Let\u2019s dig in to answer these and other common questions about testing compliance control mechanisms.<\/p>\n
How Attackers Exploit Compliance Controls<\/h2>\n
Compliance controls are easy for a crafty attacker to exploit. Often, you may go to long lengths to adhere to compliance standards but neglect a key vulnerability.<\/p>\n
For example, suppose you run compliance for a healthcare organization. You go above and beyond to make sure all patient data gets stored properly, use multifactor authentication (MFA) systems across your environment, and have airtight role-based access controls<\/a><\/strong>. You\u2019re checking all of the necessary HIPAA<\/a> boxes.<\/p>\n But one day, you allow a third-party vendor to access patient records for a project. They complete the project, you pay them, and it\u2019s back to business as usual.<\/p>\n However, your HIPAA compliance controls and systems<\/a> do not incorporate a measure to automatically revoke third-party access once it\u2019s no longer needed.<\/p>\n While your employee satisfaction rates are high, the same can\u2019t be said for the vendor. One day, an angry former employee decides to use their access credentials \u2014 the ones that should\u2019ve been revoked \u2014 to steal sensitive data and sell it to a hacker.<\/p>\n The breach goes undetected for weeks. When it finally comes to the surface, it\u2019s too late. You get hit with penalties, and the reputational damage extends for many months.<\/p>\n Now, if you had performed a compliance audit to ensure you have implemented the proper regulatory compliance controls<\/a>, you may not have detected this vulnerability. A well-segmented network and adequate access controls can\u2019t stop an attacker armed with legitimate credentials. This is why it\u2019s important to understand the common weaknesses in compliance controls sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n While everyone\u2019s compliance measures are different, here are some weaknesses that impact many organizations:<\/p>\n By regularly assessing and testing your controls for risks<\/a>, you can prevent a long list of compliance issues, especially if you use the following guidelines.<\/p>\n A security audit and gap assessment involves evaluating your security policies and the technologies you use to build your safeguards, assessing their effectiveness, and identifying vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n To do this, you should start with a respected framework, such as NIST<\/a>, CIS<\/a>, ISO 27001<\/a>, or CMMC<\/a>. These give you a structure around which to architect your assessment.<\/p>\n Then, compare your current practices to the best practices outlined in the frameworks you choose. Perform a side-by-side comparison and document your findings, preferably using an easy-to-read chart.<\/strong><\/p>\n You can then interview those in charge of your security to see how well they understand their roles and responsibilities.<\/p>\n After collecting all of this data and getting everyone on the same page, it\u2019s time to create an action plan. Here\u2019s how you can structure it:<\/p>\n Use real-world attack scenarios to find security issues. You can start with automated tools that scan your systems for vulnerabilities. This is a quick way to discover issues you need to address.<\/p>\n You should also make a list of all of the software you use and check to ensure you\u2019re using the latest version. As an addendum to this step, you may have to double-check the compatibility of the hardware that runs your software. Sometimes, wiping out and replacing an old version of your software can raise issues if the new version isn\u2019t compatible with a computer\u2019s or server\u2019s operating system.<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good idea to include at least a few social engineering-style attacks, such as phishing, in your penetration testing<\/a>. This lets you check how ready your employees are to stave off attackers.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t already have access control assessment systems<\/a> in place, it may take a little time to set them up, but it\u2019s well worth it. To do this, you assess every employee\u2019s access \u2014 in-house and remote or hybrid. It\u2019s best to avoid starting with a list of current employees from your HR department. You\u2019re better off using your list of access credentials as a starting point so you can check to see if each person with access still works for your organization.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve clarified who has access and deleted unnecessary credentials, you can vet each set of privileges, checking to see if they absolutely need to have the access they do. For instance, someone in HR may not need access to customer payment information, and someone in accounts receivable may not need access to HR\u2019s employee management system.<\/p>\n Your incident response readiness evaluation should unfold a lot like a compliance fire drill. This is when you perform tabletop exercises to see how well your teams react to incidents and whether the steps they take meet your compliance needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n Often, it\u2019s best to divide those involved into teams, such as Red, Blue, and Purple Teams<\/a>:<\/p>\n You can use automated tools, such as security information and event management (SIEM) systems, to monitor your compliance continuously.<\/strong> For instance, some SIEM systems collect and analyze security logs from a range of sources you integrate with them. Others incorporate behavioral analytics, which can detect threats based on how a network segment functions, the speed with which data flows out of your network, or other metrics.<\/p>\n Regardless of the solution you choose, make sure it collects and securely stores logs so you can evaluate them, if necessary, after an incident.<\/p>\n You should also look for features that make it easier to maintain compliance and fight threats, such as:<\/p>\n It\u2019s dangerous to presume compliance, even if you\u2019ve checked all the boxes. With an experienced partner, you can get help testing your security to make sure it defends your network from the most recent threats. Centric Consulting\u2019s compliance experts lean on years of experience to assess if your organization meets the most relevant compliance standards.<\/p>\n \n Common Weaknesses in Compliance Controls<\/h2>\n
\n
How to Assess and Test Compliance Controls for Risks<\/h2>\n
Conduct Security Audits and Gap Assessments<\/h3>\n
\n
Perform Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scans<\/h3>\n
Assess Access Controls and Permissions<\/h3>\n
Evaluate Incident Response Readiness<\/h3>\n
![\"Venn](\"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cyber-Test-Current-Compliance-Controls-1024x461.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Implement Continuous Compliance Monitoring<\/h3>\n
\n
Take Control of Your Compliance Validation System<\/h2>\n