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LSOPS02-BP01 Establish a central control framework - Life Sciences Lens
Implementation guidanceResources

LSOPS02-BP01 Establish a central control framework

Establishing a central control framework and mapping to applicable frameworks can simplify processes, avoid duplicate effort, and reduce operational overheads. The IT quality team can define the required control objectives, while IT process and tooling experts can determine the best way to implement the controls.

Desired outcome:

  • Unified control framework that maps to multiple regulatory requirements.

  • Reduced duplication of efforts across different frameworks.

  • Streamlined audit processes with centralized evidence collection.

Common anti-patterns:

  • You implement separate controls for each framework.

  • You lack clear mapping between control objectives and regulatory requirements.

  • You create duplicate controls that are common across frameworks.

Benefits of establishing this best practice:

  • Streamlined reporting through consolidated evidence collection.

  • Reduced audit preparation time and resource requirements.

Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: High

Implementation guidance

Develop a hierarchical structure with clear accountability that bridges the gap between high-level objectives and specific technical implementations. This structure should incorporate risk-based prioritization to focus resources on the most critical controls while maintaining comprehensive coverage of requirements.

Implementation steps

  1. Inventory the applicable regulatory frameworks and requirements:

  • Use AWS Audit Manager to catalog regulatory requirements across frameworks and collect evidence of auditing.

  • Consider AWS Systems Manager Documents for standardized documentation.

  1. Create a unified control catalog with clear mapping to regulatory requirements:

  • Implement AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store for centralized control definitions.

  • Consider Service Catalog for managing approved control implementations that can be deployed to multiple workloads.

  1. Establish control ownership and responsibilities across teams:

  • Use AWS Resource Access Manager for sharing control resources across teams.

  • Consider AWS Organizations for defining organizational control responsibilities.

  1. Develop standardized templates for control documentation and evidence collection:

  • Store templates in Amazon S3 with appropriate access controls.

  • Consider AWS CloudFormation for templating control implementation patterns.

  1. Implement continuous monitoring of control effectiveness:

  • Configure AWS Config Rules to verify control implementation.

  • Consider AWS Security Hub CSPM for aggregating control status.

Resources

Related guides, videos, and documentation:

Related examples:

Related tools: