Implementing a security framework is an important first step, but the real value comes from maintaining and maturing your program over time. Many MSPs struggle with the transition from initial implementation to ongoing management, eventually watching their framework efforts stagnate or become compliance checkboxes rather than living security programs.
Here's how to transform your framework implementation into a continuous security improvement program that delivers lasting value for both your MSP and your clients.
Move from Point-in-Time to Continuous Assessment
Security isn't static, and neither should your framework program be:
- Establish Monitoring Cadence: Create a regular schedule for reviewing security controls—daily for critical items, weekly for operational concerns, and monthly/quarterly for broader governance.
- Automate Evidence Collection: Implement systems that automatically gather and organize evidence of control effectiveness. This might include log reviews, configuration snapshots, or compliance reports.
- Develop Key Risk Indicators (KRIs): Identify measurable indicators that signal when security posture is degrading, such as increasing vulnerability remediation times or rising numbers of access exceptions.
Create Governance Structures That Scale
For your framework program to succeed long-term, it needs the right operational foundation:
- Assign Clear Ownership: Designate specific team members responsible for different framework components, ensuring accountability for ongoing management.
- Document Processes: Create standard workflows for common framework activities, from onboarding new clients to responding to control failures.
- Establish Review Cycles: Implement quarterly program reviews to assess effectiveness and identify improvement opportunities.
These governance structures should be lightweight but consistent, creating enough structure for reliability without excessive overhead.
Build "Audit-Readiness" as a Continuous State
Rather than scrambling when clients face audits or assessments, build systems that maintain audit readiness:
- Evidence Repository: Maintain a centralized library of framework evidence, organized by control and regularly refreshed.
- Control Narratives: Develop clear explanations of how each control operates and what protection it provides, ready for both client communications and formal assessments.
- Gap Management: Implement a process for documenting and addressing framework gaps, including compensating controls when needed.
This approach transforms audit preparation from a stressful fire drill to a routine verification of existing documentation.
Leverage Automation to Reduce Overhead
The biggest challenge in maintaining framework programs is resource constraint. Automation is the solution:
- Control Monitoring: Implement tools that continuously verify control effectiveness, alerting you to failures or deviations.
- Evidence Collection: Deploy systems that automatically gather and organize evidence of control operation.
- Status Reporting: Generate framework status reports without manual effort, freeing your team to focus on remediation rather than documentation.
Todyl GRC excels at these capabilities, allowing MSPs to maintain robust framework programs without extensive manual effort.
Communicate Program Value Through Effective Reporting
Regular reporting maintains client engagement with your security program:
- Executive Dashboards: Create high-level visualizations showing security posture, compliance status, and risk trends.
- Risk-Based Reporting: Focus client communications on business risks mitigated rather than technical controls implemented.
- Improvement Tracking: Demonstrate progress over time through comparative metrics showing security posture improvements.
These reports should be concise, visual, and focused on business outcomes rather than technical details.
Prepare for Framework Evolution
Security frameworks aren't static—they evolve as threats and technologies change:
- Monitor Framework Updates: Stay informed of changes to CIS, NIST CSF, and other frameworks you've implemented.
- Map Control Changes: When frameworks update, assess the impact on your implementations and plan necessary adjustments.
- Evaluate Emerging Frameworks: Regularly assess whether new frameworks or standards might better serve your clients' evolving needs.
Make Your Framework Program Sustainable
With the right approach and tools, maintaining a robust framework program becomes a manageable part of your security practice rather than an overwhelming burden.
Request a trial of the Todyl Platform to see how Todyl GRC can transform your framework management from resource-intensive maintenance to streamlined continuous improvement.
