What is one objective of the internal audit activity according to Internal Auditing Standard 2120.A1?

The objective of safeguarding assets in internal audit activity highlights the importance of protecting an organization's resources against losses, waste, or fraud. This principle is crucial for maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of an organization’s operational processes. By ensuring that adequate controls are in place, internal auditors can help prevent misappropriation of assets and ensure compliance with applicable regulations and policies.

Safeguarding assets encompasses a broad range of activities, including evaluating the effectiveness of internal controls, assessing risk management processes, and ensuring that assets are accounted for properly. This objective aligns with the overarching goal of internal auditing, which is to provide assurance that the organization operates efficiently, effectively, and economically.

In contrast, options like maximizing shareholder value, conducting customer satisfaction surveys, and training employees, while important for a business, do not directly align with the specific mandate of internal audit activities as outlined in the Internal Auditing Standards. These other choices represent more general business objectives or functions that do not focus on the core role of the internal audit in risk management and asset protection.