Compliance Gap Analysis
A structured assessment that compares an organization's current security posture and practices against the requirements of a specific compliance framework. Gap analysis identifies areas where the organization falls short and helps prioritize remediation efforts.
A compliance gap analysis is typically the first step an organization takes when pursuing a new certification or compliance requirement. It provides a baseline understanding of where the organization currently stands relative to the framework's requirements, and produces a prioritized list of gaps that need to be addressed.
The process involves reviewing each control or requirement in the target framework, assessing the organization's current state against each requirement, identifying gaps where current practices do not meet the requirement, rating the severity and effort required to close each gap, and producing a remediation plan with priorities, owners, and timelines.
Gap analyses are valuable for multiple reasons. They prevent organizations from starting a certification project without understanding the scope of work involved. They help leadership make informed decisions about resource allocation and timelines. They identify quick wins — areas where small changes can close significant gaps — as well as major undertakings that require careful planning. For organizations pursuing multiple frameworks (such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2 simultaneously), a cross-framework gap analysis can identify overlapping requirements and avoid duplicate work. AuditFront's self-assessment templates are designed specifically for this purpose, providing structured gap analyses across ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, NIS2, and Tech DD frameworks.
Related frameworks
Related terms
Control Objective
A statement describing what a specific security control is intended to achieve. Control objectives define the desired outcome — such as preventing unauthorized access or ensuring data integrity — while allowing organizations flexibility in how they implement the control to meet that objective.
Information Security Management System
A systematic framework of policies, processes, and controls that an organization establishes to manage and protect its information assets. An ISMS addresses people, processes, and technology to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
Risk Assessment
A structured process for identifying, analyzing, and evaluating information security risks. Risk assessments determine the likelihood and potential impact of threats to an organization's information assets, guiding decisions about which controls to implement.
Statement of Applicability
A key ISO 27001 document that lists all 93 Annex A controls and states whether each is applicable to the organization, along with justification for inclusion or exclusion and a description of how applicable controls are implemented.
Assess your compliance posture
Run a free self-assessment for ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, NIS2, or Tech DD and see exactly where you stand.
Start free assessment