SOC 2 CC1.4: COSO Principle 4: Demonstrates Commitment to Attract, Develop, and Retain Competent Individuals

Build a formal hiring process with competency requirements for each role, especially those with security responsibilities. Define minimum qualifications, certifications, and experience levels. Implement background checks for positions involving access to sensitive data or critical systems. Develop a security awareness training programme for all employees. Include initial training during onboarding and annual refreshers. Cover phishing awareness, data handling procedures, acceptable use policies, and incident reporting. Track and document all training completion. Create role-specific training programmes for security and IT staff covering relevant technologies, security frameworks, and regulatory requirements. Support professional development through certifications (CISSP, CISM, vendor-specific certs), conference attendance, and continuing education. Include security-related competencies in your performance evaluation process. For roles with significant security responsibilities, assess security knowledge, policy adherence, and incident response capabilities. Use results to identify training needs and development opportunities. Develop succession plans for key security and IT roles. Identify backup personnel who can step in if primary role holders are unavailable. Provide cross-training to ensure continuity and prevent single points of failure in the security function. Run periodic competency assessments, particularly after significant changes to technology, processes, or regulatory requirements. Use results to update training programmes and adjust hiring criteria. Document assessment activities and resulting action plans.