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Trust Services SysTrust©
SysTrust may be a cost-effective alternative to SAS 70
Many service organizations provide services their clients depend on for normal operations, yet those services have no effect on the user organizations' financial statements. Clients of these service organizations often need assurance that the organization has effectively designed and deployed controls to ensure appropriate security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. For these reasons, the AICPA, designed the Trust Services, SysTrust program. In the event, the users depend on your company's controls over financial data
and financial processing, your company may benefit from the preparation of
a "SAS No. 70: Service Organization" report.
The Trust Services SysTrust program provides CPAs with detailed evaluation criteria to assess the design and operating effectiveness of control categories significant to Service Organizations. The following table summarizes the SysTrust reporting program:
| AICPA Trust Services Principles and Evaluation Criteria |
| |
Evaluation Criteria |
| Principles |
Policies |
Communications |
Procedures |
Monitoring |
| 1. Security |
The system is protected against unauthorized access (both physical and logical). |
| 2. Availability |
The system is available for operation and use as committed or agreed, security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. |
| 3. Processing integrity |
System processing is complete, accurate, timely, and authorized. |
| 4. Confidentiality |
Information designated as confidential is protected as committed or agreed. |
| 5. Privacy |
Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and destroyed in conformity with the commitments in the entity’s privacy notice and with criteria set forth in generally accepted privacy principles issued by the AICPA and CICA. |
The objective of a SysTrust engagement is for the licensed CPA to provide independent
verification that a company has effective system controls and safeguards so
that a system can function reliably. Upon completion of a SysTrust engagement
a CPA issues a special SysTrust assurance report to company management.
Amper's professionals can help you quickly determine how to leverage the SysTrust criteria and principles to improve your operations and provide your clients and prospects with assurance they need.
Contact: Elliott Roth and Torpey J. White
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