About

Federal Audit Experience. Senior IT Audit Judgment.

Hunter Audit Services LLC is a principal-led practice providing IT audit, cybersecurity controls, technology risk, NIST/FISMA and audit co-sourcing support. The work is performed by the principal, not delegated after the scoping conversation.

Discuss Your Audit Need Selected Federal Audit Experience

The Principal

Bret D. Hunter, CIA

Bret D. Hunter is a Certified Internal Auditor and a former Senior IT Auditor with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

His background includes 34 years in the Federal Inspector General audit environment, with extensive experience involving cybersecurity, information technology, internal controls, risk, governance and federal oversight.

He served as a Lead or Senior Auditor on numerous TIGTA cybersecurity audit reports involving complex technology environments and significant federal programs.

That experience is now applied to organizations requiring experienced audit judgment, technology-control assessment and senior audit capacity: internal audit departments, consulting and advisory firms, government contractors, and management that needs an independent view of its technology environment.

Bret D. Hunter, CIA, Principal of Hunter Audit Services LLC — Bret D. Hunter, CIA — Principal, Hunter Audit Services LLC

Background

What that experience consists of.

34 years of Federal Inspector General audit experience
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
Certified Internal Auditor
Extensive cybersecurity and information technology audit experience
Lead or Senior Auditor on numerous public TIGTA cybersecurity reports
Federal audit methodology and oversight experience
NIST, FISMA and control-assessment experience
Executive-level findings and report development

Evidence over assertion

Federal audit work is built on documented evidence that a third party can re-examine. That standard does not relax in commercial engagements.

Findings written to be challenged

A finding that cannot survive a disagreement with the control owner was not sufficiently supported in the first place.

Independence is structural

Hunter Audit Services does not implement the controls it audits, and screens every inquiry for conflicts before accepting an engagement.

The Public Record

Selected Federal Audit Experience

Federal Inspector General audit reports are public documents. Many TIGTA reports identify major contributors to the audit, including Lead or Senior Auditor roles. The reports below identify Bret D. Hunter as Lead Auditor.

They are offered as representative public evidence of the work, not as a complete portfolio. The reports speak for themselves; no summary here improves on reading them.

Cloud Services Were Implemented Without Key Security Controls, Placing Taxpayer Data at Risk TIGTA Report 2022-20-052 · September 2022 · Lead Auditor Cloud security controls, NIST SP 800-53, identity and access management, continuous security monitoring, and data and infrastructure protection.
Electronic Authentication Security Controls Have Improved, but Continued Progress Is Needed to Ensure the Protection of Public-Facing Applications TIGTA Report 2019-20-017 · April 2019 · Lead Auditor Electronic authentication, digital identity, public-facing applications, and NIST SP 800-63-3.
Improvements Are Needed to Ensure the Protection of Data Transfers to External Partners TIGTA Report 2017-20-004 · October 2016 · Lead Auditor Secure external data transfers, encryption, vulnerability management, patching, and security control weaknesses.

Reports open on Oversight.gov. These three are representative rather than a complete record of the federal audit work behind this practice.

How Engagements Work

Scoped in writing. Performed by the principal.

A short conversation

What you need, the type of organization involved and the timing. Enough to determine whether this is a good fit, and to say so directly if it is not.

Written scope

Objectives, coverage, exclusions, timing and deliverables agreed before fieldwork begins, so there is no dispute later about what was examined.

Documented work

Testing performed against evidence, findings discussed before the report is finalized, and documentation that holds up in internal or external quality review.

Beyond the Federal Record

Current Consulting & Governance Experience

In addition to his federal audit background, Bret D. Hunter, CIA, provides contracted compliance and GRC support, including audits and risk assessments, policy development and review, technology-vendor governance, statements of work and procurement support, contract review, and technology implementation oversight.

His current consulting work provides direct exposure to the governance, technology, vendor-management and control challenges faced by operating organizations outside the Federal environment.

This experience complements his Federal Inspector General background and allows Hunter Audit Services to apply senior audit judgment in practical commercial environments.