How to Get Started as a GRC Professional

Governance, risk management and compliance is a business method that enables an organisation to achieve regulatory compliance through effective risk management and governance. An effective GRC platform can help an organization accomplish their business goals reliably while addressing uncertainty and acting with integrity.

Most employers may also prefer candidates with qualifications in cybersecurity. You may also need some years of experience to qualify. Nowadays, various security certifications like the

The Lowdown on GRC

The role of a GRC professional is a challenging one. After all, the mix of business strategy understanding, interpersonal influence, regulatory analysis, and risk management required can be daunting. An effective GRC practitioner needs to also face problems as opposed to avoiding them.

Regardless of the size or type of organisation you work for or lead, it is often agreed that there is a universal set of positive outcomes that organisations want to achieve. High-performing organisations achieve their business objectives while acting with integrity and managing uncertainty at the same time.

The universal set of positive outcomes that organisations strive for is called “Principled Performance.” The acronym GRC was coined by OCEG (originally called “The Open Compliance and Ethics Group). It is a shorthand reference to the critical capabilities that must work together to achieve Principled Performance.

The definition of OCEG asserts that “all roles must work together to achieve Principled Performance.  This includes the work done by departments like governance and strategy, internal audit, compliance management, HR, risk management, IT, and security.

Key Steps to Building Up GRC Capabilities

Step #01: Sort out the governance questions

GRC is not the sole responsibility of a department or single individual. Senior leadership, IT leaders, product leaders, compliance professionals, and board members all have a role to play.

You need to figure out who is accountable for the compliance program, the responsibilities of the key players, how GRC information is escalated and shared, and the resources that will be dedicated to GRC.

Step #02: Assess risks

GRC activities must be customised to the key objectives, business model, risk tolerance profile, regulatory context, and business model of the organisation. An effective risk management should start with a clear picture of the company landscape.

An effective risk assessment should also include an insight into how the operation operates. The who, what, when, where, and how of the day-to-day operations in the company should also be mapped out.

Step #03: Create data privacy policies and procedures and basic infosec

There are core procedures and policies that every organisation needs to have in place to get their house in order. There are also items you need to complete before you start pursuing any compliance certifications.

Once you have all the basics in place, you will be able to make a huge stride towards certification. The information security policy, employee handbook, privacy policy, incentives plan, and response process are some of the important processes and documents you need to work through.

Step #04: Figure out the next compliance standard to implement

To date, there are over a dozen compliance frameworks and standards that detail data privacy requirements and security. CCPA, GDPR, and HIPAA are just a few examples of data privacy regulations that covered organisations are legally obligated to comply with.

Achieving compliance with the said standards and maintaining compliance over time is a huge part of any GRC program and will require dedicated tools and resources.

Practitioner certificate in data protection is not cybersecurity certification

Don’t think this is the definition of OCEG

Should this be “Creating the GRC committee”?