GRC Team Explained: Structure, Roles, and Key Frameworks

An effective Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) program is essential for any organization that wants to grow responsibly, maintain customer trust, and stay aligned with evolving regulations. It provides a unified structure for decision-making, risk mitigation, and regulatory adherence — all while supporting business performance and operational resilience.

At the core of every GRC program is the GRC team — a cross-functional group of professionals who define governance principles, identify and manage risks, and ensure compliance with internal policies and external frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, and DORA. Their work helps organizations protect data, reduce exposure, and demonstrate accountability to regulators and customers alike.

But how do these teams actually function? What roles and skill sets make them successful? This guide takes an in-depth look at how GRC teams operate, the key roles that drive them, and the responsibilities that keep organizations compliant and secure. You’ll also learn how to structure a GRC team that fits your business model — and why a well-integrated approach can transform compliance from a burden into a competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways

• GRC team oversees governance, risk management, and compliance, ensuring that the organization operates within legal frameworks while pursuing its strategic goals.

• A GRC team often includes the Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), compliance officers, risk analysts, auditors, and cybersecurity experts, each focusing on specific domains of responsibility.

• Common challenges include siloed operations, lack of executive support, fast-changing regulations, and resistance to cultural change. These can be addressed through leadership involvement, automation, and integrated GRC platforms.

• Building a well-structured GRC function means creating a cross-functional team with clear accountability, continuous communication, and technology that simplifies control management and audit readiness.

What is a GRC Team?

A GRC team brings together governance, risk, and compliance functions under a unified framework. Its mission is to ensure that business objectives, cybersecurity measures, and regulatory obligations are aligned — so that the organization operates securely, transparently, and efficiently.

The team designs and maintains the GRC framework: the collection of policies, standards, and control procedures that define how risks are identified, managed, and reported. This framework ensures that every department — from IT and HR to Finance and Legal — operates within a shared structure of accountability.

Beyond compliance, the GRC team helps integrate risk-based thinking into everyday decision-making. They monitor threats, assess vulnerabilities, and ensure that the company’s risk posture evolves alongside its technology and market environment. This proactive role enables the business to make informed decisions rather than reacting to crises.

A typical GRC structure includes risk managers, compliance officers, auditors, and information security specialists, each responsible for a specific aspect of the program. Together, they turn governance principles into measurable actions that reduce uncertainty and maintain operational integrity.

How GRC Teams Work

A GRC team functions as the backbone of organizational governance — connecting strategic objectives to regulatory compliance and operational risk management. It acts as both a guide and a safeguard, ensuring that every initiative, project, or partnership aligns with internal standards and external obligations.

These teams are inherently multidisciplinary, combining expertise from legal, technical, and business domains. The composition often includes representatives from information security, legal, finance, HR, and operations. They typically report to a CISO, CRO, or Board-level Risk Committee, ensuring transparency and oversight across the organization.

Core Functions of a GRC Team

1. Governance

Governance defines how the organization makes decisions, assigns accountability, and enforces ethical and operational standards. The GRC team creates and maintains policies, standards, and control frameworks that guide employee behavior and business processes. These frameworks are often aligned with international standards such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2, providing a consistent approach to risk oversight and audit readiness. Effective governance ensures transparency, traceability, and responsibility at every level of the company.

2. Risk Management

Risk management is the process of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating threats that could impact business objectives. The GRC team develops a risk register that tracks these threats — whether operational, cybersecurity-related, financial, or reputational — and defines response strategies.

By applying structured methodologies such as ISO 31000 or NIST, they ensure risks are continuously evaluated and prioritized. Through regular assessments and performance metrics (KRIs and KPIs), the team helps executives make data-driven decisions about which risks to accept, mitigate, or transfer.

3. Compliance

Compliance ensures that all business activities meet relevant laws, industry standards, and internal commitments. The GRC team maintains visibility into the full regulatory landscape — from global frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, and DORA, to industry certifications like ISO 27001 and SOC 2. Their work includes control mapping, evidence collection, internal audits, and liaison with external assessors. But compliance isn’t just about checking boxes — it’s about building trust with customers, partners, and regulators through proven accountability and transparency.

Core Responsibilities & Deliverables

A GRC team’s effectiveness is measured not only by how well it documents compliance but by how seamlessly it embeds governance and risk principles into daily business operations. Below are the key areas of responsibility, each contributing to a mature, resilient, and audit-ready organization.

1. Policy & Standard Management

Every GRC program begins with a clear and consistent framework of policies and standards. The team maintains a single source of truth for all governance documents — from security policies and acceptable use guidelines to data retention and vendor management standards. These policies are carefully mapped to external frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, and DORA, ensuring alignment with both regulatory and customer expectations.

