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Cybersecurity training, Security Training, Soft Skills training, PCAOB Auditing Standards, Accounting Standards, CPE events, internal audit training, internal control training, fraud prevention and detection
The AccountWare Group
The Accountware Group works with Corporate Compliance Seminars (CCS) to created CPE training events and courses. These CPE events focus on internal audit training, internal control training, PCAOB Auditing Standards, Accounting Standards, cybersecurity program events and information technology training events.
CCS offers over 200 "Online Instructor-Led" webinar and in-person training courses. In 2026, CCS is offering in-person courses in selected cities. CCS can present any of the events and other training onsite at your office or via a private live webinar.
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TUSD’s Missing Budget Book Demands a Special Audit
Sadie Shaw raised a transparency problem that the TUSD Audit Committee cannot ignore Tucson Unified School District Governing Board member Sadie Shaw raised a serious governance concern in her August 20, 2026, Arizona Daily Star opinion, “TUSD Must Provide More Detail on Its $807M Budget.” Shaw explained that she voted against Revision No. 1 of TUSD’s fiscal year 2026–2027 expenditure budget because the Board and public were not provided the district’s traditional, detailed B
John Blackshire
1 hour ago4 min read
NAIC Model Audit Rule Compliance Is More Than an Annual Filing: Build an ICFR Program That Can Stand Up to Examination
NAIC Model Audit Rule Programs — September 22–24 and November 17–19, 2026 For insurance organizations, compliance with the NAIC Model Audit Rule (MAR) should not be treated as an annual paperwork exercise. The real issue is whether the insurer has built a sustainable system of internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) that management understands, evaluates, monitors and improves. That requires considerably more than documenting a few controls before year-end. It requir
John Blackshire
18 hours ago8 min read
Stop Staring at a Blank Page: How Auditors Can Use AI to Create Better Audit Content
AI Content Generation for Finance and Audit Professionals — September 15 and November 10, 2026 Internal Auditors create an enormous amount of content. Risk assessments. Audit objectives. Audit programs. Interview questions. Workpapers. Findings. Compliance analyses. Executive summaries. Audit reports. Audit Committee presentations. Traditionally, much of that work starts with a blank page. Artificial intelligence is changing that. The important question for auditors is no lon
John Blackshire
18 hours ago8 min read
Developing Better Financial Auditors: Why Audit Staff Need More Than an Audit Program
Audit & Assurance: Staff Two — September 2–3 and November 4–5, 2026 The transition from a new audit staff member to a competent financial auditor does not happen simply because someone completes another year of work. Experience matters. But experience without structured development can reinforce bad habits just as easily as good ones. A developing auditor needs to understand why audit procedures are performed, what risks they address, what constitutes persuasive evidence, how
John Blackshire
21 hours ago7 min read
Is Your Audit Committee Really Providing Effective Oversight?
Why Board Members, Audit Committee Members and Internal Audit Leaders Should Revisit Audit Committee Best Practices An organization can have an Audit Committee charter, regularly scheduled meetings, detailed agendas, financial reports, Internal Audit presentations and an external auditor—and still have weak governance. The existence of an Audit Committee does not establish that the Audit Committee is effective. The more important questions are: Does the Audit Committee unders
John Blackshire
22 hours ago8 min read
Form W-9 Is More Than a Tax Form: It Is a Critical Vendor-Control Document
Why Accounts Payable, Procurement, Internal Audit and Finance Professionals Need to Get the W-9 Process Right Every organization that pays vendors depends on accurate vendor information. Yet one of the most important documents supporting that information is often treated as little more than administrative paperwork: IRS Form W-9. A vendor submits the form. Someone checks that a few boxes are completed. The information is entered into the vendor master. The vendor starts recei
John Blackshire
22 hours ago7 min read
The Politics of Internal Auditing by Patricia K. Miller and Larry E. Rittenberg
Internal audit does not operate in a politically neutral environment. The Politics of Internal Auditing, by Patricia K. Miller and Larry E. Rittenberg, examines the organizational pressures that can affect chief audit executives and internal-audit departments. Based on research involving nearly 500 chief audit executives, the book explains how political pressure can arise when internal audit investigates sensitive issues, challenges influential executives, reports serious con
John Blackshire
5 days ago1 min read
Trusted Advisors by Richard F. Chambers: What Makes an Outstanding Internal Auditor?
Technical competence is necessary for an internal auditor, but technical knowledge alone does not create influence. In Trusted Advisors: Key Attributes of Outstanding Internal Auditors, Richard F. Chambers examines the qualities that allow internal auditors to earn credibility with management, boards, and audit committees. Chambers identifies nine attributes associated with outstanding internal auditors, including ethical resilience, critical thinking, intellectual curiosity,
John Blackshire
5 days ago1 min read
Clarity, Impact, Speed by Sally-Anne Pitt: Writing Internal-Audit Reports That Matter
A well-performed audit can lose much of its value through a poorly written report. In Clarity, Impact, Speed: Delivering Audit Reports That Matter, Sally-Anne Pitt explains how internal auditors can produce reports that are easier to write, easier to understand, and more likely to produce corrective action. The book addresses report structure, audit findings, writing quality, editing, formatting, and the overall reporting process. Its focus is practical: audit reports should
John Blackshire
5 days ago1 min read
Auditing That Matters by Norman Marks: Are Internal Auditors Addressing the Risks That Matter?
