Ulster audit finds potential weakness in financial management system security

KINGSTON – A just-completed audit of internal controls over cash receipts in Ulster County Government turned up the possibility of a security breach.
The study, conducted by County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach’s office, found a “blind spot” in the New World System program LOGOS that the county installed some two years ago.
“There are several people who have access to sensitive financial information in the county sharing the same user name and we all know that there should be some uniqueness when you sign on to your computer, and this in specific case uniqueness should really be underscored when it comes to county financial management,” Auerbach said.
For the most part, the comptroller said adequate controls exist over cash receipts. But, in addition to user security and access, improvement was needed in standardizing procedures as well as addressing incompleteness of documentation and the timeliness of deposits.