Technology may be essential to support management's pursuit of the entity's objectives and to better control the organization's activities. The number of entities that use technology continues to grow as does the extent that technology is used.

Technology is often referred to by other terms, such as "management information systems" or "information technology." These terms share the ideas of using a combination of automated and manual processes, and computer hardware and software, methodologies, and processes. The Framework uses the term "technology" to refer to all computerized systems, including software applications running on a computer and operational control systems.

Technology environments vary significantly in size, complexity, and extent of integration. They range from large, centralized, and integrated systems to decentralized systems that operate independently within a specific operating unit. They may involve real-time processing environments that enable immediate access to information, including mobile computer applications that can cut across many systems, organizations, and geographies. Technology enables organizations to process high volumes of transactions, transform data into information to support sound decision making, share information efficiently across the entity and with business partners, and secure confidential information from inappropriate use. In addition, technology can allow an entity to share operational and performance data with the public.

Technology innovation creates both opportunities and risks. It can enable the development of new business markets and models, generate efficiencies through automation, and enable entities to do things that were previously hard to imagine. It may increase complexity, which makes identifying and managing risks more difficult.

The principles presented in the Framework do not change with the application of technology. This is not to say that technology does not change the internal control landscape. Certainly, it affects how an organization designs, implements, and conducts internal control, considering the greater availability of information and the use of automated procedures, but the same principles remain suitable and relevant. ^{fn 8}