Solving a Major Pain Point: Streamlining Compliance with UCF Integration in ServiceNow

[Rajesh_Singh]

Introduction:

Integrating the Unified Controls Hub (UCF) with ServiceNow can be challenging for organisations with existing control programs. In this blog post, we will provide practical examples for each strategy to successfully implement UCF with ServiceNow while maintaining your current control structure.

Strategy 1: Custom Scripting or ServiceNow IntegrationHub

Example: Your organization uses ServiceNow for managing IT controls, and you want to integrate UCF to automate the mapping process. You could develop a custom script in ServiceNow that automatically maps UCF citations to existing control objectives based on predefined criteria. For instance, the script could identify matching keywords in both UCF citations and control objectives, then create the appropriate mapping between them.

Strategy 2: Machine Learning or Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Example: Your organization has a large number of control objectives and wants to automate the mapping process using machine learning. You could use a tool like SpaCy or TensorFlow to analyze the text of UCF citations and existing control objectives. The tool would determine the semantic similarity between the texts and create mappings based on the similarity scores. For instance, if a citation about data privacy had a high similarity score with a control objective related to data protection, the tool would create a mapping between them.

Alternative Strategy: GRC Matching Rules and Phased Approach

Example: Your organization has already established control objectives in ServiceNow and wants to use GRC matching rules to automate the mapping process. You could create matching rules that identify common keywords or phrases in both UCF citations and control objectives. For example, a rule might look for the phrase "access control" in both the citation and control objective, and if found, create a mapping between them.

In addition, implementing a phased approach can make the integration more manageable. Start by focusing on high-priority citations, such as those related to regulatory requirements. Once these mappings are in place, move on to the next set of citations.

Collaboration with UCF Experts

Example: Your organization is unsure about how to map UCF citations to your existing control objectives. You could engage with UCF experts to help identify similarities and suggest best practices for mapping. For instance, a UCF expert might advise that a specific citation about data encryption should be mapped to an existing control objective related to data protection.

Conclusion:

Integrating UCF with an existing control program in ServiceNow can be challenging, but these practical examples show how custom scripting, machine learning, GRC matching rules, and collaboration with UCF experts can lead to a successful integration. By implementing these strategies, your organization can reduce manual effort, streamline processes, and enhance your overall control program.

[Community Alums]

Thank you @Rajesh_Singh for sharing the use cases. How organization can streamline UCF integration streamlining their compliance goals.

[infogthr_hlp_pz]

Hello,

This is a great article. Do you have any implementation guidance for best practice in implementing this strategy? For example, my org has many frameworks that we manage, we are implementing service now with the intent to use UCF as the connective tissue. 

Here is the issue we are running into. SOC 2 is one of our frameworks, our controls are designed where a control for change management may be we implement a code change process which includes, test, review, and approval. In UCF, this would be 4 different controls (a control for test, a control for review, etc). How do we map multiple UCF control objectives to one SOC 2 control without changing our internal controls for full harmonization?