Toward Effective Big Data Analysis in Continuous Auditing

SYNOPSIS Big Data now pervades every sector and function of the global economy. This paper focuses on the gaps between Big Data and the current capabilities of data analysis in continuous auditing (CA). It identifies four dimensions of Big Data and five subsequent gaps: namely, data consistency, integrity, aggregation, identification, and confidentiality. For each gap, the paper outlines challenges and possible solutions derived from traditional data systems, which can be further applied to CA systems in an era of Big Data.