(Even If You're Starting from Scratch)
Most companies make one of two mistakes when preparing for a cybersecurity audit:
The reality is: you can become audit-ready in 90 days, as long as you follow a focused, tactical plan. At Careful Security, we’ve helped dozens of mid-market companies reach compliance milestones quickly—without compromising quality or burning out internal teams.
Here’s the roadmap we use to help clients go from “not ready” to “prepared for audit” in just three months.
What Does “Audit-Ready” Mean?
Being “audit-ready” isn’t the same as being perfect.
It means:
The 90-Day Compliance Roadmap
We break the process into three focused phases.
Days 1–30: Assess and Plan
The first step is clarity.
We begin by performing a comprehensive gap assessment against either ISO 27001 Annex A controls or SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria. This helps you understand:
From there, we build a customized roadmap in your preferred format (e.g., Gantt chart, Jira board, Monday.com, Excel), assigning tasks, due dates, and owners.
Tip: Start collecting evidence immediately, even if you plan to refine it later.
Days 31–60: Implement and Document
This is the heavy-lifting phase. During this period, you:
This phase is where most internal teams get stuck. That’s why our full-service model includes hands-on configuration support—not just advisory checklists.
Days 61–90: Validate and Prepare
Once the core controls and evidence are in place, it’s time to prepare for the actual audit. We help clients:
By the end of this phase, you should be able to confidently say:
“We’re ready for the auditor.”
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Here’s where most compliance projects fail or stall:
You don’t need to do everything perfectly. But you do need to show progress, control, ownership, and risk-based decisions.