#1. The Case for Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM)

Traditional security audits and compliance checks – often done annually or quarterly – are no longer sufficient in today’s fast-paced threat landscape. Organizations subject to stringent regulations (like Australia’s SOCI Act for critical infrastructure) and standards (ISO 27001, APRA CPS 234, ACSC Essential 8, etc.) are under pressure to prove that their controls are continuously effective, not just compliant on paper. In fact, information security regulators now expect an ongoing assurance program. For example, APRA’s CPS 234 standard for banks and insurers calls for systematic, frequent testing of security controls, with an expectation that critical controls are tested at least annually or upon major changes​. Likewise, the Australian government’s Right Fit For Risk (RFFR) framework explicitly requires organizations to maintain “a Continuous Monitoring Plan” as part of their security documentation​. The message is clear: one-and-done compliance checklists are giving way to continuous control monitoring.

Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) means using technology and process to monitor the effectiveness of security controls in real-time or on a frequent, ongoing basis. Rather than finding out months later that a control failed, CCM aims to detect control weaknesses as soon as they emerge. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines continuous monitoring as “maintaining ongoing awareness of information security, vulnerabilities, and threats to support organizational risk management”​

In practical terms, CCM involves automated data collection and analysis to verify that security controls (like user access rights, system configurations, incident response processes, etc.) are working as intended at all times. Gartner further notes that CCM technologies can reduce business losses and cut audit costs by automating compliance oversight​. In short, CCM turns the traditional periodic audit model into a “near-real-time” oversight model for security and compliance.

Multiple cybersecurity frameworks now emphasize continuous monitoring. ISO 27001:2022 introduced new controls (e.g. Annex A 8.16) requiring organizations to monitor networks, systems, and applications for anomalies on an ongoing basis​. The Australian Essential 8 maturity model expects agencies to continuously verify that critical security measures (patching, application control, MFA, etc.) are in place – a task often automated by tools that continuously monitor endpoints for Essential Eight compliance. Under the SOCI Act’s Risk Management Program rules, critical infrastructure operators must “establish and maintain processes to detect and respond to threats as they are being realized”​, effectively mandating continuous situational awareness. Even programs like RFFR (used by Australian government departments) that combine ISO 27001 and the Government ISM requirements, insist on continuous monitoring and improvement cycles to ensure security controls remain effective​.

Across the board, being compliant now means being able to show that you are monitoring and managing cyber risks continuously.

The practical benefit of CCM is that it shifts organizations from a reactive posture to a proactive one. Rather than waiting for the next audit or – worst case – the next breach to discover a control failure, security teams get alerts and dashboards about control metrics in real time. Did a critical server drift from its hardened configuration? CCM would catch that within hours via an automated configuration scan, whereas a yearly audit might miss it for months. Are there user accounts with excessive privileges or dormant accounts that pose a risk? Continuous access control monitoring can flag those immediately for review, rather than relying on an infrequent manual review. This not only improves security (issues are remediated sooner) but also reduces the effort and cost of compliance audits over time​. In essence, continuous monitoring provides a safety net that can detect control failures before they lead to incidents, and before auditors or regulators come knocking. It’s a cornerstone of what some call “continuous compliance” or “continuous risk management.”

Implementing Continuous Controls Monitoring is a journey – one that involves strategy, the right tooling, and changes in process. This 10-part series will serve as an in-depth guide for IT risk and security practitioners on how to actually do CCM. We will start with how to design a CCM program aligned to frameworks like ISO 27001 and the Essential 8, then dive into practical how-to guidance for continuously monitoring specific control domains: asset management, identity and access management, vulnerability and configuration management, malware and endpoint defense, logging and incident response, and more. Throughout, we will highlight automation opportunities and real-world challenges to watch out for. By the end of the series, you will have a roadmap for turning continuous monitoring from a buzzword into an operational reality – helping your organization stay compliant with evolving laws (SOCI Act, APRA CPS 234, etc.) and, more importantly, secure against fast-moving threats. Let’s move from reactive audits to proactive assurance.

This white paper (Part 1) sets the stage by explaining why CCM is critical and what it entails at a high level.