Equally important is the management of exceptions and risk acceptances. When business requirements or technical constraints prevent full compliance with a control, the GRC team documents the deviation, evaluates its risk impact, and obtains executive approval. This disciplined approach ensures transparency and accountability in every decision.

2. Risk Management

Risk management is the engine that drives informed decision-making. The team maintains a risk catalog and register, documenting each identified risk with its likelihood, potential impact, and chosen treatment strategy — whether to avoid, reduce, transfer, or accept it.

This process is not static. The GRC function continuously updates key risk indicators (KRIs) and uses them to track emerging threats, operational changes, and control performance. Regular quarterly reports translate these findings into insights for leadership, allowing the organization to respond proactively instead of reactively.

3. Control Framework & Evidence

At the heart of every compliance initiative lies a control framework — the set of operational safeguards that protect information assets and ensure regulatory adherence. The GRC team maintains and tests these controls, aligning them with industry-recognized frameworks:

• ISO 27001: Implementation of 93 structured controls across four domains — organizational, people, physical, and technological — ensuring a robust Information Security Management System.

• SOC 2: Mapping technical and procedural controls to the five Trust Services Criteria: Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy.

• HIPAA: Enforcing administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect electronic protected health information (ePHI).

• DORA: Ensuring compliance with the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act through ICT risk management, incident reporting, resilience testing, third-party oversight, and structured information sharing.

All of this work results in a defensible body of evidence — documented proof that controls are designed, implemented, and operating effectively.

4. Audit & Assessment Readiness

GRC teams transform compliance from a stressful event into a predictable process. By maintaining an evidence library and performing internal control testing, they ensure readiness for external audits at any time.

During the ISO 27001 certification cycle, for example, the team navigates Stage 1 (readiness assessment) and Stage 2 (implementation audit), after which certification remains valid for three years with annual surveillance audits. Similar cycles exist for SOC 2, HIPAA, or DORA compliance, and a mature GRC function orchestrates them all — coordinating with external auditors, preparing management assertions, and tracking remediation of findings.

5. Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM)

Modern enterprises depend heavily on external vendors, cloud platforms, and service providers. The GRC team manages this extended ecosystem through a structured third-party risk management program. It begins with due diligence questionnaires to assess a vendor’s security posture and continues with contractual clauses enforcing security obligations.

Ongoing continuous monitoring ensures vendors maintain compliance over time, while the team evaluates concentration risk — the danger of over-reliance on a single provider. Under DORA, such vendor governance is not optional but a legal requirement for regulated financial entities, making TPRM one of the GRC team’s most visible responsibilities.

6. Incident & Change Governance

Even the strongest controls cannot prevent every disruption. The GRC Team therefore establishes a clear incident response (IR) plan, tests it regularly through simulations, and ensures that every incident is followed by a post-incident review to capture lessons learned.

Additionally, the team enforces change management processes to ensure that system updates, new deployments, and configuration changes undergo appropriate risk evaluation and authorization. Segregation of duties, documentation, and traceability are key to maintaining both operational stability and audit integrity.

7. Training & Culture

Finally, governance must extend beyond documents — it must live in people’s behavior. The GRC team cultivates a security-aware culture through continuous education and role-based training tailored to developers, administrators, and general staff.

This includes phishing simulations, tabletop exercises, and awareness campaigns designed to turn compliance from a checklist into a shared organizational value. Frameworks like DORA explicitly emphasize operational resilience testing that includes human factors, underscoring that culture is as critical as technology in achieving true governance maturity.

How the GRC Team Delivers Specific Frameworks

ISO 27001 (ISMS)

Objective: Establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve an ISMS.

Your control map: Use Annex A’s 93 controls across four themes; maintain the Statement of Applicability mapping which controls you’ve adopted and why.

Audit cadence: Stage 1, Stage 2, annual surveillance, 3-year recertification.

DORA (EU financial sector)

In force/applicable: Applies from Jan 17, 2025; required for banks, insurers, payment institutions, and certain ICT third parties.

5 pillars: ICT risk management, incident reporting, resilience testing, third-party risk, information sharing.

GRC to-dos: Executive-approved ICT risk framework, major incident processes/timelines, TLPT strategy (where applicable), and register of critical providers.

HIPAA (US health sector)

Scope: Protect ePHI via administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.

GRC to-dos: Risk analysis, workforce training, BAAs with vendors, audit logs, access controls, contingency planning, and periodic evaluations (watch for proposed updates tightening MFA, inventories, vendor reporting).

SOC 2 (AICPA)

Purpose: Independent examination of controls relevant to Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, Privacy.

Types: Type I (design at a point in time) vs Type II (design & operating effectiveness over 3–12 months).

