What is the INITIAL step for an IS auditor reviewing a software application based on service-oriented architecture?

The initial step for an IS auditor reviewing a software application based on service-oriented architecture involves understanding the services and their allocation to business processes by reviewing the service repository documentation. This foundational understanding is critical because it allows the auditor to gain insights into how different services interact, what business processes they support, and how these services are orchestrated within the architecture.

By starting with the service repository documentation, the auditor can identify the various services that have been developed and how they are intended to be used within the organizational context. This knowledge serves as a basis for further evaluations, such as assessing security standards, reviewing service level agreements, and auditing core services and their dependencies. Without this initial understanding, subsequent assessments may lack the necessary context, which could lead to incomplete or inaccurate conclusions about the system's effectiveness or security posture.

Overall, understanding the services in relation to business processes provides a comprehensive view that is essential for effective auditing in a service-oriented architecture.