IT advancement has gone far beyond being a standard tool for organizations to use. For many companies, regardless of industry or size, IT practices have become an essential foundation. There is an immediate need to implement and manage internal controls and critical protection levels to address the trends. Simultaneously, many organizations struggle to maximize their IT processes’ abilities, leaving the company insecure and rendering it highly vulnerable to obsolescence.
And so COBIT plays an important role here.
What is COBIT?
COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) is an ISACA-developed IT management framework designed to help businesses develop, organize, and implement information management and governance strategies. COBIT is perhaps the most comprehensive system globally known for the achievement of organizational IT objectives and targets.
COBIT complements ITIL (or other ITSM approaches), and we have to understand that COBIT is a governance and management system for I&T firms. Contrary to most IT systems, COBIT provides a particular perspective on protecting the assets and monitoring risk-reduction.
The IT environment of the sector had changed significantly in the years since 2012 when COBIT 5 debuted. In today’s multi-cloud environments, a greater focus on security, risk management, and governance are necessary to scale rapidly as per market changes. Let’s have a glance at the variations from COBIT 5 to the latest COBIT 2019.
What is COBIT 5?
COBIT 5 was introduced in 2012 to resolve the fundamental problems that businesses face over the years, skipping IT project timeframes, disconnecting IT and business plans, and the cyber-threatening landscapes. COBIT 5.0 features the new techniques for business governance and management from over COBIT 4.1. Along with other ISACA resources, it can satisfy customers’ needs, ensure performance fulfillment, and distinguish control from management.
The successful use of COBIT 5.0 decreases the risks associated with IT implementation. The management methods are carefully aligned with process operations, inputs and output systems, key process strategies, performance measures, strategic maturity models, and performance measures. COBIT 5 also offers appropriate practices, protocols, and resources that ensure value from IT globally applicable. The comprehensive guidance provides information management, risk, compliance, business, and compliance on goals and strategy.
What COBIT 2019 offers?
COBIT® 2019 is a continuation of its predecessor, COBIT 5, which builds on its strong base by incorporating the most recent advancements in information and technology for companies. Besides the revised structure, COBIT 2019 provides additional tools for implementation, practical guidance, perspectives, and extensive training opportunities.
COBIT 2019 framework discusses state-of-the-art developments, innovations, and security needs of companies like other IT management tools like ITIL, CMMI, and TOGAF, making an excellent choice for unifying processes across an enterprise. COBIT 2019, like COBIT 5, focuses on stability, risk management, and information management.
COBIT® 2019 provides more versatility and transparency to boost COBIT’s currencies and significance.
- New ideas such as focus areas and design considerations can be implemented to tailor governance structures to suit its needs.
- Compliance aligned with global norms, protocols, and best practices strengthens COBIT pertinence.
- An open-source approach would allow a community of global governance to inform future changes through feedback, application sharing, and proposal for real-time improvement of the system and derivatives, and the launch of more COBIT innovations.
- Implementing a best fit governance framework is assisted by new guidelines and tools, making COBIT ® 2019 more prescriptive.
The COBIT Core Model, which comprises 40 governance and management priorities for setting up a governance program, has introduced new principles and terminology. Through the use of maturity measures and skills, the performance management system provides greater versatility.
COBIT 2019 goals
COBIT 2019 has been revised to include the following according to the ISACA:
- Focusing areas and design considerations that make it easier to establish a corporate governance framework
- Strengthened compliance with global standards, policy, and best practices to increase the importance of the system
- An open-source platform that facilitates global governance input in support of quicker changes and improvements
- Daily updates on a roll-out basis
- More guidelines and support mechanisms for organizations to build a “best-fit governance structure, which will make COBIT 2019 more prescriptive.”
- A better method for measuring IT performance and CMMI alignment
- More decision-making aid, including new interactive tools online
The COBIT 2019 is best suited, according to ISACA, to customers with specific silos within IT using their standard or framework, that use multiple frameworks — such as ITIL, ISO/IEC 2000, and CMMI. It is also appropriate for organizations mandated by the government and local authorities to obey strict regulatory guidelines.
It also provides senior management with a deeper understanding of how technology should interact with organizational objectives. The ISACA says that you can map pain points in the business organization on specific aspects of the system and emphasize the need for “control-driven IT.” The framework provides CIOs and other IT managers to illustrate how ROI in an IT project is accomplished and how it can help achieve key business goals.
COBIT 2019 Certifications:
- COBIT Bridge Workshop: It is a one-day course that focuses heavily on the differences between COBIT 5 and COBIT 2019 and covers concepts, models, and key definitions in COBIT 2019.
- COBIT 2019 Foundation exam: It prepares attendants for the COBIT 2019 Foundational Certificate Exam, covering the “context, components, benefits and main reasons for using COBIT as an IT and technology governance system.” After a 2-day course, you can gain a COBIT 2019 foundation certification.
- COBIT 2019 Design and Implementation exam: This cobit 2019 certification would include designing a best-in-class COBIT management system.
Final Words
COBIT 2019 was introduced as a platform for managing IT services. This updated version of COBIT 5 is addressed by each company irrespective of their sales and scale. This upgrade from ISACA has a mixed reaction. Some suggest that this latest version is needed now in information and technology to meet ongoing changes and challenges. However, some are also exploring the usage and advantages of COBIT 2019. If you are professional with COBIT 5 Foundation certification and are apprehensive of its value, this blog helps you eliminate your dilemma.
