Protiviti has patented its Systems and Methods for Automated Audit Artifact Reconciliation process, which the global consulting firm says dramatically cuts the time required to test for unauthorized access—which is a common SOX and operational risk—and provides organizations with greater confidence in their controls in minutes, rather than days.
The patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is the firm’s first since launching its Global Patent Program in 2022. The program encourages continual innovation among employees and furthers its goal to deliver groundbreaking solutions to clients, Protiviti says in a media release.
Protiviti says the patent is a novel and unique combination of algorithms that execute “fuzzy matching” on names to identify unauthorized access from users that have been terminated, thereby expediting the testing of controls in this key—and often problematic—area. The solution can also be used in the assistance of user access reviews, which can take months to execute and are often ineffective. It allows users to execute access comparisons that would’ve normally taken several days down to a few minutes.
“Logical access controls are a leading SOX and operational control failure among companies of all sizes and are time-consuming to execute. Through this patented process, we can help clients expedite and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processing full populations tests to identify issues quickly,” Jeremy Wildhaber, senior director of IAFA Technology Enablement at Protiviti, said in a statement. “This patent is not just about the recognition of our current capabilities but also about paving the way for future innovations at Protiviti.”
“The patented technology solves a critical pain point for our clients and also reinforces Protiviti’s standing as a leader in cutting-edge technological advancements that address real-world challenges,” added Andrew Struthers-Kennedy, global lead for the Internal Audit and Financial Advisory practice at Protiviti.
The patented solution is a component of several dozen accelerators that exist in Protiviti’s Technology Accelerator Platform, which provides automation, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions to address common challenges in internal audit and SOX.
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Tags: Auditing, Technology