GRC to-dos: Define the system boundary, map controls to TSC, establish evidence cadence, and sustain continuous monitoring.

GRC Team Org Chart (lean model you can scale)

Executive Governance

• Board / Audit & Risk Committee – Approves risk appetite; oversees program.

• CEO/CFO/CTO/CIO – Allocate budget, enforce accountability.

• CISO / CRO (or one leader owning both) – Accountable for security & risk strategy.

Program Leadership

• Head of GRC / GRC Manager – Runs the program; owns control framework, roadmap, metrics, and audits.

• Policy Owner – Maintains policies/standards; ensures versioning and approval workflow.

• Risk Lead – Maintains methodology, risk taxonomy, KRIs, and risk register.

Operational Roles

• Compliance Manager – Evidence collection, gap assessments, auditor liaison (ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, DORA).

• Vendor Risk Manager – Third-party due diligence, contract clauses, continuous monitoring (critical under DORA).

• Control Owners (IT, Engineering, HR, Facilities, Finance) – Implement and operate controls (e.g., backups, change management, access reviews).

• Assurance & Testing – Internal audit/second line testing; issues tracking and remediation.

• Privacy Officer / DPO – GDPR/IAPP-aligned privacy governance and DPIAs.

• Security Architects & Analysts – Translate control intent into technical configurations and detection logic.

Enablement & Culture

• Security Awareness Lead – Training and simulations; DORA explicitly elevates human readiness.

RACI Snapshot (who’s accountable for what)

Activity	A (Accountable)	R (Responsible)	C (Consulted)	I (Informed)
Risk Appetite & Policy Approval	Board/CEO	Head of GRC	CISO/CRO, Legal	All Staff
Risk Assessment & Register	Head of GRC	Risk Lead, Control Owners	Business/IT	Execs
ISO 27001/SOC 2 Evidence	Head of GRC	Compliance Manager, Owners	Auditors	Execs
DORA ICT Risk & Testing	CISO/CRO	Risk Lead, Testing Lead	Business, Vendors	Board
HIPAA Safeguards	Privacy Officer, CISO	IT/Sec, HR, Facilities	Legal	Execs
Vendor Risk (TPRM)	Head of GRC	Vendor Risk Manager	Procurement, Legal	Execs

Certifications that Strengthen a GRC Team

• ISACA: CISA (audit), CISM (security management), CRISC (IT risk), CGEIT (governance). ISACA defines exam domains and CPE maintenance (e.g., CRISC: 20 CPE/yr; 120/3 yrs).

• (ISC)²: CGRC (formerly CAP) validates governance/risk/compliance skills and system authorization knowledge; requires passing the exam plus experience (or Associate path).

• ISO 27001 Lead Auditor / Lead Implementer: Demonstrates competence to audit or implement an ISMS against ISO 27001. (Courses and credentials delivered by accredited bodies/certifiers.)

• IAPP: CIPP/E (GDPR expertise) and CIPM (privacy program management) bolster privacy governance.

Tooling the Team (What “Good” Looks Like)

A high-performing GRC team relies not only on expertise and well-defined processes but also on the right technology stack. Modern GRC tooling eliminates manual work, improves accuracy, reduces audit fatigue, and ensures that every control is continuously monitored and transparently documented. Below are the essential components of a mature GRC technology environment — one that scales with the organization and turns governance into an operational advantage.

1. Unified Control Library

A robust GRC foundation begins with a single, unified control library — a central repository where all governance documents, policies, standards, and operational controls are mapped and maintained.A mature library includes:

• clear descriptions of each control and its purpose

• assigned control owners and secondary reviewers

• linked evidence requirements and testing procedures

• defined frequencies (daily, weekly, quarterly, annually)

• explicit mapping to industry frameworks such as ISO 27001 Annex A, SOC 2 TSC, HIPAA safeguards, and DORA ICT risk obligations

This unified structure ensures that one control can satisfy multiple frameworks — dramatically reducing duplicated effort during audits.

2. Evidence Management & Automation

Evidence collection is one of the most time-consuming parts of any audit. Effective GRC tooling automates this process with:

• recurring reminders based on control frequency

• automated screenshots, configuration pulls, or system logs

• version-controlled document uploads

• pre-defined evidence templates for each framework

Such automation minimizes human error, ensures consistency, and prepares the organization for audits year-round—not just during audit season.

3. Centralized Risk Register

A well-tooled GRC environment includes a dynamic risk register that evolves with the business. The system should support:

• likelihood/impact scoring

• inherent vs. residual risk comparison

• KRIs (Key Risk Indicators) with thresholds and alerts

• assigned remediation owners and deadlines

• automated reporting for leadership and the board

When risks, mitigations, and control dependencies are centralized, the organization gains real-time visibility into its risk posture.

