Let’s be honest — audits are stressful.

Most companies prepare for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, or PCI like it’s a final exam they forgot was coming.

That’s why 40–60% of first-time audits fail.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With the right plan — and the right partner — you can get audit-ready in 90 days or less, without drowning in documentation or burning out your team.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a week-by-week roadmap based on what we’ve seen work for our clients at Careful Security.

Phase 1 (Weeks 1–3): Map the Maze Before You Start Sprinting

Your goal: Understand what’s in scope, what’s missing, and who owns what.

Week 1: Define the Scope

• What systems, teams, and locations are in scope?
  
• Which compliance standard are you pursuing?
  
• What’s your audit deadline (real or internal)?
  

Pro Tip: Don’t over-scope. Only include assets that must be audited to meet client or regulatory expectations.

Week 2: Perform a Gap Assessment

• Review the required controls and compare against your current state
  
• Use a readiness tool or bring in a consultant to assess:
• Missing policies
• Incomplete technical controls
• Evidence that will be needed

Week 3: Build a 90-Day Audit Tracker

• Assign owners for each area (HR, IT, Security, Legal, etc.)
  
• Set realistic due dates for drafting policies and collecting evidence
  
• Choose a project tool (Google Sheets, Notion, or audit platform)
  

Phase 2 (Weeks 4–7): Build the Foundation

Your goal: Create or finalize the documentation and controls required for the audit.

Week 4: Risk Assessment & Asset Inventory

• Identify your key systems, data flows, and potential risks
  
• Document likelihood, impact, and treatment plan
  
• Create your official risk register
  

Week 5–6: Write & Finalize Policies

Focus on:

• Access control
  
• Incident response
  
• Change management
  
• Vendor security
  
• Data classification
  
• Acceptable use
  

Pro Tip: Every policy should have an owner, version number, and next review date.

Week 7: Technical Controls Review

• MFA enabled across systems?
  
• Audit logging turned on?
  
• Backups configured and tested?
  
• Endpoint protection deployed?
  

This is where security and compliance intersect. Make sure your actual controls match your policy claims.

Phase 3 (Weeks 8–10): Collect Evidence + Run a Mock Audit

Your goal: Ensure everything you built can be proven.

Week 8: Evidence Collection Sprint

For each control, collect:

• Screenshots or exports (logs, config, approval tickets)
  
• HR training records
  
• System access reports
  
• Vendor security documentation

Organize in a centralized folder, clearly labeled and mapped to the control framework.

Week 9: Run an Internal Audit

Have someone simulate the auditor experience:

• Review evidence
  
• Validate policy coverage
  
• Ask the tough questions
  

Capture gaps and fix what’s missing.

Week 10: Audit Kickoff Prep

• Finalize the scope and system description (for SOC 2)
  
• Confirm with your auditor: timeline, evidence format, observation period
  
• Prep your internal team: what to expect, who will be interviewed
  

‍Compliance Without Chaos Is Possible

If you follow this plan, here’s what happens:

• Your team doesn’t panic
  
• Your auditor is impressed
  
• You pass on the first try — without rewriting everything the night before
  

And most importantly:

You don’t just get a compliance report — you build a repeatable, risk-based security program.