GRC Strategy & Implementation

Every GRC vendor is announcing AI capabilities right now. Here’s what we actually do, what we don’t do, and where we’re going; in plain language.

Tired of juggling 16 separate vendor RFIs every year? Discover how SimpleRisk transformed one client’s chaotic third-party assessments into a single, streamlined process.

For many CISOs, the hardest part of the job can be the business conversation that happens long before anything goes wrong. Learn the language of the boardroom to win over executive decision makers and justify security spending.

If Excel were enough for risk management, the GRC industry wouldn’t exist. Here’s why relying on spreadsheets and generic SaaS tools can actually increase risk, and how centralization restores control.

Your IT, supply chain, and operations teams may all see the same risks—but they don’t measure them the same way. That gap could be the biggest security vulnerability in your organization today.

What do flash floods, frozen tents, and soggy sleeping bags have to do with business? Turns out, camping mishaps are full of risk management lessons every leader should know.

Choosing the right third-party vendors is a lot like picking a reliable climbing partner—technical skills matter, but alignment in risk mindset is just as crucial. Learn how a harrowing descent from a multi-pitch climb revealed key lessons in risk management, trust, and the value of security certifications.

Risk management in business isn't about avoiding danger, it's about understanding and preparing for it. Just like a climber with the right gear, successful companies assess, train, and plan to face the unpredictable terrain ahead.

Being prepared is crucial—but is there such a thing as being too prepared? My Big Bend backpacking misadventure taught me a valuable lesson about risk management, one that applies just as much to GRC as it does to the wilderness.

Struggling to align multiple compliance frameworks in your GRC program? Learn how to integrate HITRUST CSF and the Secure Controls Framework in SimpleRisk to streamline compliance, enhance security, and leverage AI for a more efficient risk management strategy.

Tired of audit fatigue and juggling multiple frameworks? Discover how SimpleRisk streamlines compliance by integrating the Secure Controls Framework (SCF) and centralizing audit activities, making it the ultimate tool for auditors seeking efficiency and precision.

Discover how combining the FAIR methodology with artificial intelligence revolutionizes risk management by providing precise, scalable, and data-driven insights. Learn how this powerful synergy enhances decision-making, optimizes resource allocation, and transforms how organizations approach risk quantification.

When our outboard motor failed in the middle of the Trinity River, leaving us adrift in a strong current, a cascade of unexpected challenges tested every backup plan we had. This story of quick thinking, layered preparedness, and lessons learned is a perfect metaphor for mastering risk management in life and business.

Struggling with ISO 27001 policy attestation and security awareness? Discover how a late-night epiphany turned SimpleRisk’s Assessment Extra into a seamless, auditable solution that even impressed our ISO auditor—no extra logins or fuss required!

How do you prove the value of your cybersecurity investments to the business? By shifting the focus from risk reduction to cybersecurity maturity, this post explores how to measure and communicate meaningful progress in building a stronger, more resilient organization.

A Thanksgiving mishap left me in the ER after a shocking encounter with some live wires—literally. This personal story of risk acceptance gone wrong is a reminder of why assessing and managing risks, both at home and in InfoSec, is so critical.

When a lost deal with the world’s largest healthcare company revealed a critical gap in SimpleRisk’s compliance posture, it set us on an 18-month journey to achieve ISO 27001 certification. From assessing our maturity and closing governance gaps to leveraging AI and tackling a rigorous third-party audit, we turned a challenge into an opportunity to enhance our operations and platform.

In today’s complex business world, managing risks and compliance shouldn’t feel chaotic. Discover how SimpleRisk, as highlighted by Michael Rasmussen, the "Godfather of GRC," streamlines governance, risk, and compliance with efficiency and agility. Learn why organizations are switching to this game-changing platform in our latest blog post!

On September 26, 2024, SimpleRisk proudly earned its ISO 27001 certification after a focused 18-month effort to refine security practices and address control requirements. Despite personal hurdles, their journey highlights how dedication and the right tools make ambitious compliance goals achievable.

