What is continuous monitoring?

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In the cyber security and compliance fields, the term Continuous Monitoring seems to be everywhere, with more and more businesses seemingly offering a similar solution. Let’s clarify what Continuous Monitoring truly means, why it is such an important tool for compliance, and how an Automated Remediation system can improve its effectiveness.

What does it actually mean?

Continuous Monitoring refers to a technology or process that helps businesses detect and respond to cyber security and compliance related issues in real time. These issues, if left unresolved, can quickly develop into security threats and vulnerabilities which could jeopardise your business' daily operations.

In the same vein, Continuous Monitoring often goes hand-in-hand with Automated Remediation solutions. These are systems that respond to the data provided by a Continuous Monitoring solution and take appropriate action in order to remediate the detected issue.

How does it work?

While Continuous Monitoring systems differs from provider to provider, there are common themes that link all these various offerings together.

These solutions collect data from across the entire business and scan for vulnerabilities, potential threats, or compliance deviations. This data can range from network traffic to application specific events. This data is then automatically examined and checked for potential vulnerabilities, non-compliance or anything else that might threaten, harm, or otherwise impact the business.

Finally, the results are usually placed into a report, providing a real-time insight into the entire security profile of a business, removing the need to spend hours manually reviewing an entire IT ecosystem.

What makes it so important?

There are multiple reasons why Continuous Monitoring is so important, and we've listed a couple of these benefits below:

It helps identify non-compliance or potential flaws in your security, allowing you to tackle them before they develop into larger threats.

It ensures your business remains compliant by notifying you of any changes within your IT systems so that they can be remediated.

It allows your business to operate at a higher standard, demonstrating your commitment to security to both partners and customers.

It helps streamline your IT processes by keeping them in-line with industry standards and norms.

It keeps your business compliant all year round, ensuring an easier auditing experience and no unexpected issues when it comes time to renew your certificate.

How does it help with compliance?

A business is a constantly evolving entity. New employees, switching devices, forgotten accounts and permission changes are a part of daily operations. These everyday events, though seemingly minor, can lead to non-compliance with standards like SOC2, ISO27001, or Cyber Essentials if not properly managed.

This is where Continuous Monitoring is at its most effective. By continuously scanning your IT environment, it identifies these small but significant changes in real-time, alerting you before they turn into larger issues.

For instance, if a new device is added to your network without the necessary security protocols, Continuous Monitoring will flag this immediately, allowing you to take corrective action and maintain compliance.

Automated Remediation can take this a step further. Rather than simply notifying you of an issue, systems with an automated remediation tool can fix the problem instantly, whether it's disabling an unauthorised account, updating certain device configurations, or tightening permissions.

The overall aim of Continuous Monitoring and Automated Remediation is to save teams time and energy, ensuring that your business remains compliant even in the face of constant changes.

How OneClickComply helps to secure your business through Continuous Monitoring and Automated Remediation

While Continuous Monitoring and Automated Remediation are powerful tools in their own right, OneClickComply takes this a step further by combining the two into a fully automated technical remediation platform. OneClickComply allows businesses to click 'Fix this for me' and the platform will instantly resolve any technical issues it has detected to keep your business compliant 24/7.

Here’s how OneClickComply integrates and enhances these processes:

Real-time detection and Automated Resolution

OneClickComply continuously monitors your IT environment for vulnerabilities, non-compliance, and security threats. But instead of simply alerting you to the problem, it allows you to instantly remediate these issues as well. Whether it’s updating configurations, disabling unauthorised access, or forcing crucial device patches, OneClickComply automates these fixes through a single click, ensuring that your systems remain compliant and secure at all times.

Reducing human error and saving resources

Approaching compliance manually can be incredibly time-consuming and could result in significant human error. OneClickComply eliminates these risks by handling complex technical fixes on its own, automating changes directly in-line with compliance guidelines. This not only saves your team countless hours spent on repetitive tasks but also ensures that no aspect of your compliance is overlooked

Stress free compliance maintenance

Achieving compliance is certainly difficult and time-consuming, but maintaining it over time can be a significant challenge, even for the most well-prepared business. OneClickComply's continuous monitoring and remediation features ensures that your business remains compliant regardless of changes happening throughout the business. Anything that puts you out of compliance is flagged for automated remediation, allowing your business to meet your chosen standards without the worry of falling out of compliance.

In short, Continuous Monitoring and Automated Remediation tools are essential tools for businesses aiming to stay compliant and secure. With OneClickComply, businesses no longer need to worry about handling cyber security compliance. Its seamless blending of Continuous Monitoring and Automated Technical Remediation ensures that your business is always compliant with your chosen standards, fixing any issues that arise and keeping you defended against cyber threats.