In Auditing That Matters, Norman Marks challenges internal auditors to reconsider what makes an audit valuable. Completing the audit plan, producing lengthy reports, and documenting control deficiencies do not necessarily mean internal audit has helped the organization. Marks argues that internal auditors must concentrate on the risks that could prevent the organization from achieving its objectives. That distinction is important. An audit department can perform technically s
John Blackshire
5 days ago1 min read
Internal Auditing: Assurance & Advisory Services, Sixth Edition: A Core Resource for Internal Auditors
Internal Auditing: Assurance & Advisory Services, Sixth Edition, by Michael Head, Paul Sobel, Cris Riddle, Mark Salamasick, and Urton Anderson, is one of the most comprehensive textbooks available for internal-audit professionals. Published by The Institute of Internal Auditors, the sixth edition covers the complete internal-audit process—from governance, risk management, and internal controls to engagement planning, fieldwork, reporting, and follow-up. A major advantage of t
John Blackshire
5 days ago1 min read
The Four Ethical Principles Every Internal Auditor Must Protect: Integrity, Objectivity, Confidentiality and Competency
Internal Audit Cannot Provide Assurance Without Trust Internal Auditors spend a great deal of time discussing methodology. Risk assessments. Internal controls. Walkthroughs. Sampling. Data analytics. Workpapers. Findings. Recommendations. Audit reports. All of those matter. But underneath the entire Internal Audit profession is something more fundamental: Can stakeholders trust the auditor? An Internal Auditor can understand COSO, perform excellent data analytics, write techn
John Blackshire
5 days ago8 min read
PCAOB Audit Quality Starts With the Staff: Why Financial Auditors Should Attend Audit & Assurance: Staff Two
Live Webinar — Wednesday–Thursday, September 2–3, 2026 A PCAOB-regulated audit is not performed only by the engagement partner. Much of the evidence gathering, walkthrough work, testing, documentation, analytical work, and day-to-day interaction with the client is performed by staff auditors. That creates a fundamental audit-quality issue: The quality of the engagement ultimately depends, in part, on the competence of the people performing the audit procedures. For firms perf
John Blackshire
5 days ago7 min read
Corporate Culture: The Hidden Risk Every School District Audit Committee Should Understand
When most people think about organizational culture, they picture employee morale, teamwork, or workplace satisfaction. While those factors certainly matter, an auditor or audit committee member should view corporate culture through a different lens. Corporate culture is the collection of values, behaviors, incentives, and leadership practices that determine how decisions are made when no one is watching. A healthy culture reduces fraud, improves financial reporting, strength
John Blackshire
6 days ago3 min read
How We Reviewed an Entity-Level Control: A Governance Review of an Internal Audit Charter
An Internal Audit Charter may look like a relatively simple administrative document. In reality, it can be one of an organization's most important entity-level controls. The Charter establishes the authority, independence, reporting relationships, responsibilities, and governance structure surrounding the Internal Audit function. If those provisions are weak, the weakness can affect Internal Audit's ability to evaluate controls throughout the entire organization. The Accountw
John Blackshire
Aug 146 min read
How Arizona CPAs Actually Get in Trouble
Lessons From the Arizona State Board of Accountancy Most CPAs do not begin their careers expecting to face professional discipline. They pass the CPA examination. They satisfy experience requirements. They complete continuing professional education. They work hard to serve clients and employers. Then something goes wrong. Sometimes it involves a major ethical failure. Sometimes it involves poor professional judgment. Sometimes it is much less dramatic: deficient CPE records,
John Blackshire
Aug 119 min read
PCAOB Broker-Dealer Inspections: Where External Auditors Are Still Getting It Wrong
The Latest PCAOB Inspection Results Should Get the Attention of Every Broker-Dealer Auditor The latest PCAOB broker-dealer inspection results contain both good news and a serious warning. Audit quality improved. But the deficiency rates remain far too high. In its 2026 Annual Report on the Interim Inspection Program Related to Audits of Brokers and Dealers, reporting on 2025 inspections, the PCAOB reported that it reviewed 103 broker-dealer audits and identified deficiencies
John Blackshire
Aug 118 min read
Insurance Cybersecurity Failures Lead to More Than $21 Million in Regulatory Penalties
Cybersecurity requirements for insurance organizations are no longer theoretical. Recent enforcement actions demonstrate that state regulators are prepared to impose substantial financial penalties when insurers fail to protect nonpublic information, maintain effective cybersecurity controls, or report cybersecurity events promptly. Between October 2025 and April 2026, the New York State Department of Financial Services imposed more than $21 million in cybersecurity penalties
John Blackshire
Aug 116 min read
The AI-Assisted Internal Audit Report: 10 Methodologies Auditors Can Use to Turn Evidence Into Action
AI Can Make Audit Reports Better—but Only When the Auditor Gives It a Methodology Artificial intelligence can dramatically improve internal audit report writing. But there is an important distinction between using AI to write and using AI to think through a structured audit methodology. An auditor who types: “Write an audit finding about poor purchasing controls.” may receive polished prose. That does not mean it is a good audit finding. The AI does not automatically know: Wh
John Blackshire
Aug 1010 min read
Leading Change: Step Two—Build a Guiding Coalition
Urgency Starts the Change. A Guiding Coalition Gives It the Power to Survive. In the first article in this series, “Leading Change—Step One: Create a Sense of Urgency,” we examined Dr. John Kotter’s first requirement for successful organizational transformation. People must understand why change is necessary now. That first step creates momentum. But urgency by itself does not change an organization. Someone must convert that urgency into coordinated action. That is the purp
John Blackshire
Aug 1010 min read
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