Understanding residual risk is crucial in effective risk management, but calculating it can be complex, especially when considering multiple mitigating controls. In this post, we explore how SimpleRisk simplifies the process with an easy-to-understand mitigation percent approach that streamlines your risk reduction efforts.

Check out this recap of the webinar, "How to Model Security Maturity in Your Organization," co-hosted by SimpleRisk and GRC 20/20. This webinar helped equip participants with a clear roadmap on how to establish a security maturity baseline within their own organizations, create a desired state of maturity, and identify where gaps exist in order to achieve their objectives.

Check out this guest blog from Michael Rasmussen of GRC 20/20 to learn about seven strategies to mature your existing GRC program for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness.

Check out this guest blog from Michael Rasmussen of GRC 20/20 to learn about six core elements required to craft compliance programs that meet current standards and are adaptable and scalable to meet future compliance challenges and opportunities.

The Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) released its final rule on Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure, effective mid-December 2023. Check out this blog to learn what this ruling entails, how this new regulation may impact your organization, and what your organization needs to do ensure compliance.

This guest blog by Michael Rasmussen of GRC 20/20 outlines how to define a process for regulatory change management and leverage the right technology to ensure your organization stays compliant.

Struggling with where to begin with your Information Security Program?  Learn how taking a risk-centric approach can help accomplish your goals.

We are frequently asked about using the CIS Critical Security Controls in SimpleRisk.  In this blog post you will learn about the different ways you can use their controls with our platform.

Learn the 8 fundamentals we recommend to establish an effective Enterprise Risk Management process from the ground up, which will set the stage for a successful GRC program rollout.

In this post, SimpleRisk's Founder and CEO walks us through the different approaches to assessing and managing third-party risks.

Learn how to use our Risk Assessment Extra to manage inbound assessments within SimpleRisk. Create a repeatable process without purchasing a separate tool.

ISO 27001 has become the most requested framework to use within SimpleRisk.  In this blog post you will learn about the different ways you can use their controls with our platform.

How can a relatively new vendor enter a mature market that has a multitude of established players and, with no outside funding, differentiate itself from the competition to make a global impact? Read on to learn how SimpleRisk is doing just that. 

Struggling with managing compliance across multiple different control frameworks?  Learn how a common control framework can help you to simplify your compliance, saving you time and money.

Let’s go back to the basics and talk about what governance is and how you can use it to ensure that the information that reaches your executive team and other key stakeholders is complete, accurate and timely.

Learn how to minimize the level of effort required to track a risk’s progress over time and how to measure the effectiveness of your risk mitigation.

Let’s go back to the basics and break down what enterprise compliance is and how you can use it to ensure your organization is conforming with its stated requirements.

Many of the prospects we speak with are currently using spreadsheets to manage their risks. In this blog post we explore why that is a bad idea and how SimpleRisk provides a simple, effective and affordable alternative.

Curious about SimpleRisk’s product offerings and available functionality? Read on to learn about our flexible deployment models – from free and open source to fully-featured GRC platform!

This blog details how our approach varies from that of our competitor’s and how we ensure customer success without including professional services in our pricing model.

Explore your options for managing personnel changes in SimpleRisk.

Let’s go back to the basics and break down what enterprise risk management is and how you can use it to mitigate the risks that threaten your organization.

SimpleRisk partners with various MSSP providers to give customers a one-stop "GRC-as-a-Service" offering.  Learn more about how this works and whether the SimpleRisk GRCaaS platform may be a good fit for your organization.

Risk management isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s about finding your way. At SimpleRisk, we ensure our platform adapts to your unique needs, even offering Custom Development to deliver the exact functionality your organization requires, all while staying intuitive and cost-effective.

Risk scoring methodologies vary widely, but understanding how to prioritize risks is key to managing them effectively. In this post, we take a deep dive into the OWASP Risk Rating Methodology, clarifying how it’s calculated in SimpleRisk and addressing common misconceptions.

Risk scoring often involves complex matrices, but prioritizing risks effectively is key. In this post, we explore how SimpleRisk’s Classic Risk Scoring methodology ensures consistency across various scoring systems, allowing you to prioritize risks on a uniform scale.

