Tools
The following tools were published on KnowledgeLeader this week:
Insider Trading Policy
All insider trading transactions must comply with the following procedures in order to comply with securities laws as defined by the Security Exchange Commission (SEC). These procedures apply to all employees and their immediate families privy to undisclosed company information. The guidelines and procedures included in this policy sample can be used for insider trading.
Financial Information to Third-Parties Policy
This sample policy is designed to help companies improve their processes for disclosing financial information to third parties. In this policy, financial information about the company or its business units should be released only through the CFO. All requests for financial information received throughout the company, including through any of its business units worldwide from outsiders.
Injury and Illness Prevention Policy
Protect the safety and health of your company’s employees with the best-practice procedures included in our Injury and Illness Prevention Policy. Sample best practices include: interview injured workers and witnesses, examine the workplace for factors associated with the accident or exposure, take corrective action reasonably likely to prevent the accident/exposure from recurring, record the findings and corrective actions taken, etc.
IT Security Awareness and Training Program Guide
This document can be used as a general guide to help companies design and implement a security training and awareness program. It is generally understood by the IT security professional community that people are one of the weakest links in attempts to secure systems and networks. It is also understood that the “people factor” – not technology – is the key to providing an adequate and appropriate level of security.
Facilitating SOX Compliance Using a Committee Structure Guide
This guide discusses the duties, composition, structure and interrelationships of the disclosure committee that needs to be formed to facilitate Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Following the release of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other new SEC regulations, many organizations created a disclosure committee to oversee the executive certification process on an ongoing basis.
Preliminary Controls Self-Assessment Questionnaire
This document includes 11 sample questionnaires that internal audit can use to evaluate management's view of the organization’s internal control environment. The following areas are covered: billing, cash disbursements, fixed assets, information technology general controls, payroll, purchasing and inventory management, and treasury.
Intellectual Property Fraud Risk Questionnaire
Organizations should address the questions included in this tool when dealing with intellectual property theft. Sample questions include: Is the asset protected? What is the form of protection? Were all necessary filings made (e.g., state, federal and foreign)? Have the registrations been properly maintained? (If annual maintenance fees apply, were they paid? If an agency requires intermittent filings or affidavits of use, were they completed?)
Publications
KnowledgeLeader has also published several publications this week.
Board Risk Oversight in the Age of Disruption
In this issue of Board Perspectives, we explore effective board risk oversight in disruptive times and provide key strategies for navigating turbulent business landscapes. Board engagement with risk and how it is managed has been a topic of interest for many years, especially in the United States since the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) required disclosure of the board’s risk oversight process in company proxy statements.
Impending SEC Cybersecurity Rules: What Lies Ahead for Tech Titans
In this article, Audit Analytics takes a closer look at the SEC’s new rule on cybersecurity, which will require 8-K filings to begin. The SEC’s new rule on cybersecurity has finally been issued. The final decision to disclose cybersecurity breaches will all come down to materiality. Despite the new rule, these disclosures are not a new requirement. In 2018, the SEC released interpretative guidance on this matter.
A New Reality for CFOs – ESG Is the Top Priority
This report shares how CFOs are navigating ESG compliance and reporting in this changing landscape, based on the results of Protiviti’s 2023 Global Finance Trends Survey Report. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics and measurement rate as the top priority for CFOs, other finance leaders and their teams for the next 12 months, according to our latest Global Finance Trends Survey.
Recommended Resources
This list of recommended resources from the web may be of interest to you. Click each link to learn more.