Allison Davis Ward serves as Partner, CRI Advisors. Allison joined the firm in 2006 and served as an IT audit intern throughout high school and college. After graduating from Louisiana State University in 2011, she committed full-time to the firm. Throughout her time as an information systems auditor, manager, and partner, Allison has provided information security assessment and consulting services for nonprofit organizations, financial institutions, health facilities, educational institutions, and a variety of other organizations. She stays current on changing threats to design review procedures to aid clients in implementing appropriate controls to protect against evolving cybersecurity threats. Allison speaks on information security topics for various banking, state CPA, higher education, and nonprofit societies.
December 12, 2025 - Technology can open new possibilities for greater impact and mission success, but it also requires organizations to protect sensitive financial data. Learn about common scenarios that can put your financial reporting system at risk and practical steps you can take to strengthen user administration and enhance system access controls.
October 28, 2024 - Resources and tips to help you reduce your organization’s cyber risk through multi-factor authentication, strong passwords, software updates, and more.
August 6, 2024 - With the growing threat of cyber breaches, it’s crucial to be aware of the risks that your vendors can pose and manage them accordingly. Follow these three steps to develop and maintain an effective vendor management program.
May 3, 2024 - The Federal Student Aid office has clarified service provider relationships for GLBA compliance and the timeframe for breach notification, two important updates related to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).
November 8, 2023 - There is a new GLBA requirement that institutions participating in Title IV programs should be mindful of when planning their breach response.
December 14, 2022 - Organizations need to view IT and cybersecurity as organization-wide concerns influencing every employee, department, and process — including financial statement audits*. Learn about the potential impact of IT controls on your external audit and key controls to assess at your organization.
October 5, 2022 - Even as cyber attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, the humble password remains a vital defense. Follow these steps to help improve password security at your organization.
May 12, 2022 - If your higher education institution receives federal funds, it’s important to understand recent updates to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and how they may affect your institution’s compliance. This article provides an overview of the changes.
October 22, 2021 - Organizations are plagued with cyber threats, and understanding the current trends in recent cyber breaches can help your organization tighten your cyber defenses against the top risks. Here are four key lessons from recent breaches.
August 17, 2021 - No organization is immune to the threat of ransomware. Here are three key takeaways about the current state of ransomware, including risks and the potential impact — which can be far-reaching and long-lasting.