Security Control Types

The main objective of putting security controls in place is to prevent or mitigate the effects of a security incident. A lack of security controls puts data confidentiality, integrity, and availability at risk.
In this article, we will discuss security control types, security control functions, and security control frameworks.
Controls are chosen based on the organization's risk assessment and how it addresses each risk. Because each organization's risk is unique, so are the controls designed to address that risk. Security controls are parameters put in place to protect various types of data and assets important to an organization. It is any safeguard to avoid, detect, or minimize security risks to physical property, information, or other assets.
Types of Security Controls
The types of security controls are mentioned below:
Technical Controls
Technical controls use technology to reduce hardware and software vulnerabilities. It consists of hardware, software, and firmware used to prevent unauthorized access to systems or data. These controls carry out a variety of vital tasks, such as preventing unauthorized users from accessing a system and identifying security violations. Technical functions are involved in managing and controlling employee access. These must be structured to protect data at rest (for example, data stored on a hard drive) and data in motion (for instance, data moving across a network). Some examples include Security Information And Event Management (SIEM), Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), etc.
Administrative Controls
These controls define the human factors of security. It includes any security measures aimed at managing people. It refers to policies, procedures, or guidelines that define business practices in accordance with the security goals of the organization. It includes all employees and determines who has privileged access to data resources. Employees may not understand how to keep resources, systems, and data secure if critical policies are not in place. These policies could be used for various purposes, including hiring and firing team members, Internet use, job separation, data categorization, audits, employee awareness training, etc.
Physical Controls
Physical controls safeguard your resources and infrastructure against physical threats like theft or damage. It is the implementation of security measures within a defined structure to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. These controls are on-premises to assist you in managing the environment in which critical information exists. Examples of physical controls are - thermal alarm systems, security guards, picture IDs, etc. These controls include everything from guards to biometric controls to CCTVs, motion sensors, and sprinklers.
Functions of Security Controls
The functions of security controls are mentioned below:
Preventative Controls
Preventative controls are in place to prevent the likelihood of an information security incident. It refers to any security measure intended to prevent unwanted or unauthorized activity. Examples include - antivirus software, security awareness training, multi-factor authentication, alarm systems, data classification, etc.
Detective Controls
Detective controls are security measures or solutions that alert to unauthorized or unwanted activity in progress or after it has occurred. They can also assist you in determining whether your preventative controls are effective. Examples of detective controls include data leakage detection, door alarms, fire alarms, malware detection, and so on.
Corrective Controls
A corrective control is any action taken to repair damage or restore unauthorized activity's impact to its previous state. These controls are in place to correct flaws, improve processes, and guide corrective action. Corrective controls include error handling, process termination, incident management, planning, etc.
Security Control Frameworks
Your organization's criteria and requirements will determine how many controls you need to implement. Frameworks and standards assist an organization in managing security policies consistently across all its networks, systems, and devices. With frameworks, organizations can manage security controls seamlessly across different asset types using generally accepted and tested methods. Some of the security controls frameworks are mentioned below:
PCI DSS
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is an information security standard developed by Visa, MasterCard, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, and American Express to ensure the security of organizations that process, store, or share credit card information.
SOC 2
The SOC 2 report ensures service providers protect their customers' data and privacy. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) developed it to manage data based on five Trust Service Criteria (TSC): security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Organizations define controls, and your auditor will determine whether the controls you have in place meet the SOC 2 criteria for the categories in scope.
ISO 27001
ISO 27001 is the leading international security standard created to assist organizations of any size or industry in protecting their information through implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS). ISO 27001 Annex A controls are defined in ISO 27002.
How Scrut helps to monitor your security controls
Scrut smartGRC simplifies compliance by eliminating time-consuming manual procedures and keeping you updated on the progress and overall status of your GRC program.

Scrut is a single window for all compliance-related tasks.

You can build your compliance program in minutes with a library of 50+ policies created and vetted by our in-house infosec experts.

It also gives you the flexibility to upload your policies.

The platform integrates with your landscape to automate evidence collection and allows you to create, assign, and monitor compliance tasks. The built-in mapping to all popular information security frameworks allows you to easily manage your compliance posture.
Scrut provides a true single-window experience for ensuring compliance with multiple information security frameworks. You can map your custom controls to pre-built controls that are mapped to globally recognized frameworks. The platform supports the following frameworks, among others: SOC 2, SOC 3, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 22301, ISO 20000-1, GDPR, HIPAA, FedRamp, CMMC, CCPA, PCI DSS, CSA Star, CMMI - DEV, GLB, NIST 800 171.

Scrut Cloud Security covers all CIS benchmarks (more than 200 controls) across popular cloud service providers (AWS, GCP, Azure, and Oracle). It continuously monitors your cloud accounts and detects misconfigurations.

In addition, it provides actionable items that can be taken to fix issues as quickly as possible.

The platform identifies open hazards and critical issues, provides a single tracker to monitor what needs to be corrected and assists you in assigning and tracking activities - all from a single window. It automates and streamlines time-consuming audit tasks, from preparation to analysis.

Scrut smartGRC makes evidence collection easier with integrations. It offers over 70+ integrations.

