statements of the organizations and provide accurate report to the company. The job of auditor is not to forecast future rather to provide guarantee that organizations financial statements provide a factual and reasonable analysis over the preceding 12 months presentation.

References

Bainbridge, S. M. (2012) Corporate Governance After Financial Crisis. New York: Oxford University Press

Cannon, D. L. (2011) CISA Certified Information Systems Auditor Study Guide. Australia: John Wiley & Sons

CNBC (2016) On this day 8 years ago, Lehman Brothers collapsed: Have we learned anything? Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2016/09/15/on-this-day-8-years-ago-lehman-brothers-collapsed-have-we-learned-anything.html (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)

Davies, H. (2010) The Financial Crisis: Who is to Blame? UK: Polity

Davies, J. (2014) Global Financial Crisis – What caused it and how the world responded. Available at: https://www.canstar.com.au/home-loans/global-financial-crisis/ (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)

Economic (2016) What is an auditor? Available at: https://www.e-conomic.com/accountingsoftware/accounting-words/auditor (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)

Giove, F. C. (2015) Auditing Essentials. New York: Research & Education Assoc.

Gramling, A. A., Johnstone, K. M., and Rittenberg, L. E. (2012) Auditing. USA: Cengage Learning

Griffithis, P. (2016) Risk-Based Auditing. USA: CRC-Press

Hantoft, L., and Jerkrot, H. N. (2012) Statistical Report Lehman Brothers. Available at: https://www.math.chalmers.se/~rootzen/finrisk/Statistical%20Report%20Lehman%20Brothers%20Group%208.pdf (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)

Harress, C., and Caulderwood, K. (2013) The Death Of Lehman Brothers: What Went Wrong, Who Paid The Price And Who Remained Unscathed Through The Eyes Of Former Vice-President. Available at: https://www.ibtimes.com/death-lehman-brothers-what-went-wrong-who-paid-price-who-remained-unscathed-through-1405728 (Accessed: 12 January, 2017)

Historical Resources (2010) History of Lehman Brothers. Available at:

https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/lehman/history.html (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)

Malb, M. (2013) The role of the Auditors Liability in the global financial crisis. Available at: https://prezi.com/vsujbqrl8kdw/the-role-of-the-auditors-liability-in-the-global-financial-crisis/ (Accessed: 12 January, 2017)

Pal, T. (2010) The Impact Of The Economic Crisis On Auditing. European Integration Studies, Miskolc, 8(1) pp. 131-142. [Online]. Available at: https://www.matarka.hu/koz/ISSN_1588-6735/GTK_vol_8_no_1_2010_eng/ISSN_1588-6735_GTK_vol_8_no1_2010_eng_131-142.pdf (Accessed: 12 January, 2017)

Pickett, K. H. S. (2010) The Internal Auditing Handbook. 3^rd edn. Australia: John Wiley & Sons

Rootzen, H. (2011) A Case Study of the Lehman Brothers Bankruptcy. Available at: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.186.5564&rep=rep1&type=pdf (Accessed: 12 January, 2017)

The Guardian (2015) Lehman Brothers’ former CEO blames bad regulations for bank’s collapse. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/28/lehman-brothers-former-ceo-blames-bad-regulations-for-banks-collapse (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)

Wong, G., and Smith, A. (2010) What killed Lehman. Available at: https://money.cnn.com/2010/03/12/news/companies/lehman_examiner/ (Accessed: 13 January, 2017)