Best Practices

This guide covers industry best practices for managing your compliance program effectively. Apply these principles to build a mature, sustainable compliance practice.

Program Management

Establish Governance

Define Clear Ownership:

• Assign a compliance owner/officer
• Establish executive sponsorship
• Create compliance committee if needed
• Define roles and responsibilities

Set Clear Objectives:

• Document program goals
• Align with business objectives
• Set measurable targets
• Review and adjust regularly

Maintain Regular Cadence

Documentation

Policy Best Practices

Structure:

• Clear, descriptive titles
• Defined scope and applicability
• Version control with dates
• Approval signatures
• Review schedule

Content:

• Written in plain language
• Specific and actionable
• Aligned to control requirements
• Realistic and enforceable

Maintenance:

• Annual review at minimum
• Update when processes change
• Track version history
• Archive old versions

Evidence Collection

What to Collect:

• Screenshots with timestamps
• System-generated reports
• Signed acknowledgments
• Configuration exports
• Log samples

How to Organize:

• By control or framework
• With clear naming conventions
• Including collection dates
• With context/descriptions

When to Collect:

• Continuously throughout the year
• Before audit period starts
• When controls change
• After remediation

Gap Management

Prioritization Framework

Use a consistent approach:

Quick Wins

Target gaps that are:

• High impact, low effort
• Blocking other gaps
• Required for audit
• Visible to stakeholders

Long-term Remediation

For complex gaps:

• Break into phases
• Set intermediate milestones
• Track progress regularly
• Communicate timeline to stakeholders

Risk Management

Risk Assessment

Annual Assessment:

• Review all risk categories
• Reassess likelihood and impact
• Update risk ratings
• Document methodology

Ongoing Monitoring:

• Track emerging risks
• Monitor risk indicators
• Update as situations change
• Report significant changes

Risk Treatment

Vendor Management

Due Diligence

Before Engagement:

• Security questionnaire
• SOC 2 or equivalent report
• Data processing terms
• Service level agreements

Ongoing Monitoring:

• Annual reassessment
• Performance review
• Incident notification tracking
• Contract compliance

Third-Party Risk

Training and Awareness

Security Awareness

Topics to Cover:

• Phishing and social engineering
• Password security
• Data handling
• Incident reporting
• Policy compliance

Delivery Methods:

• New hire onboarding
• Annual refresher training
• Simulated phishing tests
• Targeted role-based training

Compliance Training

• Role-specific requirements
• Framework-specific training
• Regulatory updates
• Tools and processes training

Audit Preparation

90 Days Before

• Review scope with auditor
• Identify key contacts
• Assess current readiness
• Create remediation plan for gaps

60 Days Before

• Execute remediation plans
• Gather evidence
• Conduct self-assessment
• Address findings

30 Days Before

• Final evidence collection
• Prepare control narratives
• Brief interview subjects
• Resolve remaining issues

During Audit

• Single point of contact
• Timely evidence provision
• Track requests and responses
• Daily status updates

Continuous Improvement

Learn from Findings

After audits or assessments:

• Conduct root cause analysis
• Identify systemic issues
• Update processes
• Prevent recurrence

Metrics and KPIs

Track meaningful metrics:

Maturity Progression

Build toward higher maturity:

Common Pitfalls

Avoid These Mistakes

Building Culture

Leadership Engagement

• Executive visibility on compliance
• Resources for compliance program
• Recognition for compliance efforts
• Leading by example

Employee Engagement

• Make compliance accessible
• Explain the "why"
• Provide easy reporting mechanisms
• Celebrate successes

Next Steps

• Video Tutorials - See best practices in action
• Quick Start - Apply to your program
• Dashboard - Track your progress