Learn how to use SimpleRisk's Import-Export and Risk Assessment Extras in order to efficiently use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework's controls to assess your organization's risks and perform a control gap analysis.

Explaining risk management to someone new to the concept can be a challenge, but it’s a skill we use daily without realizing it. Learn how a conversation about home security turned into a practical analogy for understanding risks and how SimpleRisk helps prioritize and address them.

When it comes to software security, is open source or closed source the safer choice? Dive into the pros and cons of transparency, community collaboration, and bug detection to see why SimpleRisk embraces open source for its core while prioritizing security at every step.

During these challenging times, SimpleRisk remains steadfast in our commitment to supporting you, with business continuity plans built on redundancy and resilience. Our remote operations, secure AWS hosting, and unwavering customer support ensure uninterrupted service so you can focus on what matters most.

Is your data safer in your own hands or hosted in the cloud? In this post, we explore how SimpleRisk's On-Premise and Hosted solutions empower organizations to balance security, simplicity, and ROI—helping you focus on managing risk, not just your GRC system.

In 2013, SimpleRisk started as a solo project tracked on a Trello board filled with feature ideas to simplify risk management. Today, we’re inviting our community to shape the future of SimpleRisk through our new Suggest a Feature page—where your ideas and votes will help prioritize what matters most.

I joined Kyle Burt's "Dialed In" podcast to discuss cybersecurity topics like Bluekeep, career paths, and improving personal security. Missed it live? Watch the replay for an hour of insights and tips!

Is precision worth the time? In this blog, we explore how SimpleRisk balances simplicity and effectiveness in risk assessment, offering a quantitative approach without the complexity of methodologies like FAIR, so you can focus more on managing risks than analyzing them.

Curious about how SimpleRisk simplifies internal and third-party risk assessments? Check out this quick 1-minute animated video showcasing our key capabilities in action!

Ever wondered how risks evolve over time? Dive into this blog post to see how SimpleRisk tracks and manages the changing threat landscape, using the infamous 'Bluekeep' vulnerability as a real-world example!

Struggling to streamline vendor security assessments? Discover how the SimpleRisk Risk Assessment Extra transforms a complex process into a seamless experience, saving time while keeping your organization secure!

SimpleRisk started as three PHP pages and evolved into a flexible risk management tool for any industry. With the Customization Extra, users can easily tailor workflows to meet their unique needs—simplifying complex requirements!

Discover how we used the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to assess maturity, identify risks, and build a strategic roadmap for National Instruments’ cybersecurity program. Learn how SimpleRisk streamlined this process to turn insights into actionable results!

Gartner’s John A. Wheeler highlights the decline of GRC and the rise of Integrated Risk Management (IRM)—a shift I’ve seen firsthand. Learn how SimpleRisk is revolutionizing risk management with a simple, intuitive approach.

Should vulnerabilities be managed as risks? While both are essential to cybersecurity, understanding their differences and how they complement each other is key to deciding whether to track them together in a single risk management system.

At SimpleRisk, we believe in transparent pricing and cutting out the games vendors play with discounts. Our goal is to provide affordable, straightforward risk management solutions so you can focus on what matters—managing your risks, not negotiating prices.

Feeling overwhelmed by security vulnerabilities that seem beyond your control? Learn how implementing a formal risk management program can help you communicate more effectively with management and shift the focus to actionable risk mitigation strategies.

Curious about how Table Top Exercises (TTX) can improve your organization's security incident response? Discover the valuable lessons learned from a first-hand TTX experience and why it's an essential tool for identifying gaps and enhancing preparedness.

Is asset valuation complicating your risk management process? Discover how SimpleRisk simplifies asset valuation with a streamlined approach that balances practicality and effectiveness, empowering organizations to prioritize risk mitigation without unnecessary complexity.

Every superhero has an origin story, and so does SimpleRisk—born out of a need for better risk management tools. Discover how a simple web form turned into a powerful, open-source solution that’s now revolutionizing risk management for organizations everywhere.