The shifting landscape of IT Audit.

Allow me to start with, I am not an auditor. However, as a technology risk and cyber recruiter, I've seen firsthand how the demand for IT auditors has been on a decline. The reasons behind this trend speak volumes about where the industry is headed—and not all of it is positive.

In recent years, we've witnessed a shift toward outsourcing IT audit functions and an increasing reliance on third-party platforms to produce SOC reports in a standardized, commoditized way. While these partners can be valuable for scaling security compliance, the result is a landscape where fewer companies feel the need to maintain IT audit/SOC Audit teams. The industry seems to be trading depth for convenience, leading to a process that can risk prioritizing speed over comprehensive review.

This raises a critical question: as the pace of SOC report production accelerates, are we sacrificing the integrity and oversight that true IT audit teams provide? When reports become commodities, churned out to meet basic compliance requirements, the potential for overlooking critical ethical and operational details increases. The need for internal auditors who understand the unique aspects of each company, who bring a rigorous eye to their reviews, is greater than ever—but it seems to be undervalued.

If we aren’t careful, the SOC report itself may lose its value and reliability, becoming just another box to check rather than a thorough analysis of security practices. It’s time we re-evaluate the role of IT auditors and recognize that outsourcing and commoditization shouldn’t replace rigorous, ethical auditing practices.