Dear Bob ... Your article, Explaining the inexplicable, gave me some insight into a situation I faced not too long ago. I had to deal with a sting of "expert consultants" brought in by the IT Auditor, followed by a stealth audit from the IT Auditor himself. In all cases I was presented the facts of all audits after they had been reviewed by the CEO and his directs. As the Security Dear Bob …Your article, Explaining the inexplicable, gave me some insight into a situation I faced not too long ago. I had to deal with a sting of “expert consultants” brought in by the IT Auditor, followed by a stealth audit from the IT Auditor himself. In all cases I was presented the facts of all audits after they had been reviewed by the CEO and his directs.As the Security Manager, I was assumed be in the wrong. In each case I was able to provide proof the audits were flawed, but that did not save my job. One could say I was right … dead right. The IT auditor is still there, but I was never able to present my findings to the CEO or directs as they were too busy. So I documented and now seek employment. Most security managers I have seen do not have access at the proper level to defend their situation, while Audit does have the access. Everything I did to present my side of the situation was filtered by VP of Technology. He too is looking for work now.In fact as you say, the Auditor had is own best interest in mind, not the company’s. In my previous employment, I worked hand in Hand with IT Auditing and while I reported elsewhere, we were a united front in the correction of problems. Companies personalities vary, just a people do.– Audited away Dear Audited …We used to say possession was nine tenths of the law. I think it’s fair to say that’s changed: Access has now superceded possession as the prime determinant of guilt and innocence.Since that is the situation (and perhaps it always has been), there’s an important lesson to learn. As a corollary to another bit of advice offered here frequently in one form or another – the relationship outlives the transaction – remember that the relationship also precedes it. No matter what you need to accomplish, whether it’s persuasion, negotiation, or self-defense, you’ll get a better hearing if you have an established relationship with the other party. Think of it as lubrication.So in your next job, make a list of the key individuals whose ear you might need in the future for one reason or another. Find reasons – good reasons – to get in front of them often enough that they’ll remember you when the time comes.Because in all of our careers, the time does come eventually. At least, in your case, the VP of Technology was shown the door as well. From your description, his behavior was weaselish enough that he deserved it.Good luck finding a better situation.– Bob ——– Technology Industry