You can invite auditors to the platform and grant them access so that they can complete the audit. You have complete control over who has access to the platform. We have also established a network of pre-screened auditors and VAPT consultants who will be available to you as needed to streamline the audit process and assist you at every step of your compliance journey.
Schedule a demo with Scrut to learn how our solution can help you monitor your controls for SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and other regulations all in one place.
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
See what a real security- first GRC platform looks like
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Focus on the traveler experience. We’ll handle the regulations.
Achieve and maintain compliance without the busywork.
Choose risk-first compliance that’s always on, built for you, and never in your way.
Ready to see what security-first GRC
One platform, every framework. No more duplicate work.
You can’t manage user access if you’re always playing catch-up.
Explore the future of enterprise GRC
Tired of chasing vendors for risk assessments?
Join the thousands of companies automating their compliance with Scrut.
The right partner makes all the difference. Let’s grow together.
Make your business easy to trust, put security transparency front and center.
Risk-first security starts with risk-first visibility.
Secure your team from the inside out.
Don't settle for slow, expensive compliance. Get Scrut instead.
Risk-first compliance for forward-thinking teams.
Audits without the back-and-forth. Just seamless collaboration.
Scale fast. Stay compliant. Automate the rest.
Compliance? Done and dusted, in half the time.
Get ahead of GDPR compliance before it becomes a problem.
Outgrowing table-stakes compliance? Create custom frameworks with ease.
Navigate SOC 2 compliance, minus the stress.
PCI DSS compliance, minus the panic.
Take the wheel of your HIPAA certification journey today.
We’ve got what you need to fast-track your ISO 27001 certification.
Make your NIST AI RMF journey as smooth as possible.
Your GRC team, multiplied and AI-backed.
Modern compliance for the evolving education landscape.
Ready to simplify healthcare compliance?
Don’t let compliance turn into a bottleneck in your SaaS growth.
Find the right compliance frameworks for your business in minutes
Ready to see what security-first GRC really looks like?
Real-time visibility into every asset
Ready to simplify fintech compliance?
The Scrut Platform helps you move fast, stay compliant, and build securely from the start.
Scrut helps you set up a security program that scales with your business and stands up to audits. Without last-minute chaos.
Scrut helps you streamline audits, close deals faster, and stay ahead of risk without slowing down your team. Because trust shouldn’t take months to earn.
Scrut helps you set up a security program that scales with your business and stands up to audits. Without last-minute chaos.
Tag, classify, and monitor assets in real time—without the manual overhead.
Whether you're entering new markets or launching new products, Scrut helps you stay compliant without slowing down.
Scrut pulls compliance data straight from the tools you already use—so you don’t have to dig for evidence, chase approvals, or manually track controls.
Less manual work, more customizability. The Scrut Platform gives you everything you need to align your compliance to your business’s priorities.
With Scrut, you’re not just adding a tool to your offering—you’re adding a competitive edge. Join our Partner Network and help your clients streamline their GRC program.
Gaining trust is your first step to growing and cracking better deals. The Scrut Platform comes pre-built with all the tools you need to showcase a firm security posture and build confidence.
Don’t settle for rigid systems—Scrut ensures your risk management strategy is as flexible as your business needs.
Start building a security-first culture. Save your operations from improper training and a lack of compliance awareness.
Scrut fast-tracks compliance so you can focus on scaling, not scrambling. Automate compliance tasks and accelerate enterprise deals—without the grind.
Automate assessments, track compliance, and get full visibility into third-party risk—all in one place.
Scrut automates compliance tasks, supports proactive risk management, and saves you time, so you can focus on growing your business. Start building trust with customers and scaling confidently.
Leave legacy GRC behind. Meet the AI-powered platform built for teams managing risk and compliance in real time.
Give auditors direct access, keep track of every request, and manage audits effortlessly—all in one place.
Scrut ensures access permissions are correct, up-to-date, and fully compliant.
Whether you need fast results or a fully tailored program mapped to your risks and needs, Scrut delivers exactly what you need, when you need it. Ready to start?
Scrut unifies compliance across all your frameworks, so you can stop juggling systems and start scaling securely.
Manually managing your compliance processes and audits can get inefficient and overwhelming. Scrut automates these outdated, manual processes and eliminates your last-minute worries.
Access automated compliance, real-time risk tracking, and expert-backed support—all in one platform. Get started with Scrut!
Less manual work, more customizability. The Scrut Platform gives you everything you need to align your compliance to your business’s priorities.
The Scrut Platform helps you move fast, stay compliant, and build securely from the start.
Earn trust and back it up with solid evidence. Scrut takes you through the SOC 2 compliance journey step-by-step, navigating every complexity you face.
Manage your PCI DSS compliance with real-time monitoring and effortless automation. Get started with Scrut today!
Securing your PHI shouldn’t be a constant hassle. Scrut automates your workflows—from risk assessments to monitoring—so you can put your compliance worries on the back burner.
Automate security controls, simplify audits, and keep your ISMS aligned with the latest standards. Get started with Scrut!
Tackle potential AI risks with NIST AI RMF-compliant controls and get expert support every step of the way.
Offload the grunt compliance work to us. Execute manual, draining GRC tasks with the reliable AI-powered Scrut Teammates without switching contexts or bottlenecks.
Whether you're managing student data, partnering with educational institute, or expanding to new geographies—Scrut gives you the tools to stay compliant, manage risk, and build trust at every step.
Scaling healthcare doesn’t have to come at the cost of security. Scrut keeps your organization compliant, audit-ready, and protected—no matter how fast you grow.
Scrut automates the hard parts of compliance and security so you can move fast and stay ahead of risks from day one.
The Scrut Platform helps you move fast, stay compliant, and build securely from the start.
Growth in fintech comes with heavy scrutiny. Scrut helps you stay compliant, audit-ready, and secure—without slowing down your momentum.



