How do you implement continuous controls monitoring?

Step 1: Identify Key Controls and Risks

Before you can monitor anything, you need to figure out what matters most. This means identifying the key controls that protect your organization, including security policies, user access management, data protection protocols, and compliance requirements. This list should include:

• Controls related to your internal operations
• Controls for your vendors (vendor risk management is crucial!)

Take a look at what your biggest risks are. For example, if your company stores sensitive customer data, you’ll want to focus on monitoring controls that secure that data.

Step 2: Map Your Controls to Regulations and Standards

Every industry has its own rules—whether it’s GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, or others—so your controls should align with these regulations. Use a compliance framework (like NIST or ISO) to map your controls to the standards that apply to you. This helps ensure that you’re not just monitoring security controls, but also staying compliant.

If you’re working with vendors, you need to check that their controls align with your compliance needs. Continuous monitoring for third parties ensures that vendors don’t become a weak link in your security.

Step 3: Automate Data Collection and Monitoring

Here’s where the magic of CCM really starts. Once you’ve identified what you need to monitor, you can set up automated systems to continuously check those controls. This is where continuous compliance automation comes into play. You’ll want to:

• Use software that integrates with your existing systems (like SIEMs or GRC platforms) to automatically pull data about your controls.
• Set up alerts for when controls fall out of compliance or fail.
• Integrate vendor risk monitoring software to continuously check vendor controls.

For example, if you’re monitoring user access controls, automation can detect and alert you when an employee still has access to critical systems after leaving the company.

Step 4: Define Metrics and Reporting

You can’t manage what you can’t measure, so it’s essential to establish metrics for monitoring. What does success look like? How often do controls need to be checked? Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as:

• Percentage of controls in compliance
• Number of security incidents detected
• Vendor compliance health scores

Step 7: Refine and Adjust

Once your CCM system is up and running, the work doesn’t stop. Continuous improvement is key. As your company grows, or as new regulations come into play, your controls and monitoring will need to evolve. Regularly check if your KPIs are being met, adjust the controls you’re monitoring, and update your processes to stay agile.