Internal auditors and stakeholders must upskill and refocus to handle new challenges and opportunities
LAKE MARY, Fla. (September 24, 2024) – Digital disruption and climate change have emerged as the two fasting-growing risk areas for organizations across industries, according to The IIA’s Internal Audit Foundation’s latest Risk in Focus research. Based on feedback from more than 3,500 internal audit leaders around the world, global risk levels for digital disruption and climate change are projected to increase 20 percentage points and 16 percentage points, respectively, over the next three years – far outpacing other risk areas.
Despite the growing intensity of these risks, most audit plans do not currently prioritize them. In fact, neither digital disruption nor climate change were named among the top five areas where internal audit functions allocate the most time and effort, with both ranked in the lower half of audit priorities. Globally, internal audit functions focus predominantly on cybersecurity, governance/corporate reporting, and business continuity, indicating a perceived gap between evolving threats and current areas of attention.
“Our latest research tells us cybersecurity, business continuity, and human capital continue to hold the top three spots in risk ratings. However, respondents anticipate significant changes as risks related to climate change and digital disruption accelerate in the coming years,” said Anthony Pugliese, President and CEO of The Institute of Internal Auditors. “To ensure both short-term success and long-term sustainability, organizations and their internal audit functions must adapt risk management practices to keep pace with the changing risk landscape.”
Risk in Focus offers a comprehensive view of the current global risk landscape and how it is expected to evolve in the coming years. Because threats are expected to rise steeply for technological advancements and climate change, the 2025 reports focus on leading practices for mitigation of these risks.
Keeping Pace with Digital Disruption
Approximately 39% of survey respondents worldwide ranked digital disruption as a top five risk, with that number expected to jump to 59% in three years. For North America, these figures are even higher at 48% and 70%, respectively. Furthermore, respondents worldwide expect digital disruption to rise from the fourth to the second highest ranked risk area in three years.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced new risks to watch, especially related to cybersecurity, according to 75% of respondents. AI has also impacted many other risk areas, including human capital, fraud, communications, reputation, and more.
AI is a particular focus for internal audit leaders concerning technology-related risks. Specifically, challenges include upskilling and adopting new tools, as well as global disparities in access to and knowledge of emerging technology.
Climate Regulations as a Key Risk Driver
Climate-related risks are currently ranked relatively low, but they are expected to rise substantially soon. About one in four (23%) of global respondents view climate change as a top five risk today. However, nearly 40% of respondents anticipate it will reach the top five in the next three years, climbing from 13th place to 5th.
Globally, roundtable participants agree that sustainability reporting and compliance requirements are the primary drivers for boards, management, and internal audit functions to allocate resources to climate change. The report revealed significant regional differences in climate-related risk perceptions. For instance, 33% of European audit leaders and 30% of Canadian audit leaders rate climate change as a top five risk, compared to 9% for the U.S. Despite the U.S. position, North American respondents expect ratings for climate change as a top 5 risk will double from 13% to 27% in three years.
“While climate change has long been recognized as a growing risk for organizations, these findings reveal the extent to which climate-related risks are expected to surge in the near term,” said Pugliese. “It is imperative for organizations, stakeholders, and internal audit leaders to objectively assess the short-term and longer-term risks to their organizations beyond basic compliance with regulations.”
Extreme weather can cause supply chain disruptions, higher operational costs, flooding, famine, and more. Some consumers and investors are calling on organizations to implement more sustainability initiatives. However, these sustainability initiatives must be reported accurately to avoid greenwashing and reputational damage.
Looking Ahead
Regional differences in the risk landscape were explored through roundtables and separate Risk in Focus reports for Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. These regional reports outline proactive steps that organizations and audit leaders across industries can take today to mitigate threats and embrace opportunities.
Embracing artificial intelligence and emerging technologies will be critical, as well as prioritizing upskilling, technology-oriented training, and recruitment to manage these risks effectively.
“The IIA has strongly advocated for internal audit functions to take a more strategic advisory role to better serve organizations and stakeholders,” said Pugliese. “The Risk in Focus findings underscore the importance of agile collaboration and partnership among internal audit functions, boards, and management to stay ahead of emerging threats and improve understanding of potential risk exposures.”
The IIA is dedicated to helping internal audit functions and organizations proactively manage potential risks. To help audit leaders collaborate with boards and management to address concerns related to digital disruption and climate change, The IIA offers online resources such as the AI Knowledge Center and ESG Knowledge Center.
About Risk in Focus
Survey results for Risk in Focus 2025 are based on responses from more than 3,500 internal audit leaders across Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa, and the Middle East. For further insights, roundtables and interviews were conducted with audit leaders from each region.
The Risk in Focus Global Summary and regional reports are available to the public at the Risk in Focus Resource Center.
About the Internal Audit Foundation
The Internal Audit Foundation, supported by the generosity of its donors, advances the practice of the profession by executing global research to explore issues impacting the profession and funding academic initiatives that support the pursuit and promotion of internal audit education within institutions of higher education.
About The Institute of Internal Auditors and the Internal Audit Profession
Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and advisory service designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management, and control processes.
The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) is an international professional association that serves more than 245,000 global members and has awarded more than 200,000 Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certifications worldwide. Established in 1941, The IIA is recognized throughout the world as the internal audit profession's leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance. For more information, visit theiia.org.
Media Contacts
Sarah DuBois
The Institute of Internal Auditors
Sarah.dubois@theiia.org
952-688-2588
James Schiavone
Lansons
jamess@lansons.com
917-238-9614