Security of Accounting Information Systems
Security of Accounting Information Systems
Security of Accounting Information Systems
"The concept of security applies to all types of information and refers to the protection of valuable
assets and their safeguard against loss and damage." It should be clarified that in this definition the
IFAC refers to the information recorded, processed, stored and transmitted by electronic means as
"valuable assets", emphasizing the importance that the protection of the data they handle
represents for the accounting area.
The concept of security in computerized accounting systems applies to all types of information and
refers to the protection of valuable assets and their safeguard against loss, damage and disclosures
made by and for persons not authorized to access them.
Information security has become one of the most important issues in most organizations since their
survival and success depends, to a large extent, on the confidentiality, accuracy, integrity and
availability of the data they manage. . Recent surveys show that computer system security is ranked
at the highest levels among critical success factors in most organizations." (Abu-Musa, 2002).
International organizations have put their eyes on the issue due to the importance that information
represents in commerce today, not only local but global. The Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) in several studies it has carried out confirms the growing
interest that organizations worldwide are giving to the topic of good information management.
1. Equipment: Organizations' equipment must be properly protected from physical factors that
could damage them or reduce their work capacity. Equipment must be protected from damage
caused by fire , excess humidity, theft, sabotage. The equipment, physically, is not limited to just
computers and their peripherals , but also calculators, external data storage systems such as
floppy disks, CDs, etc., cabling systems, and routers.
2. Personnel: The safety of personnel can be approached from two points of view, the safety of
personnel when working with computer systems, these must be in optimal conditions so that
they do not cause harm to people, and the security of computer systems. regarding their misuse
by employees. Both points of view must be considered when designing a security system.
1. Data security: Data is the heart of computer systems, therefore they must be carefully cared for
and managed. As we had seen in previous sections, the protection of their integrity, availability
and confidentiality must be the main objective of any computer security system.