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All players in IT GRC need to work together

Kirsten Doyle
By Kirsten Doyle, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 30 Jan 2019
Isabella Hofmeyr-Pretorius, legal advisor at Capitec.
Isabella Hofmeyr-Pretorius, legal advisor at Capitec.

Digital transformation is a trend that businesses ignore at their peril.

ITWeb Governance, Risk and Compliance 2019

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There is no doubt technology is viewed as a means to advance organisations into the digital age, and help them harness the vast amounts of data at their disposal.

This is why IT professionals need to take more responsibility for governance practices within their organisations, says Isabella Hofmeyr-Pretorius, legal advisor at Capitec.

Hofmeyr-Pretorius will present on "Principle 12 of King IV: IT governance", at ITWeb Governance, Risk & Compliance 2019, to be held on 20 and 21 February at The Forum in Bryanston.

There is a lot of room for improving communication between different business areas such as risk, compliance and legal, and the areas of IT, business development and customer engagement, she notes.

"We tend to speak very different languages using technical jargon and terms that mean different things to different people. All role-players involved in IT GRC should work together and learn to speak the same language, or get a translator," she adds.

So how can IT governance help the organisation to set and achieve its objectives?

Hofmeyr-Pretorius says IT GRC lowers the risks associated with business innovation, which in turn will contribute to the sustainability of the business. "It also gives stakeholders a greater sense of trust, and of course, saves money on fines and lawsuits."

During her talk, Hofmeyr-Pretorius will explore the guidelines set out by King IV as well as the protection of intellectual property, by linking King IV to the Protection of Personal Information Act.

She will also discuss IT ethics and how to remain ethical in a time when regulations are catching up with technology.

Finally, Hofmeyr-Pretorius will cover the linking of IT strategy to business processes for improved collaboration in IT governance and integrating IT risks with organisational-wide risk management.

"I hope delegates will walk away with a greater appreciation for the benefits of good, integrated GRC, and a fresh passion for responsible data processing," she concludes.

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