Computer Technology and Auditing: The Early Years

The world of the EPDAA auditor was far different than that of an ISACA member today. Step back through the decades to find out how …

1960s
A typical computer in use in the 1960s and 1950s, the Univac, was manufactured by Sperry Rand, which later became Unisys. It initially was used mostly by governments (such as the US Census Bureau) and big companies (insurance companies, utilities) with a greater need for computing power – and bigger budgets. A Univac 1108 (see photo), consisting of a 1.3 MHz CPU with half a megabyte of RAM and 100 megabyte hard drive, cost a mere US$1.6 million in 1968 dollars. As mainframe computers came into wider use in the 1960s, enterprises awoke to the need for controls – and the EDP Auditors Association was born in 1969.

1970s
Technology marvels came fast and furious in the 1970s, including email (1971), the compact disk (1972) and modems that enabled computers to talk with each other over phone lines (1973). By the end of the decade, more than half a million computers were in use in the United States. Technology continued to move faster than controls. In 1977, only 15% of corporations polled had an EDP audit function.

1980s
This decade marked the proliferation of computer technology for enterprises and individuals alike. The internet – officially launched in 1983 – grew to 100,000 host machines by 1989 and more than a million by 1992. In 1988, the first worm to have a major effect on real-world computer systems (widespread outages in 6,000 of the 60,000 hosts linked to the network) publicized the importance of network security. EDPAA stepped up its education and outreach with 34 conferences worldwide in the 1980s.

1990s
Responding to these and other dramatic changes in technology, EDPAA became ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) in 1994. As artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and other disruptive technologies have moved from the realm of science fiction to reality, ISACA continues to stand at the forefront of innovation.