7 Tips to Build a Strong Foundation for Continuous Control Testing
As IT compliance teams face proliferating cybersecurity controls and complex multi-framework environments, building efficiency into internal control programs has become increasingly necessary. In today's fast-evolving risk and regulatory landscape, compliance programs must respond to new requirements with agility, yet many teams remain insufficiently coordinated and prepared, leading to delays and redundant efforts. A continuous approach to control testing, anchored in common control sets and automated tests on regular cadences, can alleviate resource constraints while enabling focus on emerging areas and improvements. Technology solutions utilizing AI, automation, and advanced capabilities are critical for modern compliance teams to keep pace with expanding control environments. This guide provides seven actionable steps to establish a strong foundation for continuous control testing, from understanding industry landscapes to optimizing technology resources and tracking success metrics.
In this guide, you'll explore
- 37% of organizations are leveraging AI to automate, enhance, and improve their internal controls according to September 2024 research
- Continuous control testing anchored in common control sets can help alleviate resource constraints and enable focus on emerging improvements
- Seven-step framework covers understanding industry landscape, stakeholders, baseline frameworks, risk assessment, technology optimization, metrics tracking, and reassessment
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST 800-53, and ISO 27001 provide robust baseline frameworks for gaining coverage over wide ranges of security areas
- Automated control testing capabilities reduce manual effort, speed up data collection, and improve accuracy by minimizing human error and standardizing assessments