Information Technology Audit - Certification on Audit of Digital Systems (CADS) Foundational level

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Provider

SWAYAM Plus
Pricing

Free Certificate
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

30 hours
Level

Advanced

Found in

IT Systems Audit Controls (Certification on Audit of Digital Systems — Foundation) is a 45-hour, fully online foundation-level certification for participants entering IT systems audit practice. The programme is co-developed by IITM Pravartak, CAG of India and it covers ten modules spanning IT infrastructure, databases, networking, data lifecycle, software development, international standards, CAAT tools, IS audit methodology, and audit reporting. Six modules include hands-on case studies using fabricated but realistic government datasets — the kind of evidence an IT auditor encounters in the field. Assessment is split between continuous case study submissions (40%) and a final online proctored MCQ examination (60%).

Intended audience

Public auditors under CAG and anyone interested in Public Audit Domain

Prerequisites

Public Audit (Foundation) is a mandatory course for all CADS learners. Successful completion of Public Audit (Foundation) is a prerequisite for enrolment in the IT systems Audit domain, as it is for all other CADS technical domains. Learners are advised to complete Public Audit (Foundation) first before proceeding to this domain.
All of: Public Audit - Certification on Audit of Digital Systems (CADS) Foundational level

Assessment & certification

Assessment fee: Included — no extra fee
Assessment mode: Center based
Assessment type: MCQ
Assessment provider: IIT Madras
Certificate provider: The passing percentage is 50% of the total marks.

NCrF level: 6.5 (NCrF credit-eligible)

Syllabus

Week 1: Module 1: Introduction to IT Systems Audit
This module establishes the conceptual foundation before any technical content is introduced. The most common failure mode for incoming IT auditors is treating IT audit as an extension of IS audit — applying the same compliance-checklist mindset without understanding how IT controls actually work. Module 1 addresses this head-on.
Week 2: Module 2: IT Fundamentals, Hardware & Configuration Audit
Module 2 is where auditors start engaging with actual technical content. The scope is deliberately practical — the goal is not to train IT engineers but to give auditors enough vocabulary and conceptual grounding to review IT asset registers, read configuration checklists, interpret EOL risk, and write defensible findings. Most of the material here is immediately applicable in the field.
Week 3: Module 3: Database Concepts, Data Management & Audit Controls
Databases are the backbone of government IT systems — payroll, land records, beneficiary registers, financial transactions, and citizen data all live in relational databases. An auditor who cannot read a database schema, understand basic SQL, or spot data integrity failures is operating with a significant handicap. This module builds those capabilities from the ground up.
Week 4: Module 4: Networking Basics, Cloud Services & Audit Controls
Networking is one of those topics where auditors need breadth more than depth. An IT auditor does not need to configure a firewall, but they do need to be able to read a firewall rule set, identify gaps in network architecture, review a cloud SLA for audit-relevant clauses, and understand why a flat network with no DMZ is a critical finding. This module covers that functional literacy.
Week 5: Module 5: Data Lifecycle, IT Asset Audit & Business Continuity
Data lifecycle management and IT asset verification are unglamorous but consequential topics. Data retention failures create evidential gaps. Improper disposal creates data breach exposure. And business continuity failures — which were entirely absent from the v3.0 curriculum — represent one of the most significant operational risks an IT auditor should assess. All three are addressed here.
Week 6: Module 6: SDLC, IT Project Lifecycle & Change Management Audit
The systems development lifecycle, IT project governance, and change management are three of the most common areas where government IT audit findings surface — both because the controls are well-defined (and therefore gaps are easy to document) and because failures here have real downstream consequences for system quality, cost, and security.
Week 7: Module 7: International Standards, Frameworks & India Regulations
Frameworks and standards form the reference architecture for IT audit. Without them, an audit observation has no criteria — and a CCCER observation without criteria is not an observation at all. This module ensures auditors can cite frameworks accurately and understand what each one is actually useful for, rather than dropping names without substance.
Week 8: Module 8: IT Tools for Data Analysis — CAATs & Analytics
Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques are what separate a capable IT auditor from one who can only review documents. This module builds practical CAAT skills — primarily Excel and SQL, with an introduction to visualisation tools. The case study (CS 8.5) tests those skills against a realistic 60,000-row payroll dataset.
Week 9: Module 9: IS Audit Concepts — Controls, Methodology & Documentation
Module 9 sits at the methodological core of the programme — it is where the conceptual vocabulary of audit (controls, risks, evidence, sampling) is formalised. It has been trimmed from 3 hours to 2.5 hours by tightening the risk assessment section, which can be covered adequately in 45 minutes without the extended CVSS case examples that added time in v3.0.
Week 10: Module 10: IT Audit Reporting, Observation Drafting & Capstone
The final module brings everything together. Audit reporting is where analysis becomes accountability — and the quality of an audit observation determines whether a finding leads to corrective action or gets lost in a response cycle. The capstone case study requires learners to apply skills from across all nine preceding modules.