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Compliance & Governance

Gap assessments, control mapping, evidence collection, audit prep, and policy development across major frameworks.

Compliance is not a checkbox exercise — it is the documentation that proves your security program works when regulators, auditors, insurance carriers, and clients demand evidence. The gap between doing security and proving you do security is where most organizations lose time, revenue, and contracts. Forged manages the full compliance lifecycle: gap assessments, control mapping, policy development, evidence collection, POAM management, and audit preparation across CMMC, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, NIST CSF, and ISO 27001. The efficiency advantage is structural — because Forged also deploys and manages the security controls being audited, the evidence collection, remediation, and documentation happen inside one engagement instead of across three separate vendors who do not talk to each other.

What's Covered

Scope of Assessment

Gap Assessment & Readiness

Control-by-control evaluation of your current posture against your target framework. Every gap documented with severity, remediation effort, and timeline. You know exactly where you stand before the auditor arrives.

Control Mapping & Implementation

Framework controls mapped to your actual infrastructure, policies, and procedures. Controls that exist get documented. Controls that don't exist get implemented. No control left as 'partially implemented' without a plan.

Evidence Collection & Management

Systematic collection, organization, and maintenance of audit evidence — screenshots, configurations, logs, policies, and attestations. Ready for auditor review, not scrambled together the week before.

Policy & Procedure Development

Security policies written for your organization — not generic templates with your logo pasted on. Acceptable use, access control, data classification, incident response, vendor management, and more.

Audit Preparation & Support

Pre-audit readiness reviews, evidence package assembly, auditor question preparation, and on-site support during the audit itself. We've been through hundreds of audits — your team doesn't have to figure it out alone.

Continuous Compliance Monitoring

Compliance isn't annual — it's continuous. Ongoing control monitoring, evidence refresh, policy updates, and drift detection so you're audit-ready at any time, not just during audit season.

Our Process

How It Works

01

Framework Selection & Scoping

We identify which frameworks apply to your organization — driven by customer requirements, regulatory obligations, insurance mandates, and business strategy. Then we scope the assessment to your specific environment.

  • Regulatory obligation inventory — what laws, regulations, and standards apply
  • Customer and partner requirements — what your contracts actually require
  • Framework selection — CMMC, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, NIST CSF, ISO 27001
  • Scope definition — which systems, locations, and business processes are in scope
  • Multi-framework mapping — overlapping controls identified to reduce duplicate work
02

Gap Assessment & Remediation Planning

Every control in the target framework assessed against your current state. Gaps categorized by severity and effort. A remediation plan built with realistic timelines that align with your audit date.

  • Control-by-control assessment — implemented, partially implemented, or not implemented
  • Evidence review — does documentation exist for implemented controls
  • Gap severity rating — critical (audit failure), high, medium, low
  • Remediation effort estimates — hours, cost, and dependencies for each gap
  • Remediation roadmap sequenced to close critical gaps first
03

Control Implementation & Documentation

Gaps don't close themselves. We implement the missing controls — deploying technology, writing policies, configuring systems, and building the evidence collection processes that keep you compliant ongoing.

  • Technical control implementation — configurations, tools, and monitoring
  • Administrative control development — policies, procedures, and standards
  • Physical control validation — facility security, access controls, environmental protections
  • Evidence collection automation where possible — reducing manual effort
  • Staff training on control responsibilities and evidence maintenance
04

Audit Preparation & Execution Support

Evidence packages assembled, pre-audit review conducted, and your team prepared for auditor questions. During the audit, we're available to clarify controls, locate evidence, and address findings in real-time.

  • Pre-audit readiness review — simulating the audit before the auditor arrives
  • Evidence package assembly — organized by control, indexed, and easily navigable
  • Auditor question preparation — anticipating common questions and preparing answers
  • On-site or virtual support during the audit — technical resource for auditor questions
  • Finding response support — if the auditor identifies issues, we help address them immediately
Deliverables

What You Receive

Gap Assessment Report

Control-by-control evaluation with current state, gap description, severity, remediation recommendation, and estimated effort. The foundation document for your compliance program.

