Continuous Compliance
Compliance Should Be "Always On"
There can be a tendency in compliance programs to focus on passing the audit and then relaxing (and forgetting) once you’ve achieved certification. But behind the paperwork and questionnaires, there is purpose for compliance. Organizations which deal with confidential or highly personal data need to maintain a climate of security and caution in order to reduce risk and maintain trust.
The idea of shifting compliance from isolated, one-off audits to daily practice is called continuous compliance.
What Makes Compliance "Continuous"
A traditional compliance program runs through a waterfall pattern of gap assessment – remediation – audit, with a lull until the next compliance cycle. This approach tends to drift towards checklists, with the audit (and the compliance it is supposed to measure) simply interrupting regular operations and processes.
However, any robust operational program evaluates three central elements: process, people, and technology. As an holistic GRC program shows, this simple framework applies to compliance as well. Compliance is the mechanism to make sure that your organization is aligned with the principles around security, data privacy, and customer protection.
A continuous compliance program leverages security technologies and resilient operations to make sure that compliance is integrated into the IT landscape and is managed effectively:
- Automation across cloud and physical infrastructure
- Real-time monitoring
- Dashboarding and reporting
- Vulnerability management and remediation
- User training
- Documentation and evidence collection
Using technology intelligently makes it easier to maintain compliance and relieves the burden on compliance teams, both in regular operations and during audit cycles.
Why Now?
All modern IT infrastructure is complex, ever since the first public cloud was introduced in 2006. Different authentication methods, changing security protocols, cloud and SaaS and physical environments – there are a lot of potential weaknesses across your technology infrastructure, before even considering your employees, vendors, clients, and larger supply chain.
Additionally, as technology changes, regulations and standards are updated or replaced, which means that a system that was compliant a couple of years ago may be uncompliant today, simply by not changing. This is compounded by AI, which means that security vulnerabilities can be discovered and exploited faster and increases the number of potential threat actors.
A failed audit or, worse, an actual security breach can cause irreparable damage to your customers and your brand reputation.
Incorporating your regulatory requirements into a dynamic security strategy can minimize the risk of and damage from a breach and help retain certification with less effort and time.
Why Continuous Beats Traditional
Continuous compliance is a habit. It is a collection of choices and daily activities that results in a technology foundation and process framework that keeps security and customer responsibility at the heart of your organization.
And compliance is more than doing the right thing. A continuous compliance approach has real benefits for your organization:
- Reduced audit fatigue and preparation costs
- Faster detection and remediation of violations
- Improved visibility for stakeholders and auditors
- Stronger security posture
- Sustainability and scalability across hybrid environments
