What are the steps to a SOC 2 Gap Analysis?
Last updated
Last updated
The gap analysis is a forward-looking review of the organization's controls and processes, that seeks to identify where there are shortcomings or subpar implementations that could result in security flaws, regulatory non-compliance or simply non-adherence to business and control environment best practices.
The gap analysis process is a forward-looking exercise. The current implementation of the process is examined, identifying any areas of concerns, and then a corrective action plan is drafted up, reviewed, agreed upon, and approved in order to provide guidance for how to remediate the identified gaps.
Identify the relevant Trust Services Criteria and understand the business objectives: Review the criteria for the relevant Trust Services category and consider the business objectives that the organization needs to accomplish.
Identify the current internal controls: Document the current internal controls and processes in place to address the Trust Services Criteria.
Identify the gaps: Compare the current controls to the Trust Services Criteria and identify any gaps.
Prioritize the gaps: Prioritize the identified gaps based on the severity of the risk and the resources needed to address them.
Develop an action plan: Create an action plan to address the gaps, which may include implementing additional controls or revising existing ones.
Monitor progress: Monitor progress to ensure the action plan is completed on time and to assess the effectiveness of the new controls.
Thats when I included relevant parties for the gap analysis process in order to have an accurate understanding of the organizational controls and processes. The process should include inquiry, walkthroughs, etc, in order to have a precise understanding of the necessary controls and processes. It is also important that all relevant parties are involved in order to establish accountability for the implementation in order to resolve these gaps.
Gap remediation should be prioritized according to the impact of the gap on the organization and its security in particular, as well as based on the benefit to the organization (by resolving this deficiency).Time lines need to be established in order to maintain appropriate resolution of gaps as well as to provide feedback to any stakeholders regarding the improvement and forward-looking plans for the organization.