Here’s a look back at the most popular blog posts of 2021 according to the number of times readers opened those posts. It’s been a long time since I’ve done a best blogs post…
Some of these posts are oldies, and yet they are still pulling in plenty of traffic. Check out the list, and see if you missed any of them, especially new readers.
How to get an IT Audit job with little or no experience
I get asked this question all the time, so I finally wrote this up in 2017. Some of my readers know that I have complained often that many IT auditors don’t know enough to do their job adequately, and my own brain protested loudly when I published this. At the same time, it’s hard to get a job when you don’t have experience, so I put this out there to help others.
Of course, if you get a job and you have little experience, you need to continually learn and improve yourself so you’re not one of those who give auditors a bad name.
ACL: How to Add a Conditional Computed Field
In 2014, skyyler wrote this post when he realized a lot of ACLers weren’t using this feature, which is a game changer once you master it.
It used to really irk me when skyyler wrote posts that were so much more popular than mine, but I eventually got over it. The goal was to help people and have fun, not compete on popularity.
The main draw for this post is to download the FREE CISA Study Guide. See the study guide post further below.
This used to be the most popular post on this blog for years. Yep, skyyler wrote that one too. This post doesn’t teach you how to use ACL, but gives you suggestions and tips for how to manage the learning process. Circa 2009, and updated several times.
In 2019, skyyler ranted about all the changes the company has made (or not made) to ACL Desktop over the years. This is one of his many rants about ACL. His still doesn’t think much has improved, as in 2021 he wrote Another Nail in ACL’s Coffin.
ACL: How to Add a Computed Field
Don’t confuse this post with its more popular cousin above. This post is about how to transform the data in a field; the one way above is about adding conditions to your computed field. Written by skyyler, circa 2014.
Back in 2012, I wrote a 40-page study guide to help me pass the CISA exam. Ten years later, people are still finding it valuable as the basics of auditing IT and technology don’t change much, even though the technology (e.g., encryption methods) does change. Make sure you read the bulleted key points in the post before you read the guide.
I wrote this in 2013 as the auditors I worked with at the time had no clue how to do it. This is one of those posts that I expected to have a lot more comments left about than it ever got. You’d think with SOX and all the regulations these days related to security, this would be a more popular post. Go fish.
Closing thoughts
- skyyler is still more popular that me. Life goes on. I still post more than he does, which isn’t saying much.
- The most recent post in this list is from 2019, which speaks to the staying power of writing some key posts that discuss issues that span the sands of time. I think it also reflects the difference in the number of posts we’re written since 2019, much fewer. Keep these points in mind if you have your own blog.
- What other posts do I think should get read more than they do? Excel: Basic Data Analytics, especially the one about Flash Fill. If you don’t use Flash Fill in Excel, you’re working too hard. See the link for more info.
- I haven’t had the time to post as much as I like. I’m busy learning other technologies and tools, and not much interesting stuff has happened lately. I have a few posts in the hopper, but still trying to think through a couple items before I post them.
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