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Detective Control

What is Detective Control?

A security control designed to identify and alert on security events, policy violations, or anomalous activities after they have occurred.

Information Security

What the standards actually require on detective control

Requirements naming detective control across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

SOC 22 controls

Control activities are chosen and developed to bring risks to objectives down to acceptable levels. Points of focus: control activities carry out the risk responses from the risk assessment;

SOC2-CC5.1 · CC5.1 Selecting control activities that mitigate risk (COSO principle 10) →

Implement preventive and detective controls commensurate with the potential impact of data being compromised, establishing risk tolerance and selecting controls to bring risk within the risk appetite.

ADMF-5.1 · Implement risk-based protection controls →

A data loss prevention strategy and approach are formally established to spot and stop sensitive data leaving the organization's network and controls, whether on purpose or by mistake, using directive, preventive and detective controls over data in use, in mot...

edm-council-cdmc-cloud-data-management-capability-framework::4.1.4 · 4.1.4 A Data Loss Prevention program is established →

Resource use is to be monitored and adjusted to fit present and expected capacity needs. Purpose: have enough capacity in processing facilities, staff, offices and other facilities.

iso-27002-2022::8.6 · Capacity management →

Input: prioritised risks with chosen options. Action: determine every control, from control sets chosen from suitable sources, needed to treat the risks under the chosen options (modify, retain, avoid, share).

iso-27005-2022::8.3 · Determining all controls that are necessary to implement the information security risk treatment options →

Describe how responses to assessed risks are developed: matching controls to the protection of assets and to detecting, answering, limiting and recovering from security events;

soc-for-cybersecurity-cybersecurity-risk-management-examination::DC17 · DC17 Process for developing responses to assessed risks, including designing and implementing controls →

Questions people ask about detective control

What is Detective Control?
A security control designed to identify and alert on security events, policy violations, or anomalous activities after they have occurred.
Why is Detective Control important for compliance?
Detective Control is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding detective control helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Detective Control?
Detective Control appears in the requirement text of SOC 2, ASEAN Data Management Framework, EDM Council CDMC - Cloud Data Management Capability Framework, ISO 27002:2022, ISO 27005:2022. Across these standards we have identified 7 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Detective Control?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how detective control applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how Detective Control applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.