Control Matrix

Every framework control mapped to your specific implementation — which policy, which system, which configuration, and where the evidence lives. Your auditor's favorite document.

Policy & Procedure Suite

Complete set of information security policies tailored to your organization and aligned to your target framework. Written in plain language, approved by leadership, and maintained on a review schedule.

Evidence Repository

Organized collection of all audit evidence — configurations, screenshots, logs, attestations, and policies. Indexed by control number for rapid retrieval during audit.

Remediation Tracker

Living document tracking every identified gap from discovery through closure. Status, owner, timeline, and evidence of completion for each item. Your project management tool for compliance.

Audit Readiness Package

Pre-assembled package for your auditor — control matrix, evidence index, policy suite, and system documentation. Reduces audit duration and demonstrates organizational maturity.

Who It's For

Is This Right for You?

SOC 2 Type I or Type II

Enterprise customers requiring SOC 2 as a condition of doing business. We manage the entire process — scoping, gap assessment, remediation, evidence collection, and auditor coordination.

HIPAA Compliance

Healthcare organizations or business associates handling protected health information. Security Risk Assessment, policy development, workforce training, and breach notification procedures.

PCI-DSS Compliance

Organizations processing, storing, or transmitting cardholder data. Network segmentation, access controls, encryption, monitoring, and SAQ or ROC preparation.

CMMC Certification

Defense contractors and subcontractors requiring CMMC Level 1, 2, or 3 certification. CUI identification, control implementation, SSP development, and C3PAO assessment preparation.

NIST CSF Alignment

Organizations using NIST Cybersecurity Framework as their security baseline — voluntarily or by customer/insurance requirement. Maturity assessment, roadmap, and control implementation.

ISO 27001 Certification

International organizations or those with global customers requiring ISO 27001. ISMS development, risk assessment methodology, Statement of Applicability, and certification audit support.

Common Questions

FAQ

How long does it take to get SOC 2 compliant?

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Type I (point-in-time): typically 3–6 months from start to report, depending on your current maturity. Type II (observation period): the same 3–6 months of preparation plus a 3–12 month observation period where controls must be operating effectively. Most organizations target a 6-month observation window. We can accelerate preparation, but the observation period is what it is.

Can you handle multiple frameworks simultaneously?

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Yes — and it's more efficient than doing them sequentially. SOC 2, HIPAA, NIST, and PCI-DSS share 40–60% of their controls. We build a unified control matrix that maps once and satisfies multiple frameworks. One policy, one piece of evidence, multiple compliance requirements met. This is why multi-framework mapping is one of the first things we do.

Do we need to hire someone to own compliance internally?

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You need someone accountable, but that person doesn't need to be a compliance specialist. Many of our clients designate an IT manager or operations leader as the internal compliance owner while Forged provides the expertise, does the heavy lifting, and maintains the program. The vCISO engagement pairs well here — the vCISO serves as the security program owner for compliance purposes.

What's the difference between a gap assessment and an audit?

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A gap assessment is an internal evaluation — we identify what's missing and help you fix it. An audit is a formal, third-party evaluation that results in a certification or report. Think of the gap assessment as the practice test and the audit as the final exam. We handle the gap assessment and remediation. The audit is performed by an independent auditor (C3PAO, CPA firm, or certification body).

How much does compliance cost?

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It varies significantly by framework and current maturity. A SOC 2 program for a small SaaS company might run $30K–$60K in consulting plus $15K–$25K for the audit itself. CMMC Level 2 for a defense contractor can run $50K–$150K+ depending on scope. HIPAA programs are typically $20K–$50K. We provide detailed scoping and pricing after an initial assessment conversation — no ballpark quotes without understanding your environment.

Case Study
750-Staff Nonprofit Health Organization
Consolidated IT operations and improved quality without business interruption.
Read Case Study

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