Americans now consider cyber-attacks a more critical threat than terrorism or nuclear war. Recognizing both the increased threat and customers’ concerns, businesses have responded by investing in cybersecurity through verifiable compliance and audit readiness programs.
If you are going through this process to demonstrate your commitment to your customers, documentation will be your best friend. The auditors performing your compliance reviews rely on tangible evidence to verify your security protocols. With proper documentation, your security measures will become the competitive advantage your organization needs.
Why Documentation Is Critical for Compliance
Cybersecurity compliance is a question of whether your business is following relevant security frameworks. For example, you might pursue SOC 2, ISO 27001, or NIST. If an auditor confirms that your company is following the framework, you can share that with the public as a way to build trust in your brand.
However, every cybersecurity framework has specific documentation requirements. Auditors look at written procedures, policies, network setup, and other factors to determine how closely they adhere to industry standards. This means that, ultimately, you can’t market your cybersecurity strength until you have the right documentation in place.
It’s also worth mentioning that failing security audits is bad for business. It signals to customers and partners that your organization isn’t taking cybersecurity compliance regulations seriously. That can lead to lost revenue, potential penalties, and missed opportunities for growth.
Types of Documentation Required
The specific type of documentation your business needs depends on your industry and goals. But generally, you’ll need at least some forms of documentation from each of the following categories.
Security Policies and Procedures
First, you can create documentation that explains your security policies and procedures. These are helpful for employees because they detail how to respond to different types of security events.
For example, you might document your incident response plans or access control policies. These provide clear guidelines for how the organization is supposed to act in key cybersecurity scenarios.
System and Network Diagrams
You may also need to create official diagrams showing your system and network architectures. These show how the pieces of your company’s technological infrastructure fit together. That’s often crucial information when responding to an attack.
For example, if you have a clear network diagram, a response team may use it to find and fix the source of a hack faster. It would take the team longer to locate the breach if it didn’t have these documents to use as guides.
Evidence and Implementation
Finally, keeping documentation related to evidence and implementation is also important. This can include any proof that the controls you’ve put into place are working as intended.
You might create documentation for:
- System event logs
- Training records
- Any other proof that controls are functioning
These documents serve to verify that the plan you put into place is working as you expect. That can be important information in an audit. It’s evidence that you did more than create a cybersecurity plan — you also tracked its progress over time.
Maintaining Up-To-Date Documentation
Creating cybersecurity documentation isn’t a one-time exercise. If you’re not regularly updating documentation, you’ll have no proof that you’re actively monitoring your systems for breaches.
You can start by creating internal standards for updating cybersecurity documentation. Tools like GRC platforms can help you do it, but won’t be necessary for every organization. If you’re unsure about keeping documentation current, contact Trava Security. We offer compliance-as-a-service and can maintain up-to-date documents on your organization’s behalf, among other services.
How To Organize Documentation for Audit Readiness
Cybersecurity documentation helps companies prepare for future audits. When you organize these critical documents, there are three key points to consider.
1. Choose Between Centralized vs. Decentralized Documentation Storage
First, consider whether centralized or decentralized documentation storage is right for your organization.
Centralized storage means holding your documents in a private company’s encrypted servers. These are generally safe to use but may keep your data in a single place. That makes them vulnerable to physical security threats.
Decentralized storage means holding your documents in an encrypted server that no one owns 100%. It can also involve spreading your documents across several servers to reduce the risk of physical security threats.
2. Follow Tips for Easy Retrieval
Next, try to structure your documentation with easy retrieval in mind. For instance, you can name every document a variation of the same naming template. This would make it easier to search for specific documents in an audit.
3. Use Templates and Checklists for Consistency
Finally, you may want to deploy templates and checklists to keep your process consistent. When you build repeatability into your storage practices, it becomes much easier to share them with external parties, should that need arise.
Trava Security Can Solve Documentation for Your Business
If your cybersecurity compliance framework doesn’t account for documentation, Trava Security can help. We’re compliance experts who help businesses understand and address lingering cybersecurity concerns. Whether you need help reviewing cybersecurity compliance examples or just want a trustworthy team to answer your questions, we can help.
Sign up for a consultation to learn more about what we can do for your company.
Sources
https://news.gallup.com/poll/472544/cyber-disruption-critical-threat.aspx