During the planning stage of an IS audit, what is the primary goal of an IS auditor?

During the planning stage of an IS audit, the primary goal revolves around defining the audit objectives. Establishing clear and specific audit objectives is crucial because they guide the entire audit process. These objectives help auditors understand what they intend to achieve through the audit, ensuring that their efforts are focused on assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, and security of information systems within the organization.

By addressing audit objectives upfront, the auditor can tailor the audit approach, methodologies, and scope accordingly. This clarity is essential for identifying what needs to be examined, how to measure success, and what risks may impact the achievement of those objectives. Concentrating on the objectives sets the foundation for the entire audit plan and helps prioritize tasks and resources effectively.

In contrast, determining audit timing, identifying risk factors, and documenting audit procedures are all important aspects of the planning stage but serve as components that fall within the broader activity of setting clear audit objectives. Each of these activities supports the overall goals established during this initial phase, but they do not represent the primary focus of the auditor’s efforts.