Introducing Securecast: Integrity in Practice

Securecast is the new podcast from Securance that explores what integrity in business operations really looks like. Hosts Naeem Arif and Henk Meijer bring long experience in internal control, audit, and advisory. In Securecast you will hear practical conversations about being in control, how organizations balance interests fairly, and what it takes to achieve reasonable assurance that objectives are met. If you want clear, real-world discussion of governance and risk, Securecast is for you.

Episode 1 sets the stage. Naeem and Henk explain why Securecast exists and what listeners can expect.

• Why this topic matters
  There is a podcast for almost everything, yet the day-to-day practice of integrity in business operations is often missing. Securecast aims to make that practice visible and usable.
• What integrity means here
  The term is known from DNB supervision and the older ROB guideline. We often call people “integer,” but here integrity is applied to organizations. Think of integrity as whole and uncorrupted, and as fair weighing of interests in decisions.
• Being in control
  The question of being in control has been around since large organizations emerged after the first industrial revolution. The core remains the same today. It is about reasonable assurance that objectives will be achieved and that deviations are recognized and addressed.
• The People, Process, Data and Technology lens
  Organizations are social systems designed to realize goals. The podcast groups topics into three components.
  People covers culture, behavior, and soft controls.
  Process is where value and risk are created, across primary and secondary processes.
  Data and Technology includes information integrity and IT systems, which have become central assets.
• Operational risk rather than non-financial risk
  The hosts prefer the term operational risk. The execution of the enterprise touches everything, while financial risk focuses on the correctness of the numbers. Financial health is often the result of integrity in operations.
• Three Lines, clarified
  First, second, and third line are common terms, yet answers vary when you ask people to define them. Securecast will address the roles and how to apply them in practice.
• Control environment
  Many well-known failures can be related to the top of the COSO cube, including tone, competence, structure, authority, and accountability.
• Outsourcing and third-party risk
  As dependencies grow, so does the importance of assurance over what you outsource. Expect discussion about how to gain confidence that outsourced services remain in good hands.
• About the name
  Securecast connects to Securance and to the broader idea of secure processes and data. Secure is broader than security, which fits the full scope of the topics.
  
  Listen here: 
   

Securecast speaks to people with steering and control responsibilities. That includes executives and leaders in the first and second line, internal auditors, risk and compliance professionals, and managers who want their organization to be in control.

Upcoming episodes will cover themes mentioned in Episode 1. Examples include being in control, risk management, the Three Lines model, the control environment, cybersecurity, and control in outsourcing relationships. The hosts also invite listeners to suggest topics and plan to include timely events to provide context and explanation.

Follow Securecast for new episodes and send in your questions or themes you want covered. 

• Listen on YouTube
• Listen on Spotify
• Contact our team: securecast@securance.com
• Explore Securance Advisory

Helpful references

• IIA Three Lines Model
• COSO Internal Control Framework