A business ecosystem is a borderless entity. Where organizations operate across vast, global networks, achieving a comprehensive view of their digital operations is a major challenge. Security leads, faced with increasing pressure to provide accurate and timely reports on their company’s digital health to the board, are struggling to gain a clear picture.
The root of this problem lies in the fragmented nature of many businesses’ technology stacks. A mix of disparate tools, outdated legacy systems, and a blend of cloud and on-premises infrastructure creates a complex and often opaque environment. Add the considerations of hybrid working and bring your own device policies, and it becomes almost impossible to monitor the ecosystem. Against the relentless onslaught of sophisticated security threats, not having clear visibility of the organization’s infrastructure makes it hard to ensure robust defenses and operational resilience.
Traditional approaches to managing business technology stacks often fall short. Companies invest in a broad selection of products that operate in isolation, unable to communicate within the stack effectively. Teams also suffer from alert fatigue when fielding countless notifications – few of which are critical, the rest absorbing unnecessary time and energy.
In its latest hype cycle, Gartner compounds the need for continuous monitoring as a way of addressing this issue – specifically, Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM). Reporting a 1-5% market penetration rate, Gartner defines CCM as a solution that “automates the monitoring of cybersecurity controls’ effectiveness and relevant information gathering in near real time.”
Why is the CCM trend growing?
Gartner summarizes the drivers behind the rise of CCM:
“The growing breadth and depth of security and compliance requirements are putting pressure on security and risk management leaders and IT operational teams involved in testing and reporting on cybersecurity controls’ effectiveness.”
Outside of protecting the business’ most valuable assets, the biggest pressure on security teams is remaining compliant. Many regulatory compliance frameworks are starting to weave in the need for businesses to continuously monitor their networks to gain real time data on their security. In today’s environment, real-time data is the only insight that truly matters. Anything less than that becomes outdated the minute it’s used.
For example, security frameworks, such as PCI, ISO, and DORA, all require continual monitoring – so how are organizations going to manage this without leveraging automated technology? Security teams must be equipped to address questions like, “Do all systems and laptops have antivirus protection?” Even a single unprotected device can be exploited by ransomware. Accurate knowledge of assets and entities is essential for ensuring consistent application of security controls and effective overall coverage.
Rule number one of regulatory compliance is “know your assets.” CCM can become a live asset repository for organizations. This helps them achieve real-time visibility into key risks and performance indicators, which is crucial for assessing vulnerabilities and threats like ransomware and evaluating recovery effectiveness. For example, financial institutions must comply with DORA regulations, which encompass over 250 controls. Traditionally, manual processes involving spreadsheets, in-person inquiries, and physical records have been cumbersome and time-consuming. However, CCM streamlines the road to compliance.
Automated, continuous monitoring minimizes human errors that can occur in periodic manual assessments, resulting in accurate and reliable data. It also reduces the need for manual checks and audits altogether, freeing up resources and allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks. Having a tool that detects potential issues early enables a proactive approach to resolving them before they escalate into significant problems.
The three lines of defense
Continuous Controls Monitoring is a valuable tool for supporting the three lines of defense within an organization.
- Controls Operators, typically working in IT, are responsible for ensuring compliance with security measures, such as antivirus protection on laptops.
- The Assurance GRC Team plays a crucial role in verifying that Controls Operators are adhering to established procedures, often using spreadsheets and manual data collection methods.
- Finally, Internal Audit Teams ensure that all stakeholders are fulfilling their responsibilities effectively.
The time-consuming nature of traditional compliance processes is a significant burden. Organizations often waste valuable resources on collecting information, manipulating data, and repeatedly chasing after missing data. By providing a holistic view of risk, assurance, compliance, and maturity, continuous controls monitoring empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions and prioritize genuine risks. This enables the second line of defense to focus on addressing critical issues and improving overall security posture, rather than simply meeting compliance requirements.
Auditors often encounter challenges such as last-minute scrambling to gather information only for it to be out of date the minute they have it, difficulties in locating specific evidence, and confrontations over failing controls. To mitigate these issues, organizations should mandate some form of continuous monitoring and ensure that senior management is actively involved in overseeing controls. Visual reports can provide both operational and board level perspectives, to ensure all intelligence is accessible at all levels. Failure to maintain this form of continuous monitoring can have severe consequences, including legal repercussions.
For all businesses juggling complex environments and potentially multiple compliance frameworks, monitoring controls across such diverse landscapes can be daunting. However, the ability to provide a unified view of data to all stakeholders, from the board to the three lines of defense, is a significant advantage. This approach fosters a shared understanding of an organization’s security posture, shining a light on areas of business infrastructure that were previously hidden in the shadows
About the Author
Martin Greenfield is the CEO of Continuous Controls Monitoring solutions provider, Quod Orbis. He has over two decades in the cyber security space. With his team, Martin helps deliver complete cyber controls visibility for our clients via a single pane of glass, through Quod Orbis’ Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) platform. Their clients can see and understand their security and risk posture in real time, which in turn drives their risk investment decisions at the enterprise level.
