The importance of the role of IT GRC manager
This blog post explains the need for an IT GRC manager. For the sake of readability, the term IT GRC manager is used in the rest of the text. The blog post provides a brief introduction to the business activities of an IT GRC manager and also points out their indispensable position in a company. For a common basic understanding, the abbreviation GRC is explained at the beginning.
Governance, Risk & Compliance forms the basis of all corporate management:
- Governance: defines processes, structures and practices with which a company is managed and controlled.
- Risk: deals with the identification, assessment and management of risks in a company.
- Compliance: ensures adherence to all applicable laws, regulations and standards that apply to a company.
These areas also apply to the IT department. And this is exactly where the IT GRC Manager comes in. He or she is the link between the company's IT and the internal and external legal requirements.
Application areas of the IT GRC Manager
The respective areas of application of the IT GRC Manager are explained below.
In many companies, the IT GRC Manager is located directly in the IT department. Their main tasks include the development, introduction and monitoring of guidelines and security standards for patch, access and higher-level security management. He helps with their implementation in day-to-day business and ensures compliance with standards such as ISO 27001, ITIL or COBIT. They work closely with system administrators, application developers and the IT security officer (CISO).
In larger corporations, the IT GRC Manager is deployed in the central governance or risk management department. There, they are essentially responsible for the company-wide recording, evaluation and management of IT-related risks. They maintain the IT risk register, develop and introduce methods for risk assessment and report these to the central risk and steering committee. The IT GRC Manager works closely with central corporate risk management, the strategy department and the internal audit department.
In companies with a strong regulatory focus, such as in the financial sector or healthcare, the IT GRC Manager is often assigned to the compliance or legal department. In this position, they concentrate on compliance with legal requirements or industry-specific regulations (e.g. DORA). He advises IT projects with regard to legal requirements, supports internal audits and conducts training courses on IT compliance. In this role, he works together with the data protection officer, the legal department and the IT departments, among others.
Relief for the company
Now that the various areas of application of the IT GRC Manager have been highlighted, the resulting relief for the company will be discussed. Through their supporting role, the IT GRC Manager can relieve the CISO in particular of their operational and documentation-intensive tasks. For example, the IT GRC Manager conducts and maintains IT risk analyses and supports adherence to security guidelines in order to prevent potential compliance violations. As an interface with the IT department, more efficient and closer cooperation with other departments is possible.
The flexible use of the IT GRC Manager shows that it has become indispensable in today's world, as it can not only be used as a central role in compliance with regulatory and legal requirements, but can also play an essential part in modern corporate management.
If you have any further questions about the use of an IT GRC manager or how it can be used in your company, please contact us (mail@complion.de).