We often mention the marvelous benefits of compliance automation. From getting compliant up to 90% faster to remaining compliant all year round with automated monitoring and alerts. That’s all fine and dandy, but what does it actually mean? What is automated compliance, really?
If you’re handing over the compliance baton to a platform, you’re going to want to be very sure of how it works and why it works. So, to keep you from deep diving into the pros and cons of security compliance automation in your free time, here’s everything you need to know about compliance automation and how it redefines compliance management one click at a time.
What is compliance automation?
The crux of compliance automation is using technology to replace processes that previously required strenuous manual tasks. By using leading-edge technology and compliance automation platforms assure organizations that activities, processes and systems are all up to standard with the latest regulatory changes and requirements. In addition, as compliance isn’t a one-time task, automation helps organizations stay compliant by consistently monitoring any risks, changes, red flags or suspicious activity.
By implementing compliance automation, businesses can streamline their compliance journey and meet all their obligations in one central place, including workflows, risk assessments, control evaluations, testing, staff security awareness training and corrective actions.
Why you need compliance automation
Apart from the fact that it eliminates the exhausting process of playing compliance catch-up, here are a few other significant benefits of compliance automation.
Implement industry-specific controls
You can leverage industry-best practices and apply them to your security posture through compliance automation. Automation tools apply to your company’s specific security framework and its relevant requirements. In addition, automation tools can help implement and monitor security controls recommended for your particular business, industry, team, security procedures and goals. This tailored approach ensures that your compliance works alongside your business objectives and protects you against the niche risks that target your organization.
Accelerate productivity
Spending hours compiling reports and keeping up to date with regulations and frameworks is an all too familiar concept when it comes to compliance. Compliance automation replaces the entire process with real-time monitoring and assesses internal controls simultaneously to help mitigate any risks of non-compliance. Although some processes will require a business to take a more hands-on approach, various tasks could still be automated, such as control processes, risk assessments, evidence collection, and alerts, maximizing productivity and accuracy.
Scale your business
Not only does automated compliance reduce the time spent to stay compliant, but its diligence and accuracy also significantly reduces the possible financial and reputational impact that non-compliance may have on your business. In addition, automation helps organizations tick all their compliance boxes efficiently and ensures that the requirements are effectively implemented throughout all systems with no human error.
Ultimately, this helps organizations build a strong security posture. In addition, an effective compliance tool will also store all necessary documents and records to prove due diligence. This means you can rest assured that your business will always be audit ready.
A strong security posture and thorough compliance always attract customers and close the deal with prospects, as they can rest assured that their data is protected and that your security and compliance standards are in line with theirs.
Create a robust security culture
Regardless of your compliance security framework, your employees remain your first defense line. Though compliance officers may know the dos and don’ts when it comes to security awareness, the top reason for non-compliance remains negligent employees. Therefore, a robust compliance program should automate workflows and implement a security-conscious culture. Through easy-to-understand analytics, dashboards, task-tracking, alerts and workflow processes, employees can understand their role in compliance and what to do during a breach.
Many compliance tools also include security awareness training programs to ensure that all individuals are up to date and in the loop with your company’s security policies, procedures and processes.
Keys to an effective compliance program
If you’re looking to automate your compliance management, be sure that your chosen tool includes the following core pillars.
Policies and procedures
Ensure that your policies and procedures are auditor-approved and align with all regulatory requirements with a custom policy generator and industry-specific templates.
Education and training
Automated compliance tools should cover all requirements, including ongoing staff security awareness training. Find an automated tool that helps you maintain personnel-compliance training readiness.
Monitoring and auditing
An effective automation tool must provide evidence collection and 24/7 control monitoring to ensure you’re always 100% audit-ready.
Risk management
Consistently manage your potential risk through automated compliance management that can identify any security gaps. Keep in mind that this should include third party risk management.
Integration with other tools
For truly effective compliance automation, ensure the seamless integration of automation tools with your business’s existing systems and workflows. This integration embeds compliance into the daily operations of your organization, enhancing both efficiency and adherence.
Automate compliance with Scytale
Often, automation becomes synonymous with impersonal. However, at Scytale, we combine the power of people and technology in one balanced platform. In addition to providing a fully automated compliance tool, our compliance experts offer personalized guidance to streamline compliance, enabling faster growth and boosting customer trust. Take a look at what our customers are saying!
