Canadian Industrial Fabricator Strengthens Market Trust Through Comprehensive Cyber Audit and Attestation Program

The Challenge

Titan Steelworks, a mid-sized Canadian manufacturer serving the construction and heavy machinery industries, encountered growing scrutiny from clients and regulators regarding its cybersecurity and compliance readiness. Despite ongoing modernization efforts, the company lacked a unified audit and attestation process capable of demonstrating compliance with evolving data protection and operational security standards.

A routine customer due diligence request uncovered incomplete records related to system access, incident reporting, and vendor risk management. This discovery delayed the renewal of major supply contracts and raised concerns from insurers about the company’s cyber risk posture. The absence of third-party validation also put Titan’s ISO certification renewal at risk, threatening eligibility for government infrastructure contracts.

Internally, Titan’s IT and operations teams struggled to produce verifiable audit evidence due to fragmented documentation and inconsistent control testing. While basic security measures existed, they had never been independently assessed or certified, leaving leadership uncertain about both their effectiveness and compliance status under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and ISO/IEC 27001 standards.

The situation underscored a fundamental challenge: without a structured audit and attestation framework, even well-intentioned security practices could not demonstrate accountability, assurance, or readiness in the eyes of customers, regulators, and insurers.

Our Solution

Our Audit and Attestation team was retained to design and implement a comprehensive Cybersecurity Audit and Compliance Validation Program aligned with Titan’s regulatory, contractual, and operational needs.

We began with a control environment assessment to map existing processes to recognized frameworks, including ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) baseline controls. Key gaps were identified across data protection, access control, and incident management domains.

The following measures were executed:

  • Development of an enterprise-wide audit plan integrating IT, OT, and vendor environments.
  • Independent control testing and evidence collection across production and administrative systems.
  • Implementation of continuous compliance tracking dashboards to align with PIPEDA and insurance reporting requirements.
  • Coordination with external certification bodies to streamline ISO/IEC 27001 recertification and SOC 2 readiness.
  • Delivery of an executive attestation report providing assurance over data handling, privacy management, and operational resilience.

Our approach transformed Titan’s ad hoc compliance activities into a verifiable, audit-ready control environment capable of withstanding regulatory and contractual scrutiny.

The Value

Following completion of the program, Titan Steelworks achieved tangible improvements in compliance assurance, risk visibility, and stakeholder confidence:

  • Successful renewal of ISO/IEC 27001 certification and SOC 2 Type II readiness confirmation within six months.
  • Renewal of multi-million-dollar client contracts supported by verified audit attestations.
  • 60% reduction in compliance preparation time for audits and client security questionnaires.
  • Increased insurer confidence, leading to a 15% reduction in cyber insurance premiums.
  • Strengthened trust from clients, auditors, and regulators through transparent governance and third-party validation.

The program positioned Titan as a compliance leader within the manufacturing sector—demonstrating that proactive audit readiness can directly enhance competitiveness and operational trust.

Implementation Roadmap

1. Assessment (Weeks 1–3): Conduct control environment and readiness assessment; review policies, procedures, and compliance documentation.

2. Framework Alignment (Weeks 4–6): Map existing controls to ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2, and PIPEDA requirements; define evidence criteria.

3. Testing and Validation (Weeks 7–12): Execute independent control testing and evidence collection across IT and OT systems.

4. Attestation (Weeks 13–16): Produce audit reports and executive attestation documents for clients and insurers.

5. Continuous Assurance (Ongoing): Maintain compliance dashboards, perform quarterly control testing, and prepare for annual re-audits.

Info Sheet

Necessary Action Type and Steps to Be Taken:

  • Conduct initial control readiness assessment and documentation review.
  • Develop and implement a formal audit and attestation program aligned with ISO/IEC 27001 and SOC 2.
  • Perform independent control testing and evidence validation across IT and OT environments.
  • Establish compliance dashboards to monitor and maintain audit readiness.
  • Engage with third-party auditors for certification renewal and ongoing assurance.
  • Train key personnel on audit preparation, evidence collection, and attestation responsibilities.

Industry Sector:

Manufacturing — Industrial Fabrication and Heavy Machinery

Applicable Legislation:

  • PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act)
  • ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management)
  • SOC 2 Type II (Trust Service Criteria)
  • Canadian Cyber Security Standards (CCCS Baseline Controls)

Third Parties:

  • External audit and certification body (ISO and SOC 2)
  • Managed IT and OT service providers supporting infrastructure controls
  • Insurance underwriters requiring compliance validation
  • Legal and regulatory advisors ensuring privacy and data handling conformance
  • Key industrial clients conducting supplier assurance audits