Series Spotlight: Revolutionizing GRC with 6clicks: Part 2 - Utilizing Machine Learning and AI in Your GRC Practice

Welcome to this special podcast series, Series Spotlight: Revolutionizing GRC with 6clicks, sponsored by 6clicks. This week I visit with Joe Schorr, Vice President (VP) of Global Channel Sales, Andrew Robinson, co-founder and Chief Information Security Officer, Stephen Walter, head of Marketing, Dr. Heather Buker, Chief Technology Officer, and Ant Stevens, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. Over the series, we will break down 6ckicks Hub and Spoke approach, utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in governance, risk and compliance (GRC), curating and maintaining a robust GRC content, producing audit ready reports, and look at what’s next for 6clicks down the road. In Part 2, I am joined by Andrew Robinson to discuss utilizing ML and AI into your GRC practice. 

For GRC professionals working internationally, Robinson said they must “maintain mappings or what you commonly call in the US ‘crosswalks of compliance’ frameworks.” He went on to explain these frameworks are “useful because it can allow a consultant to help a client understand how they might stack up against a particular standard. Robinson provided the example that if an organization is already complying with ISO 27,001, through these mappings, it might be able to give them an idea about what that level of compliance they have through the lens of a different framework or standard that may be relevant like the NIST cybersecurity framework.” 

This productivity increase and potential cost saving does not remove the human element. This final concept is critical in moving forward. Robinson said, “I’m of the view that humans have a very important role to play. This role is supervising the machine learning models to make sure that what they are producing and the results that they are coming out with are accurate and reliable.” If they are using spreadsheets and word documents; they should, come to terms with the fact that companies and clients no longer want spreadsheets and word documents as a deliverable. GRC professionals and consultants need to need to start using similar tools and improving the way that they service their clients. Clients, both in-house and external, are starting to demand and look for this approach. Robinson noted, “the reality is that if you are doing anything else it will be seen as subpar, and no one wants to be delivering sort of subpar products. I look for a solution that can meet your customer expectations and help you deliver your services long into the future.”

We concluded by looking at GRC tools with ML and AI at a strategic level, at the senior executive level and even at the Board of Director level. Robinson feels that management at this level “understands the benefits because they understand the problem.” Their goals are to simplify compliance while understanding risk exposure. From this point, management can move to create a risk-based solution. Robinson believes, these are the types of “business problems that executives are dealing with on a daily basis. Having awareness of the machine learning model can help them navigate that complexity.” From where I sit, when you can take a tool that improves business process efficiency and use it to increase profitability through more effectual risk management it is a win for everyone. 

Join us tomorrow where we take up the topic of curating and maintaining robust GRC content. With 6clicks Head of Marketing, Stephen Walter.

For more information on 6clicks, check out their website here.