You are delivering projects. Keeping systems running. Handling incidents. Then, often with very little warning, the compliance cycle lands on your desk and everything suddenly becomes urgent.
It is a familiar pattern. Even in experienced and well structured teams.
Compliance itself is not the issue. The real challenge is how organisations manage it. You may feel that you do not need a dedicated internal GRC (General, Risk and Compliance) team.
Many leaders operate without one. But you do need a clear process that runs quietly in the background. A predictable rhythm you can rely on. And the right support, whether internal or external, can transform the experience.
Here is a simple, year-round compliance rhythm that keeps you out of audit panic mode. Let’s get going!
The Real Challenges Leaders Face: Compliance in Cyber Security
Most security and IT leaders deal with the same pressures. Controls sit across multiple teams, which makes coordination difficult. Evidence lives in different places, often stored in whatever system was convenient at the time. Ownership is sometimes unclear, so responsibilities slip even with the best intentions.
Auditors ask for information in ways that do not match internal workflows. Leadership wants clear answers that depend on work you have not had time to complete. Audit deadlines often arrive during peak delivery periods, adding pressure to already full schedules. And for many organisations, internal GRC capacity is limited or completely absent.
Here is the point to remember. GRC support can be valuable, but it is not always essential. Many organisations operate effectively with external expertise and a solid, repeatable process.
Building Your Year-Round Cyber Security Compliance Rhythm
Dive into our practical step by step guide to help you stay in control of compliance throughout the year.
Step 1 – Assign Owners for Each Control
Clear ownership is the foundation of any reliable compliance programme. When a control has no defined owner, it is at risk of being forgotten. Even well organised teams struggle when responsibilities are shared or assumed. A named owner removes uncertainty and keeps activity moving.
If no one is accountable, the control slips. Ownership gives structure. It also gives teams the confidence to ask questions, raise issues and improve the process.
What to do for compliance reporting:
Start with the essentials. Identify the controls you need to maintain, whether they come from:
- ISO 27001 Compliance
- SOC 2 Compliance
- PCI DSS Compliance UK
- An internal framework.
Then assign owners:
- One responsible owner who completes the work
- One accountable owner who ensures it happens
- Share the ownership list with relevant teams so expectations are clear
Here is what effective ownership looks like in practice:
- Access control goes to the IAM Lead
- Logging goes to the Operations Lead
- Patch management goes to the Infrastructure Lead
These assignments create immediate clarity. Everyone knows who is accountable. Everyone knows who to contact. And you remove one of the biggest sources of audit pressure: ambiguity.
Step 2 – Create One Place for All Cyber Threat Evidence
A central evidence repository is one of the simplest ways to reduce stress during an audit. Most teams lose time not because controls are weak but because evidence is spread across laptops, inboxes and old Jira tickets. A single location removes that friction instantly.
Firstly, start with a shared space your teams already use. SharePoint, Confluence or Google Drive all work well.
Then structure it in a simple, predictable way:
- Create a folder for each control area
- Document what evidence should sit in each folder
- Add guidance on how often it should be updated
- Keep naming conventions consistent so files are easy to find
Examples of evidence to store:
- Access review exports
- Vulnerability scan reports
- Log configuration screenshots
- Policy versions
- Change management records
Over time, this becomes your always up to date compliance library. A resource you can rely on whenever an auditor asks for something or a new requirement appears.
Step 3 – Add a Monthly Compliance Check In
A monthly check in is one of the most effective habits you can introduce. It stops a full year of compliance tasks collapsing into a stressful two week sprint. It also gives you early visibility of gaps, delays and changes in scope.
Why this keeps everything on track for governance risk and compliance?
A small, regular review keeps controls alive. You are not relying on memory. You are not waiting for an audit deadline to prompt action. Instead, you create a steady rhythm that protects you from last minute pressure.
What to cover each month?
Your monthly check in does not need to be complicated. A short session is enough to stay in control:
- Update evidence for controls that require monthly attention
- Confirm that operational controls like logging, scanning and user reviews are running as expected
- Add issues, risks or blockers to a shared backlog
- Review overdue tasks and agree next steps
- Capture any changes to systems, processes or scope
Thirty to forty five minutes is usually enough to keep everything moving.
When support can help:
If you do not have an internal GRC team, an external compliance specialist can run these sessions for you. They keep the structure consistent, maintain momentum and ensure nothing is missed as your environment evolves.
Step 4 – Run a Quarterly Mini Audit
A quarterly mini audit creates focus. It reduces risk. It prevents unexpected findings during a formal audit. Most importantly, it spreads the workload so you are never dealing with everything at once.
A small review every few months gives you an honest, consistent view of how controls are performing. You catch gaps early. You see where evidence is incomplete. This is how mature teams stay prepared without burning out.
How to run your quarterly review: Governance risk and compliance tools
Choose one theme each quarter so the work is manageable. For example:
- Access control
- Logging and monitoring
- Asset and change management
- Supplier management
Then take a closer look at three simple points.
- Is the control being followed day to day?
- Is the evidence complete and stored in the right place?
- Are any improvements or corrective actions needed?
This does not need to feel like a formal audit. It is a focused health check that keeps your programme stable throughout the year.
Bringing in additional support
If internal capacity is tight, an external expert can run or support these sessions. They provide structure, independence and clarity, all without adding pressure to your team.
Step 5 – Keep All Remediation in One Backlog
A central backlog lets everyone see what needs to be done, who owns each task and when it is due. Nothing is hidden. Nothing relies on memory. It also gives you a clear story to share with auditors and leadership. You can show progress, priorities and blockers in one place.
How to build your backlog?
Choose a tool your teams already use. Jira, Trello or Azure DevOps all work well.
Then set up a simple workflow:
- Add each remediation task as a separate item
- Assign an owner, priority and realistic deadline
- Review progress during your monthly compliance check in
You do not need a complex workflow. A straightforward board is enough to keep the programme moving.
A single place for remediation means consistent visibility and stronger accountability. It also makes reporting much easier because everything lives in one trusted source.
Step 6 – Create a One Page Summary for Leadership
A concise summary gives leadership exactly what they need without pulling you into long meetings or detailed explanations. It keeps communication clean. It also shows that compliance is being managed proactively rather than reactively.
This helps because leaders want clarity. They want to know the current position and the actions required. A simple one page view answers the key questions.
- Are we compliant?
- Where are the risks?
- What work has been completed?
- What still needs attention?
This gives them confidence in the programme and reduces the need for frequent updates.
What to include in your one page view:
Keep the structure consistent so leadership knows where to look.
- Top risks and how they are being managed
- Current status of key controls
- Work completed this period
- Overdue tasks and blockers
- Areas of focus for the next quarter
Updating this once a month is a small habit that saves significant time later. It also makes audit preparation far easier because your narrative is already clear and documented.
If you do not have an internal GRC function, an external compliance specialist can prepare this summary with your security lead. They ensure the information is accurate, consistent and aligned to your overall programme.
Getting the Support That Fits Your Team For Continuous Improvement
Not every organisation needs an internal GRC team. Many small and mid size businesses, or those early in their compliance journey, run a strong programme with a clear year round process, consistent ownership, good documentation, periodic checks and the right external support.
For larger or highly regulated environments, an internal GRC function is valuable. External specialists do not replace it. They complement it and help maintain momentum.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, both OmniCyber Security and Equilibrium can support you. Whether you need structure, guidance or extra capacity, you do not have to manage compliance alone.
