Data Audit and Compliance Procedure Template| Data Governance Framework

The Data Audit and Compliance procedure helps organizations expose themselves to major risks because it lacks an organized data audit protocol combined with a compliance process. Noncompliance with business and regulatory standards results in financial losses and damages the reputation, with simultaneous operational inefficiencies. The adoption of formal procedures enables organizations to prevent problems through proactive action while sustaining a secure data governance structure.

Identification of Relevant Regulatory Requirements

1. Data owners must confirm that all pertinent regulatory conditions have been determined along with verifying system compliance and control convergence for their specific domains.

2. The data owners will collaborate with security and legal teams to find the correct regulatory requirements through joint consultation sessions.   

3. The organization includes data protection and control measures stated by customers on the basis of agreement when they demand such requirements for service-related data.

4. All cryptographic operations follow regulations without any conflicts. Companies exchange information with other nations under this type of situation. The Information Security team will be reached out to solve any doubtful situations.

Data Audits for Data Governance

• Group Internal Audit performs the primary role of data governance-related audit oversight along with outside IT audit coordination functions.
  
  
• Company conducts annual audits through both external auditors and internal auditor audits following their established yearly examination schedules. These audits provide assurance about the internal control environment explicitly related to the organization's data governance practices. The audits follow the principles of industrial best practices including ISO27001:2022 along with required regulations.
   
• Data owners and system owners together with their delegation help the audit process during execution by joining meetings to provide minimum required data for tested controls.
    
• The audit execution will lead to the issuance of reports followed by findings distribution to executive management and both system and data owners and applicable IT and business stakeholders.
   
• Data and system owners will create action plans as well as track the implementation status every month for every audit finding affecting their subordinate areas.
  
  
• Status reports regarding action plan progress will be shown to the Data Governance Council at their monthly meetings.
  
  
• The unit managers along with system administrators, have the responsibility to provide required resources to auditors when they conduct their audits.
  
  
• The planning stages of all IT system audits will ensure no operational disruptions occur to the system. Organization allows IT auditing activities only during specific service window times that have been agreed with the auditors.
  
  
• The auditor needs to receive only reading rights for conducting direct IT system audit activities. The auditing party needs to demonstrate additional rights for audit activities through monitoring mechanisms that track their work on IT systems.
  
  
• Audit professionals conducting tests should possess the required competence and independence from the audit subject.
  
  
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To Follow Copyright Policies of Third Parties Company Needs to Perform the Following Steps: 

1. The company will establish lists containing vendor programs along with license acquisitions for each program. Information Security together with the Legal Department and IT Teams will be accountable for copyright governance.  

2. The following tasks will be executed in a monthly evaluation to confirm compliance: Company remains within software license agreements through compliance checks on user and server limits as well as copy restrictions. 

3. The company allows installation of authorized systems that contain proper licenses on their corporate computers.

4. Organizations policy prohibits network and equipment use by employees to acquire or keep files that infringe upon copyrights or violate any established regulations. 

5. Company needs to verify license rights through a prohibition of using personal or borrowed software on company equipment. 

6. Every software license held by your company requires a specific approval from the licensor to enable equipment transfer outside the premises. 

7. The software installation process needs to begin only when company either owns the software copyright or possesses the appropriate license agreement which covers the software's intended usage extent.

Adherence to the Data Governance Policy and Principles

Every staff member shares the common responsibility to adhere to data governance policy principles although management holds the initial duty. Here’s how we approach it:

• • Each department leader has complete responsibility to maintain data governance principles throughout their management area. A culture of compliance and ensured vigilance by engaging in active promotion through their team members.
    
    
  • It is essential to take immediate action during data breaches whenever they happen. Managers must implement breach stoppage based on Data Breach and Incident Response Policy. The policy details the reaction steps together with measures for minimizing potential harm during such events.
    
    
  • A manager needs to establish observation systems that track newly implemented processes because monitoring alone does not suffice. The manager should pass the matter to the Information Security team for additional help if enhanced controls fail to deliver their intended results. The continuous monitoring helps organization to enhance its security posture through continuous betterment.
    
    
  • When current control measures show insufficient breach protection the responsible team leads should work alongside IT specialists and data management staff to put new security solutions into place. Managers can address the situation through policy updates and staff training and new security technological deployments. Data governance framework will stay strong and perform effectively through collaborative work approaches.
    
    
  • Effective data governance requires data compliance together with adequate audit procedures. Organizations should adopt these procedures because they both fulfill regulatory needs while safeguarding sensitive information. The process of regular audits helps organizations find and solve problems regarding data compliance at the same time. Businesses need to make data compliance and audit procedures their core priority because this builds a solid base for implementing sound data governance practices.

Summary

The organizations should adhere to factors of data governance policies for maintaining data security and compliance by conducting regular audits adhering to data governance policy and principles, identifying the relevant regulatory requirements and complying with third-party copyright policies.