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Incident management is a process to handle the issues reported by users, in the most efficient manner. Although most of the large organizations have already placed one or other mechanism to deal with such incident processes, however, it is important for the organizations to evaluate the entire incident management lifecycle and process to ensure that the right processes are in place to handle issues in the most efficient and faster manner. As technology is moving faster than ever before, similarly ITSM products are adding up new features and functionalities to help organizations to deal with incidents. Below are the key parameters, against which the Incident management process of any organization can be evaluated. Supported Channels for Incident Creation Reporting the incident in a faster manner helps to reduce the TAT for the incident, therefore it is important to look into the various channels which can be used to report the incident in real time. It enables users to choose the right way to log the incident. The most common channels are Email to ticket conversion, Using the user portal, SSO with other platforms such as O365, GSuite etc., Ticket logging by Chat-Bot, and Manual ticket creation by technician. Ability to Capture Important Information While logging the incident by the user, it has been observed in the past that relevant information has not been provided by the user which could be useful for support teams to understand the issue in detail. Hence ITSM tool should have provision to capture all the relevant information such as appropriate category, sub-category, asset details, warranty details etc... With the help of ITSM tools, organizations can create custom templates for the tickets which can be used by the users and fill in all the relevant information automatically at the time of ticket creation. Auto-Categorization & Auto-Assign Putting the incident into the right bucket is very important to avoid unnecessary delays in resolving the incident. If the user is using the portal to log the incident, templates can be used to raise the incident but, in the email,-to-ticket scenario, it is a tedious task to manually assign the categories/sub-categories. ITSM tools can help in doing the auto-categorization by analyzing the ticket contents using machine learning capability. ITSM should be able to assign the incident automatically to concerned support teams after categorization. Closer Look at Remaining or Elapsed Time While every incident is bound to be closed within SLA timelines, it is important to keep track of timelines during the incident lifecycle. If timelines are not being tracked, there are chances of breach of SLA timelines. ITSM tools now provide the capability to support teams to look into the timelines in terms of how much time is remaining as per SLA and severity of tickets and if ticket timelines are breached what is the overdue time. With the latest ITSM tools it is now possible to define the timelines at the granular level which includes office timings based on different locations, based on different holiday calendars etc. Auto-Escalations & Notifications While timelines can be tracked, the ITSM tool should also provide the capability to automatically escalate the incident ticket to higher authorities based on the time elapsed on ticket. ITSM tool should provide the notifications at various stages such as escalation notification, ticket status change notification, ticket closure notification etc. Diagnosis & Resolution While an incident ticket captures the symptoms, issue details etc. at the time of ticket creation, the ITSM tool should also provide the capability to support teams to capture more details such as how the diagnosis has been performed, which kind of solutions have been tried or applied or what was the root cause analysis for a particular incident. This information helps other support team members to look into similar resolved tickets in future for faster resolution of incidents. Self-Healing Managing the incident lifecycle is important but IT leaders should also look into various ways to reduce the no. of incidents in the organization. Self-heal bundled with automation scripts can help users to fix their issues automatically or using the right IT Asset Management tool, issues can be automatically detected and based on predefined conditions, and those issues can be fixed automatically. Organizations can use custom scripts based on the type of incidents in their organization. Self-heal functionality can reduce the no. of incident tickets up to 30% and helps to reduce the workload at the support desk. Ability to mark FCR, Impacted CIs, Major Incident etc. Apart from the basic classification based on category, severity etc. ITSM tool should also be able to mark the ticket for FCR (First Call Resolution), Major Incident or Impacted Cis/Business Services.  This helps IT leaders to look into actionable intelligent and plan for continuous improvement of IT Support Services.  

Service Requests Contain Sensitive Data — Here's How to Keep It Secure The Security Challenge Service requests often contain sensitive data: identity information, access details, HR records, and workflow evidence. The Cloud Security Alliance reports that 80% of enterprises have experienced unintended AI agent actions, and 39% have encountered agents that accessed unauthorized systems. Regulatory Context The EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) became fully applicable on January 17, 2025, requiring financial entities to maintain structured ICT incident records and reporting discipline — raising the importance of secure logging and traceable workflows . Security Risks in Service Requests Risk Example Data exposure Request contains sensitive personal or business information Unauthorized access AI agent accesses systems or data without proper authorization Shadow AI Unauthorized AI tools used without governance Weak AI identities Only 22% of organizations have proper identities tied to their AI agents Permission creep AI agents with excessive permissions Best Practices for Secure Service Request Management 1. Implement Identity and Access Management for AI Capability Purpose Unique AI identities Accountability for AI actions Least privilege Only grant necessary permissions Access reviews Regular permission validation Lifecycle management Provision and revoke access 2. Monitor AI Behavior Capability Purpose Real-time monitoring Detect AI incidents Anomaly detection Identify unusual behavior Audit logging Investigate incidents 3. Protect Sensitive Data Capability Purpose Data classification Understand what data is in requests Access controls Only authorized users can access sensitive data Data minimization Only collect what's needed 4. Build AI Governance Capability Purpose AI risk assessment Understand AI risks AI compliance monitoring Ensure regulatory compliance AI incident reporting Report AI incidents Conclusion Security and privacy are essential considerations in service request management. Organizations must implement governance, access controls, and monitoring to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance. Action Items for Your Organization Audit current AI agent identities and permissions Implement least privilege for all AI agents Monitor AI behavior in real-time Protect sensitive data in service requests Build AI governance frameworks Prepare for regulatory compliance (DORA, GDPR, EU AI Act)  

