COBIT
The Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) is a set of best practices (framework) for information technology (IT) management created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the IT Governance Institute (ITGI) in 1996. COBIT provides managers, auditors, and IT users with a set of generally acceptedmeasures, indicators, processes and best practices to assist them in maximizing the benefits derived through the use of information technology and developing appropriate IT governance and control in a company.
Overview
COBIT was first released in 1996. Its mission is “to research, develop, publicize and promote an authoritative, up-to-date, international set of generally accepted information technology control objectives for day-to-day use by business managers and auditors.” Managers, Auditors, and users benefit from the development of COBIT because it helps them understand their IT systems and decide the level of security and control that is necessary to protect their companies’ assets through the development of an IT governance model.
COBIT 4.1 has 34 high level processes that cover 210 control objectives categorized in four domains: Planning and Organization, Acquisition and Implementation, Delivery and Support, and Monitoring and Evaluation. COBIT provides benefits to managers, IT users, and auditors. Managers benefit from COBIT because it provides them with a foundation upon which IT related decisions and investments can be based. Decision making is more effective because COBIT aids management in defining a strategic IT plan, defining the information architecture, acquiring the necessary IT hardware and software to execute an IT strategy, ensuring continuous service, and monitoring the performance of the IT system. IT users benefit from COBIT because of the assurance provided to them by COBIT’s defined controls, security, and process governance. COBIT benefits auditors because it helps them identify IT control issues within a company’s IT infrastructure. It also helps them corroborate their audit findings.
Recently, ISACA has released Val IT, which correlates the COBIT processes to senior management processes required to get good value from IT investments
COBIT product family (version 4.0)
The complete COBIT package consists of:
- Executive Summary
- Governance and Control Framework
- Control Objectives
- Management Guidelines
- Implementation Guide
- IT Assurance Guide
Executive Summary
Sound business decisions are based on timely, relevant and concise information. Specifically designed for time-pressed senior executives and managers, the COBIT Executive Summary consists of an Executive Overview which provides a thorough awareness and understanding of COBIT’s key concepts and principles. Also included is a synopsis of the Framework, which provides a more detailed understanding of these concepts and principles, while identifying COBIT’s four domains (Planning and Organization, Acquisition and Implementation, Delivery and Support, Monitoring and Evaluation) and the 34 IT processes.
Framework
A successful organization is built on a solid framework of data and information. The Framework explains how IT processes deliver the information that the business needs to achieve its objectives. This delivery is controlled through 34 high-level control objectives, one for each IT process, contained in the four domains. The Framework identifies which of the seven Information Criteria (effectiveness, efficiency, confidentiality, integrity, availability, compliance and reliability), as well as which IT resources (people, applications, information and infrastructure) are important for the IT processes to fully support business.
Control Objectives
The key to maintaining profitability in a technologically changing environment is how well you maintain control. COBIT’s Control Objectives provides the critical insight needed to delineate a clear policy and good practice for IT controls. Included are the statements of desired results or purposes to be achieved by implementing the 214 specific and detailed control objectives throughout the 34 high-level IT processes.
Management Guidelines
To ensure a successful enterprise, you must effectively manage the union between business processes and information systems. The new Management Guidelines are composed of Maturity Models, to help determine the stages and expectation levels of control and compare them against industry norms; Critical Success Factors, to identify the most important actions for achieving control over the IT processes; Key Goal Indicators, to define target levels of performance; and Key Performance Indicators, to measure whether an IT control process is meeting its objective. These Management Guidelines will help answer the questions of immediate concern to all those who have a stake in enterprise success.
IT Assurance Guide
To be certain that the control objectives are being achieved, there is an implicit need to assess the controls linked to them. The Assurance Guide provides the tools to assess the controls in every form needed, from their design to the results. The guide also allows for the assurance initiative planning and scoping in a standardized, repeatable way so that the business and IT can be assessed under a single framework, completely compatible with ISACA’s ITAF. There is a misunderstanding that the Assurance Guide is the successor to the Audit Guidelines. The truth is, however, that it is a completely new book, based on the Control Practices. The Audit Guidelines is not part of CobiT anymore, as the Assurance Guide is not part of the book, but a related publication.
COBIT structure
COBIT covers four domains:
- Plan and Organize
- Acquire and Implement
- Deliver and Support
- Monitor and Evaluate
Plan and Organize
IT processes
| PO1 | Define a Strategic IT Plan and direction |
| PO2 | Define the Information Architecture |
| PO3 | Determine Technological Direction |
| PO4 | Define the IT Processes, Organization and Relationships |
| PO5 | Manage the IT Investment |
| PO6 | Communicate Management Aims and Direction |
| PO7 | Manage IT Human Resources |
| PO8 | Manage Quality |
| PO9 | Assess and Manage IT Risks |
| PO10 | Manage Projects |
Acquire and Implement
The Acquire and Implement domain covers identifying IT requirements, acquiring the technology, and implementing it within the company’s current business processes. This domain also addresses the development of a maintenance plan that a company should adopt in order to prolong the life of an IT system and its components. The following table lists the IT processes contained in the Acquire and Implement domain.
IT processes
| AI1 | Identify Automated Solutions |
| AI2 | Acquire and Maintain Application Software |
| AI3 | Acquire and Maintain Technology Infrastructure |
| AI4 | |
| AI6 | Manage Changes |
| AI7 | Install and Accredit Solutions and Changes |
Deliver and Support
The Deliver and Support domain focuses on the delivery aspects of the information technology. It covers areas such as the execution of the applications within the IT system and its results, as well as, the support processes that enable the effective and efficient execution of these IT systems. These support processes include security issues and training. The following table lists the IT processes contained in the Deliver and Support domain.
IT processes
| DS1 | Define and Manage Service Levels |
| DS2 | Manage Third-party Services |
| DS3 | Manage Performance and Capacity |
| DS4 | Ensure Continuous Service |
| DS5 | Ensure Systems Security |
| DS6 | Identify and Allocate Costs |
| DS7 | Educate and Train Users |
| DS8 | Manage Service Desk and Incidents |
| DS9 | Manage the Configuration |
| DS10 | Manage Problems |
| DS11 | Manage Data |
| DS12 | Manage the Physical Environment |
| DS13 | Manage Operations |
Monitor and Evaluate
The Monitor and Evaluate domain deals with a company’s strategy in assessing the needs of the company and whether or not the current IT system still meets the objectives for which it was designed and the controls necessary to comply with regulatory requirements. Monitoring also covers the issue of an independent assessment of the effectiveness of IT system in its ability to meet business objectives and the company’s control processes by internal and external auditors. The following table lists the IT processes contained in the Monitor and Evaluate domain.
IT processes
| ME1 | Monitor and Evaluate IT Processes |
| ME2 | Monitor and Evaluate Internal Control |
| ME3 | Ensure Regulatory Compliance |
| ME4 | Provide IT Governance |