An auditor doesn’t just want to check whether your IT development processes comply with specific standards and regulations. They also want to know how you enforce those processes in practice. The answer lies in an approach that we at BRYXX have valued for years: make the easiest path the safest one.
As is our annual custom, BRYXX is currently undergoing internal and external audits to renew our ISO certification. We are also noticing that auditors increasingly want to know how we ensure that our engineers follow the required secure and compliant processes. The answer is simple: with the right tools, but without allowing those tools to get in the way of the development. You need an environment that both enforces compliance and gives engineers access to all the necessary resources they need to do their work as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Compliant, with all necessary tools to hand
One of the best ways to achieve this is through an internal development platform with the right security plane. When developers work through the platform, the tools in the security plane automatically check whether their work complies with the relevant standards and regulations. At the same time, we document how the platform operates. In this way, the platform not only enforces compliance but also provides the evidence you need to demonstrate that compliance to an auditor.
But what happens if your developers want to use, for example, a new AI tool that’s not yet available through the development platform? In the past, they might have resorted to an insecure workaround. With an internal development platform, however, they can simply contact the (BRYXX) platform team. The team immediately investigates how the tool can be used compliantly within the platform, develops the appropriate solution, and integrates it —along with the necessary documentation.
Does everything become fully compliant overnight?
No, and it’s important to be realistic about that. But the right way of working — developing through the internal development platform — becomes the easiest way. This nudges your developers toward compliant development without requiring them to constantly think about compliance, without hindering their work, and without leaving them worried that they won’t be able to access to the tools they need.
Nor does an auditor necessarily expect every new technology to be fully compliant immediately. Technology changes too quickly for that. What auditors do want to see is a clear action plan to ensure your developers use new tools in accordance with the required standards and regulations. An internal development platform can provide that process. The result is increasingly compliant development, with established processes and fewer informal shortcuts.
If you’re making demonstrable progress and continually improving your approach, you can show the auditor that you’re taking compliance seriously. But remember: auditors also want to see evidence that everything works exactly as you say it does. Good intentions and written policies aren’t enough. So be prepared to demonstrate how your tools operate and how your processes work in practice.
A matter of necessity
You might wonder why organizations need to focus so heavily on compliance in the first place. The answer is simple: because customers increasingly expect it, while failure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements can have serious consequences. Noncompliance can result in financial penalties and, in the most serious cases, can even spell the end of your business. An internal development platform provides a practical way to reduce that risk by making compliant development the easiest path for your teams.