The Audit Connection Blog
#CyberAware: Creating a strong password
Passwords are an everyday part of life whether you’re logging into your work, bank or social media accounts. You should do everything you can to protect your passwords and use different passwords for different accounts as described in an earlier tip regarding “password reuse.” ... CONTINUE READING
Survey shows states are concerned about cyber security, and making progress
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) conducts an annual survey of state Chief Information Officers to learn about the top policy and technology issues state governments face. ... CONTINUE READING
#CyberAware about Ransomware
Imagine your local government’s files and documents held for ransom. The risk is greater than you think, with the number of cyber-attacks by ransomware increasing rapidly. ... CONTINUE READING
#CyberAware Month Tip One: The dangers of password reuse
Have you ever used the same password for your work PC as your home banking account or private email? Do you sometimes open email attachments before checking that the message is from someone you know and trust? Maybe you need to be #CyberAware! ... CONTINUE READING
Re-post:Washington's Military Department writes on #CyberAware Month
Gov. Jay Inslee is recognizing October as Cyber Security Awareness Month, a designation that comes on the heels of a summit between Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty and Guard leaders from other states to help bolster the nation’s cybersecurity presence. ... CONTINUE READING
For the Love of Washington Cities
As a partner in the Government Performance Consortium (GPC) initiative, we are excited to share with you a mini-documentary about the first Love of Cities Tour in Washington State, which has sparked tremendous excitement across our state for new ways to connect cities and citizens in co-creating more vibrant, healthy and resilient communities. ... CONTINUE READING
New checklist for Cash Basis financial statements
The State Auditor’s Office is responsible for examining the financial affairs of all local governments in the state. We conduct more than 2,000 audits of local governments each year. Using the results of those audits, our Office then evaluates the overall patterns and that were reported. ... CONTINUE READING
Who audits the auditor? They do!
Government auditing standards require our office to get a “peer review” every three years. For our 2016 peer review, a team of auditors from eight other states and a federal agency came to Olympia the week of September 12th to review our audit policies and manuals and a cross-section of audit reports and working papers. ... CONTINUE READING
"Vishing" can pose a threat
"Vishing" uses techniques that are essentially similar to phishing, the act of acquiring sensitive information via electronic communication while posing as a trusted entity. A vishing attack takes place over the telephone, using call spoofing, and tricks a user into disclosing personal information such as credit card numbers or a three digit security code. ... CONTINUE READING
Taking a swipe at credit card fraud
Credit and procurement cards are easy to use, convenient and efficient. As a result, government use of these cards has increased exponentially over the last decade. Unfortunately, there can be a dark side to using cards: they often bypass standard, established payment controls. The combination of high card usage and weak controls is an environment ripe for fraud. ... CONTINUE READING