Evidence Collection
The process of gathering, organizing, and maintaining documentation that demonstrates compliance with specific controls and requirements. Automated evidence collection integrates with IT systems to continuously capture proof of control effectiveness.
Evidence collection is one of the most time-consuming aspects of compliance management. For each control in a compliance framework, organizations must provide evidence that the control is designed appropriately and operating effectively. This evidence can take many forms: system configurations, access logs, policy documents, training records, vulnerability scan results, and more.
Traditionally, evidence collection was a manual process requiring compliance teams to request screenshots, exports, and documents from various system owners. Modern compliance automation platforms transform this by integrating directly with cloud providers, identity systems, HR platforms, and security tools to automatically collect and organize evidence.
For DORA compliance specifically, evidence must demonstrate the effectiveness of ICT risk management controls, incident response capabilities, resilience testing results, and third-party oversight. The breadth of evidence required makes automation not just convenient but essential for efficient compliance management.
Related Terms
Audit Readiness
The state of being prepared for a compliance audit at any time, with all necessary documentation, evidence, and controls in place. Continuous audit readiness replaces the traditional 'audit scramble' approach with always-on compliance monitoring and evidence collection.
Continuous Monitoring
An ongoing process of observing, evaluating, and maintaining awareness of information security controls, vulnerabilities, and threats. Continuous monitoring ensures that compliance status is maintained between formal audits and enables rapid detection of control failures.
Compliance Automation
The use of technology to streamline and automate compliance processes including evidence collection, control monitoring, risk assessment, policy management, and audit preparation. Compliance automation significantly reduces manual effort and improves accuracy.
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