4. Vendor Inventory & TPRM Automation

Vendor and third-party ecosystems grow rapidly — especially in cloud-driven environments. A strong GRC tooling stack includes:

• a structured third-party inventory with tiering (critical, high, medium, low)

• automated due diligence workflows

• contract reviews with security clauses

• ongoing monitoring (questionnaires, certifications, threat intelligence)

• concentration risk analysis and reporting

Under regulations such as DORA, maintaining an accurate and continuously updated vendor view is a legal requirement — making this tooling essential for operational resilience.

5. Audit Workspace & External Collaboration

When audit time arrives, teams should not scramble to gather evidence. Modern GRC automation provides:

• dedicated audit workspaces for each auditor or certification body

• granular access control — auditors see only what they need

• role-based workflows for internal reviews

• exportable audit packages for ISO 27001 Stage 1/2, SOC 2 Type I/II, HIPAA assessments, and DORA supervisory checks

This reduces friction during external audits and ensures traceability across findings, controls, and remediation actions.

6. Continuous Monitoring & Alerts

Strong GRC tooling doesn’t stop at documentation — it extends into real-time monitoring. This may include:

• configuration drift alerts

• identity/access anomalies

• log and event monitoring integrations

• continuous control testing workflows

• deviation notifications when controls are not executed on time

Continuous monitoring bridges the gap between policy and operational reality, strengthening both proactive defense (Blue Team) and compliance assurance.

7. Policy and Document Management

A mature GRC technology stack includes a dedicated space for managing the full lifecycle of governance documents:

• policy drafting, internal review, and approval workflows

• automatic version control

• attestation tracking (employee acceptance)

• reminders for annual or biannual reviews

• cross-mapping to relevant controls, risks, and processes

This makes governance tangible, measurable, and always up to date.

A well-structured GRC team is more than a regulatory requirement — it is the operational backbone that enables organizations to innovate confidently, manage risks proactively, and demonstrate trustworthiness to customers, partners, and regulators. By aligning governance, risk management, and compliance under a unified strategy, businesses can navigate complex frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, and DORA without sacrificing speed or agility.

The Role of Virtual CISO in a Modern GRC Program

An essential extension of a mature GRC practice is the Virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) service. It provides organizations with executive-level security leadership without the cost of hiring a full-time CISO — a particularly valuable option for startups, scale-ups, and SMBs that must meet compliance requirements but lack internal expertise.

Within a GRC program, the vCISO acts as the strategic driver of governance, security maturity, and long-term resilience. This role includes:

• developing and maintaining the organization’s security and compliance roadmap

• overseeing risk assessments, security controls, and the overall GRC framework

• aligning security decisions with business objectives and regulatory requirements

• coordinating internal teams and external auditors throughout the audit lifecycle

• preparing the organization for compliance with SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and DORA

• ensuring continuous monitoring, control execution, and policy governance

A vCISO bridges the gap between strategy and execution, ensuring that compliance is not just a one-time project but a sustainable, measurable, and continuously improving capability.

At ESKA Security, Virtual CISO is one of the core components of our GRC services. Our vCISO experts lead clients through every stage of compliance readiness — from initial gap assessment to complete audit preparation — while integrating efforts across our GRC Team, Red Team, and Blue Team. This synergy ensures that governance is informed by real offensive insights, supported by proactive defense, and fully aligned with regulatory expectations.

By partnering with a vCISO, organizations gain not only compliance, but a long-term strategic advantage rooted in strong governance, operational resilience, and secure growth.

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Modern GRC programs thrive on cross-functional expertise, continuous monitoring, and collaboration across the entire organization. When governance principles are embedded into everyday processes, risks are no longer surprises, and compliance becomes a natural outcome of well-designed operations. This shift transforms GRC from a cost center into a strategic advantage that strengthens resilience and elevates business performance.

At ESKA Security, we understand that effective cybersecurity cannot exist in isolation. Our strength lies in a comprehensive, synergy-driven model where our GRC Team, Red Team, and Blue Team work together as a unified ecosystem. This approach allows us to deliver a complete lifecycle of protection: from identifying weaknesses (Red Team), to establishing strong governance and compliance frameworks (GRC), to detecting and responding to threats in real time (Blue Team).

This triad ensures that security is not just maintained — it evolves. It adapts. It protects. And it enables our clients to grow their business with confidence, knowing they have a partner who stands behind every layer of their cybersecurity posture.

If your organization is ready to build or enhance its GRC capabilities — while benefiting from the full spectrum of offensive, defensive, and governance expertise — ESKA Security is ready to support you at every step.