Audits Are Not Just About Compliance — Build a Culture of Collaboration and Improvement The Audit Culture Shift Internal audit's mission remains the same—but the tools, capabilities, and expectations surrounding the function are changing faster than ever . Organizations are moving from viewing audit as a compliance obligation to seeing it as a strategic partner. Characteristics of a Strong Audit Culture 1. Risk-Aligned Assurance Audit plans adjust as risks evolve across the organization, providing assurance on what matters most . 2. Continuous Improvement The CAE must ensure and continuously improve the quality and performance of the internal audit function . Methodologies must be evaluated and updated as necessary . 3. Stakeholder Engagement The CAE should maintain regular, ongoing communication with the board, senior management, and other stakeholders to contribute to a common understanding of the organization's risks and objectives . 4. Collaboration The CAE must coordinate with internal and external providers of assurance services to minimize duplication of efforts . Building the Audit Culture 1. Communicate Value Demonstrate how audit contributes to organizational success. 2. Partner with Stakeholders Engage stakeholders throughout the audit lifecycle. 3. Focus on Solutions Offer recommendations that address root causes and improve operations. 4. Embrace Technology Use technology to provide better insights, faster. 5. Invest in People Develop auditors with the skills needed for the future. The Audit Manager's Role The audit manager role is critical to building audit culture. Responsibilities include : Planning, supervising, reviewing, reporting, and closing audits Managing stakeholder relationships Ensuring quality assurance and continuous improvement Leading engagement teams Navigating emerging issues and trends The Future Audit Team "The future audit team will likely consist of human expertise supported by AI-enabled analytics, automation, and intelligent workflows" . Key roles in the future audit team: Human auditors with domain expertise AI-enabled analytics specialists Automation and workflow experts Stakeholder relationship managers Conclusion Building an audit culture means moving beyond compliance to strategic partnership. Organizations that embrace this shift will achieve greater value from audit and stronger stakeholder relationships. Action Items for Your Organization Assess your audit culture Communicate audit value to stakeholders Partner with stakeholders throughout the lifecycle Invest in technology and people Measure stakeholder satisfaction Continuously improve

AI-First, Continuous, Connected — The Future of Controls Management Is Here The Controls Transformation The future of controls management is AI-first, continuous, and connected. Organizations are moving from manual, periodic controls to autonomous, real-time controls. Key Trends 1. Agentic AI for Controls Agentic AI is reshaping controls management by enabling systems that can independently monitor, assess, and remediate controls . What this means: Self-healing controls that automatically correct themselves Autonomous control assessments Real-time anomaly detection Automated remediation workflows The implication: Organizations that adopt agentic AI for controls will achieve continuous compliance with minimal manual effort. 2. Continuous Monitoring Continuous monitoring is becoming the new standard. Organizations are moving from point-in-time assessments to real-time control monitoring . What this means: Always-on control visibility Immediate detection of control failures Real-time risk insights Automated alerting The implication: Organizations that implement continuous monitoring will be audit-ready at all times and detect gaps immediately. 3. Common Controls Frameworks Common Controls Frameworks are becoming mainstream. Organizations are rationalizing overlapping standards by mapping a single control to multiple requirements simultaneously . What this means: One control satisfies multiple requirements Consistent evidence across audits Reduced manual effort The implication: Organizations that implement CCFs will reduce manual administrative burdens by up to 33% . 4. Controls as Data Controls are becoming data-driven. Organizations are converting controls into measurable operational data (KPIs, KRIs, logs) . What this means: Controls are measurable Controls are testable Controls are auditable Controls are improvable The implication: Data-driven controls enable better decision-making and continuous improvement. 5. Integrated Controls Controls are becoming integrated with ITSM, security, and QA. Organizations are collapsing fragmented controls into a single data fabric . What this means: Risk-aware ITSM decisions Integrated risk management Connected controls Unified reporting The implication: Integrated controls reduce duplication and enable better decision-making. 6. Controls Rationalization Controls rationalization is becoming essential. Organizations are eliminating duplication and consolidating overlapping controls . What this means: Leaner control environments Reduced costs Improved assurance Stronger accountability The implication: Organizations that rationalize controls will reduce costs and improve effectiveness. The 2027 Controls Roadmap Timeframe Actions Now Assess current controls, identify gaps, define strategy Q3-Q4 2026 Rationalize controls, automate manual controls, implement continuous monitoring 2027 Implement agentic AI for controls, achieve integrated controls, continuous improvement Conclusion The future of controls management is AI-first, continuous, and connected. Organizations that embrace these trends will achieve more effective controls, reduced costs, and continuous compliance. Action Items for Your Organization Assess your current controls capabilities against future trends Build a roadmap for AI-first controls Plan for continuous monitoring Implement Common Controls Frameworks Convert controls to measurable data Integrate controls with ITSM, security, and QA Rationalize controls