GRC vs. Privacy Compliance Cheat Sheet, including common job titles, prospecting cues, and ownership clues to help your team qualify contacts more efficiently during outbound:
🧩 GRC vs. Privacy Compliance: Prospecting Cheat Sheet
| Area | InfoSec / GRC | Privacy / Regulatory Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Security controls, risk posture, audit readiness | Legal data use, regulatory obligations, individual rights |
| Owns SOC 2 / ISO 27001? | ✅ Yes — they design, implement, and prove compliance | ❌ No — may collaborate but don’t own control implementation |
| Owns GDPR / CCPA Compliance? | ⚠️ Sometimes supports from a technical angle | ✅ Yes — owns consent management, DSRs, privacy assessments |
| Typical Frameworks | SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, PCI DSS, HIPAA (technical) | GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, GLBA, HIPAA (legal/admin), FERPA, FCRA |
| Core Responsibilities | - Audit prep & evidence collection  - Risk registers & assessments - Control mapping & gap detection - Continuous control monitoring | - DSAR/consent workflows - Data transfer risk assessments - Privacy impact assessments (PIAs) - Data retention & legal review |
| Common Tools | ServiceNow IRM, AuditBoard, Archer, Anecdotes, LogicGate | OneTrust, TrustArc, BigID, Securiti, Transcend |
| Key Phrases / Signals | “Audit readiness,” “control framework,” “continuous monitoring,” “evidence collection,” “IRM,” “SOC 2,” “ISO 27001,” “risk register” | “Privacy rights,” “DSAR,” “lawful basis,” “consent,” “data subject request,” “PIA,” “data transfers,” “privacy team,” “legal holds” |
| Common Titles (Your Ideal Targets) | - Director/Manager, GRC - Director/VP, IT Risk or InfoSec Compliance - Sr. Security Compliance Analyst - Head of Cyber Risk or Audit - Governance Lead - Security GRC Manager | - Privacy Counsel - Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) - Director of Privacy / Data Governance - Legal & Compliance Officer - Data Protection Officer (DPO) |
| Sales Tactic | Focus on automation, auditor credibility, scaling GRC maturity across frameworks and business units | Avoid unless they express interest in continuous monitoring or partner with security/GRC; refer to their tools as complementary |
âś… Prospecting Tips for Anecdotes Relevance
• Strong fit: Anyone owning internal controls, risk registers, audit preparation, or technical framework compliance (SOC 2, ISO, etc.)
• Gray area: If they mention privacy tools (OneTrust), qualify whether they’re on the security/GRC side or the legal/privacy side
• Avoid: Titles with “privacy,” “legal,” or “DPO” unless they explicitly mention involvement in frameworks like ISO or SOC 2
Privacy and regulatory compliance teams are under significant strain right now due to constantly evolving, region-specific regulations — and it’s creating real operational pressure. Here’s some context that explains the misalignment with Anecdotes:
🧠Why Privacy/Regulatory Teams Feel the Strain
🌍 Proliferation of Global Privacy Laws