WSU Audit Update Blog

WSU recently beefed up its conflict of interest reporting protocols. The new requirements are designed to ensure the transparency of relationships and mitigate any appearance of impropriety.

When we first read or hear about a fraud or ethics scandal, it's easy to shake our heads and wonder what they were thinking. But when concocting a scheme, fraudsters don't conduct a cost-benefit analysis or consider bad outcomes.

Being aware, mindful, and diligent are some of the expressions 15 of your colleagues used to describe our security and compliance responsibilities in behalf of the university. All were said in response to my survey about topics appearing in the Audit Update Blog and monthly Case in Point newsletter.

A husband and wife team took a multipronged approach to defraud their employing university. Their case is rich with examples of how to violate a university's trust. Their system worked because they were trusted employees lacking oversight.

A long-running theft at the University of Toledo shows what can happen when policies and procedures about how and where to deposit money are disregarded or not clearly defined. After looking at what happened at Toledo, we'll review WSU policies and procedures designed to counter a similar occurrence here.

Hank and John Green have been producing YouTube videos as the Vlogbrothers since 2007. Because most of us are relatively new to the world of routine video chats and meetings, Hank shares tips for doing these well.

It's a sad fact of life that natural disasters and pandemics are perfect incubators for scammers to take advantage of the public's fear and anxiety. Rich with sensitive information, colleges and universities are an attractive target.

Pcards are a great tool when proper protocols are established and followed. This post is a cautionary tale of what can happen when an organization issues pcards without user instructions and spending guidelines.

There were numerous phishing incidents at universities across the country in the past year. The three highlighted here provide considerable insight about why hackers target colleges and universities. WSU counters hacking attempts with several best practices.

My previous post highlighted how universities fumbled data security because of data handling errors. Data exposed in the incidents included student education records, protected health information, Social Security numbers and credit card numbers. WSU has four policies that guard against data handling errors. Are you familiar with all four?