Thousands of person-hours are lost annually to manual evidence collection in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) processes, leaving teams scrambling to complete audits with outdated methods. This is according to the latest State of Continuous Controls Monitoring Report.
Compliance Headaches: Why Automation Isn’t Keeping Pace
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94% of organizations see the value in continuous monitoring, yet adoption remains surprisingly low.
- 94 percent of organizations believe Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) would improve both compliance and security.
- Only 28 percent of organizations are currently utilizing CCM.
- Manual compliance work causes moderate or major delays for 83 percent of organizations.
- AI adoption in Cyber GRC shows 100 percent positive outcomes for those who’ve made the leap.
A staggering 94 percent of organizations recognize that Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) would bolster both compliance and security, but a surprisingly small 28 percent are actually implementing it. The findings, based on a survey of over 250 infosec leaders, highlight a clear disconnect between recognizing the need for change and actually making it happen.
The automation Paradox
while 95 percent of respondents have incorporated some level of automation into their GRC processes, full automation remains elusive, achieved by only 4 percent.Currently, 72 percent still rely on periodic assessments, rather than real-time monitoring of security controls. This reliance on outdated methods is taking a toll.
The burden of manual work is significant. A hefty 83 percent of organizations report that manual compliance tasks cause moderate or major delays in meeting regulatory requirements. Evidence collection is a especially time-consuming task, with 58 percent of organizations dedicating over 2,000 person-hours each year to it alone.
AI Offers a Potential Solution
Facing these challenges,many are turning to artificial intelligence. Early results are promising, with 100 percent of organizations that have adopted AI in their Cyber GRC reporting positive outcomes. A important 64 percent are experiencing substantial or transformational benefits.Automation, driven in part by AI, is delivering tangible time savings, with 23 percent of organizations reporting a reduction of more than 50 percent in time spent on compliance tasks.
What’s the biggest roadblock to effective compliance? Organizations struggle to bridge the gap between recognizing the need for automation and actually implementing it.
The report concludes that the industry is making progress, but not quickly enough to keep pace with the increasing complexity of regulatory demands. “The data tells a story of progress and paradox,” the report states.”On one hand, 95 percent of organizations have implemented some automation, 100 percent of AI adopters report positive outcomes, and significant time savings are being realized across the board. On the other hand,only four percent have achieved full automation,72 percent lack continuous real-time monitoring,and 83 percent still experiance moderate or major delays due to manual work. The industry is moving forward, but not fast enough to keep pace with the escalating complexity of regulatory requirements.”
The full report is available online. A webinar to discuss the findings is scheduled for Jan 27th at 1pm ET.
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