A long-term IS employee with a strong technical background and broad managerial experience
has applied for a vacant position in the IS audit department. Determining whether to hire this

individual for this position should be based on the individual’sexperience and:

A.
length of service, since this will help ensure technical competence.

B.
age, as training in audit techniques may be impractical.

C.
IS knowledge, since this will bring enhanced credibility to the audit function.

D.
ability, as an IS auditor, to be independent of existing IS relationships.

Explanation:

Independence should be continually assessed by the auditor and management. This assessment
should consider such factors as changes in personal relationships, financial interests, and prior job
assignments and responsibilities. The fact that the employee has worked in IS for many years may
not in itself ensure credibility. The audit department’s needs should be defined and any candidate
should be evaluated against those requirements. The length of service will not ensure technical
competency. Evaluating an individual’s qualifications based on the age of the individual is not a
good criterion and is illegal in many parts of the world.