What method can be used to measure the effectiveness of security controls over time?

Continuous monitoring is essential for assessing the effectiveness of security controls over time because it involves the ongoing observation, collection, and analysis of security-related data. This approach allows organizations to remain vigilant by providing real-time insights into the effectiveness of their security measures and any potential threats to the system.

With continuous monitoring, organizations can identify any changes or anomalies in their environment that may indicate a breach or a failure in controls. This real-time analysis helps maintain a proactive stance towards security rather than a reactive one, which is typical with periodic assessments. It helps in understanding the risk landscape and ensuring that security controls are not just effective at a point in time but remain effective as the environment, threats, and technologies evolve.

While annual security assessments, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning are valuable in their own right, they often provide snapshots or assessments based on specific points in time and do not offer the ongoing, dynamic assessment that continuous monitoring provides. These methods can reveal weaknesses or validate controls, but they do not measure effectiveness consistently over time like continuous monitoring does. Hence, continuous monitoring stands out as the best method for measuring the effectiveness of security controls continuously.