Data engineering - Vanta: Building governance on data-driven foundations

Real-time risks

Accurate, reliable and well-organised data drives the success of GRC engineering. It allows organisations to monitor compliance, identify risks and automate critical processes in real-time. At the core of managing that data are data engineers, whose work ensures that GRC systems are robust, scalable and capable of delivering actionable insights.

But without data engineering, there is no GRC engineering.

Data engineering transforms scattered, raw data into the insights organisations need to stay compliant and manage risks effectively. Without reliable data systems, GRC programs become reactive, slow and error-prone—undermining their purpose. Here’s how data engineering empowers GRC efforts:

• Clean, Trustworthy Data: Compliance and risk decisions rely on accurate data. Data engineers set up systems to validate and standardise information, ensuring teams don’t act on incomplete or incorrect data.
  
• Integration Across Systems: Data engineers unify information from disparate tools and platforms to provide a complete view of compliance and risk. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks and allows for informed decision-making.
  
• Scalability for Growth: As businesses expand, their compliance needs become more complex. Scalable data systems ensure that GRC programs can handle increasing data volumes and evolving requirements, keeping organisations ahead of the curve.
  
• Real-Time Monitoring: Quarterly reviews and annual audits are too slow in today’s fast-paced environment. Data engineering enables real-time or near-real-time insights, helping organisations identify and address risks proactively.
  
• Automation of Repetitive Tasks: By automating time-consuming activities like compliance checks and report generation, data engineers free up teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.
  

Data won’t manage itself

For GRC engineering to deliver its potential, data can’t simply be collected. It needs to be continuously assessed, monitored and managed. Reliable data pipelines ensure compliance and risk management become part of everyday business operations rather than a one-off exercise. This continuous approach allows organisations to spot gaps, mitigate risks and respond to issues as they arise.

Evidence-based decision-making (and robust data engineering practice) is a hallmark of GRC engineering. 

Vanta’s Sethi: GRC engineering isn’t just about compliance; it’s about measurable outcomes & broader business goals.

Instead of reacting to external pressures or operating on assumptions, organisations can rely on accurate data to guide their actions. Data engineers enable this precision by ensuring that compliance and risk metrics are based on solid, measurable foundations.

Sophisticated data collection and analysis make it possible to quantify progress and evaluate effectiveness. GRC engineering isn’t just about compliance; it’s about achieving measurable outcomes that align with broader business goals. This approach helps organisations communicate results clearly, both internally and externally, strengthening trust and accountability.

Threat-informed decision-making

Modern risks require modern responses. Organisations need systems that collect, analyse and act on intelligence about emerging threats. Data engineers play a critical role in this process by ensuring the information flowing into GRC frameworks is both accurate and actionable. Whether it’s identifying potential vulnerabilities or adapting to new regulatory requirements, the ability to make threat-informed decisions depends on reliable data systems.

Ultimately, GRC engineering is only as strong as the data and data engineering that supports it.

Without robust data management, the continuous processes, measurable results and proactive risk mitigation that define this approach wouldn’t be possible. Data engineers ensure that GRC systems not only function but deliver meaningful outcomes that align with organisational goals.

Transforming governance, risk and compliance into dynamic, data-driven systems, can help businesses move beyond simply meeting regulatory requirements. They can use GRC engineering as a tool for achieving operational excellence, reducing friction and building a foundation of trust and accountability. This way, data engineering becomes more than just a support function and more of a backbone of modern GRC.