Confidentiality is one of the most important of internal audit’s code of ethics that required the internal auditors to keep information that they obtain from clients during their audit confidential. In other words, the information should not hand to people that are not authorized to access it.
Normally, the internal auditors could have the right to access most of the information of their client. Some of that information is not sensitive yet some are very sensitive.
For example, commercial information like the new produce lunch next week could be very sensitive. Business plan, budget, and employees’ salaries are also important.
If the internal auditor makes the information leak to outside or especially a competitor. There will be adversely affected to company.
Internal audit confidentiality also prevents the auditor to use the client’s confidential interest to gain personal benefit.
For example, an internal audit might access to client’s insider share information and by assessing, that information auditor might sell the share and purchase directly or indirectly.
