Management override
Access to assets
Substance over form
Conflicts of interest
Failure to anticipate certain risks
Collusion
Along with key success factors, there are a couple key threats to successful internal controls
Management Override: A well-designed control system, if set aside at management’s discretion, can be equivalent to no control in terms of risk.
Access to Assets: The best way to safeguard assets is to control access to them.
Substance over Form: Controls may appear to be well-designed and still lack substance.
Conflicts of Interest: When an employee’s loyalties are divided there is a distinct risk that the employee will chose a course of action detrimental to the organization.
Failure to Anticipate Certain Risks: Management may fail to anticipate certain risks, and thus fail to design and implement appropriate controls. Collusion: Two or more employees may agree to circumvent internal controls.