When it came to automating operations at cellular message service provider Mobile 365 Inc., CFO Joe Kuhn knew he could rely heavily on the company's CIO, Derek Tam, to steer him in the right direction.

But with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Kuhn admits the stakes have risen exponentially in terms of the need for complete trust in his colleague's analytical abilities and integrity. "These days, you have to be able to look your CIO in the eyes and say, 'Are you aware of any violations in our internal procedures?' and know that you're going to get a straight answer," says Mobile 365′s CFO. Kuhn says he's lucky because he feels he can.

Some CFOs don't feel so blessed and are asking for more than face-to-face assurances. "We find that many CFOs today are requiring their CIOs to actually sign off on the business process systems under their control and on the data they are providing to the finance department," says Mark Feldman, senior vice president for strategy and business development at Virsa Systems Inc., which makes security and controls software.