When should an IS auditor be most concerned about the security policy?

An IS auditor should be most concerned about the security policy when it is only approved by a staff-level security administrator because this raises questions about the level of governance and oversight that is applied to the policy. Approving a security policy requires a comprehensive understanding of the organization's security landscape, regulatory requirements, and risk management considerations. If the policy is solely approved by someone without appropriate authority or organizational influence, it may lack the necessary alignment with the overall objectives and resources of the organization. This can lead to insufficient implementation of security measures and increased risk exposure.

In contrast, the currency of the policy (such as not being updated in a year) or the absence of revision history can indicate areas for improvement, but these alone do not necessarily compromise the authority and impact of the policy as significantly as its approval by a low-level staff member. Similarly, the existence of a policy committee may be beneficial for oversight, but the core concern in this context revolves around the approval process and authority level that impacts how seriously the policy is taken within the organization.