Breaking into GRC or compliance-focused cybersecurity roles can feel overwhelming, especially when most job listings demand real-world experience you don’t yet have. That’s where GRC analyst hands-on projects come in.
Just like how SOC analysts build skills through labs and real work simulations, aspiring GRC analysts can gain valuable, resume-worthy experience by completing practical projects that mirror actual tasks in risk, audit, compliance, and control mapping.
Below are 7 beginner-to-intermediate friendly GRC projects you can implement yourself, designed to build real skill, boost your resume, and help you speak knowledgeably about compliance and governance in interviews.
Where Those Projects Matter?
Before diving into the projects, it’s worth understanding why hands-on work is so powerful:
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Real-world application. GRC roles are not just theory — they require structuring compliance programs, managing risk registers, performing audits, and documenting policies. Hands-on work proves you understand frameworks in context.
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Bridging theory and practice. Many beginners know about compliance frameworks (like ISO 27001, NIST, SOC 2), but struggle to translate that knowledge into real controls, audit readiness, or vendor assessments. Projects help bridge that gap.
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Portfolio boost. A documented project — with steps, screenshots or evidence, outcomes — makes a stronger case than a resume bullet claiming familiarity. Hiring managers see proof of capability.
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Interview readiness. When you’ve actually built audit checklists, risk assessments, or compliance mappings, you can reference concrete examples during interviews — demonstrating both knowledge and applied experience.
7 GRC Analyst Project Ideas
Here are seven carefully chosen projects. Each one mirrors common responsibilities for GRC analysts, from risk assessment to compliance program design to vendor audits.
| Project | Key Skills Developed |
|---|---|
| 1. Build a Mini Compliance Program (ISO 27001 / NIST) | Control mapping, framework alignment, gap identification, documentation, audit readiness fundamentals |
| 2. Create a Risk Register for a Mock Company | Risk scoring, likelihood & impact analysis, heat map creation, reporting, risk treatment planning |
| 3. Build a Third-Party Vendor Assessment Template | Vendor due diligence, questionnaire design, evidence review, scoring models, third-party risk evaluation |
| 4. Create an Incident Response Plan and Test It | Incident response planning, tabletop testing, workflow documentation, reporting, ISO 27035 alignment |
| 5. Map SOC 2 Controls to a Sample Cloud Environment | Cloud control implementation, evidence collection, technical control validation, SOC 2 TSC understanding |
| 6. Build a Compliance Dashboard in Excel or Notion | Data visualization, KPI tracking, compliance metrics, control maturity scoring, executive reporting |
| 7. Conduct a Mock Internal Audit | Audit checklist creation, evidence review, findings documentation, non-conformity scoring, remediation planning |
Best Way to Use This Guide
You do not need to build these labs by guessing. Let AI guide you step by step just like a personal mentor.
Copy any project description from this guide, paste it into your preferred AI assistant, and request a full step-by-step walkthrough: environment setup, required tools, implementation steps, evidence collection, and how to document the final results for your resume or portfolio. Make sure to also ask about potential costs and how to minimize or avoid them.
1. Build a Mini Compliance Program (ISO 27001 / NIST)
This project simulates the foundational work GRC analysts perform when setting up a compliance environment for a new or growing organization. You build a mini compliance program by selecting a framework (ISO 27001 or NIST 800-53), identifying assets, scoping the environment, documenting control requirements, and determining what gaps exist.
You create a small control matrix that lists each control, its requirement, current maturity, responsible owner, and needed remediation. This mirrors how organizations prepare for audits and certifications and introduces you to core compliance language and structure. Refer to the official ISO overview here: ISO 27001 standard.
Quick setup steps:
- Choose a fictional company (for example, a SaaS startup or healthcare clinic) and define its scope: assets, systems, users, and data types.
- Download the ISO 27001 Annex A control list or NIST 800-53 catalog to use as your baseline requirements.
- Create a spreadsheet with columns such as Control ID, Requirement, Current Status, Owner, and Needed Actions.
- Select at least 15–20 controls that apply to your environment and document whether they are implemented, partially implemented, or missing.
- Write a brief one-page “Compliance Program Overview” describing your chosen scope, goals, and current level of maturity.
- Highlight 3–5 gaps and propose realistic remediation steps that an organization could take to improve compliance readiness.
- Store all evidence (matrix, notes, document drafts) as part of your growing portfolio.
Key learning outcomes:
- Understanding how compliance frameworks are structured
- Learning how to map controls to business processes
- Identifying gaps and building remediation plans
- Documenting compliance maturity in a clear, structured format
This project is essential because compliance programs form the backbone of every GRC function.
2. Create a Risk Register for a Mock Company
Risk registers are a central artifact in every GRC program. This project teaches you how to identify business risks, score them based on likelihood and impact, create heat maps, and document mitigation strategies. This mirrors ISO 31000 and NIST RMF risk processes used by real-world organizations.
You learn how to define assets, identify threats, assess risk level, and propose controls. This is one of the most important governance exercises for aspiring GRC analysts.
Quick setup steps:
- Create a fictional 10-person startup dealing with sensitive data and list its assets: servers, laptops, APIs, user accounts, databases.
- Identify at least 10 potential risks such as phishing, credential theft, misconfigured S3 buckets, ransomware, data breaches, downtime, or insider threats.
- Build a simple Likelihood × Impact scoring model (1–5 scale or Low/Medium/High categories).
- Create a heat map using conditional formatting in Excel or Google Sheets to visualize high-risk areas.
- Add mitigation strategies for each risk and assign a responsible owner.
- Create a one-page “Risk Summary Report” highlighting the top three highest-risk areas.
- Add a “Residual Risk” column to demonstrate understanding of post-control risk levels.
Key learning outcomes:
- Risk identification and classification
- Likelihood and impact scoring
- Heat map creation and visualization
- Strategic mitigation planning
This exercise develops essential skills required for risk-based decision-making in GRC roles.
3. Build a Third-Party Vendor Assessment Template
Modern organizations depend heavily on third-party software and suppliers, making vendor risk assessment a critical GRC skill. In this project, you draft a structured vendor security questionnaire and evaluate a real SaaS provider using publicly available documentation.
You learn how to design evaluation questions, score responses, document evidence, and make recommendations. Many GRC roles involve reviewing dozens of vendor assessments per quarter.
Quick setup steps:
- Create a vendor questionnaire with sections such as Governance, Access Control, Data Protection, Incident Response, and Compliance.
- Write at least 25 clear questions such as encryption usage, authentication methods, logging capabilities, and audit readiness.
- Add a scoring model (Yes = 2, Partial = 1, No = 0) to quantify vendor risk.
- Select a major SaaS tool (for example, Google Workspace, Notion) and review its public security documentation.
- Fill out your questionnaire using the information provided online.
- Build a Vendor Scorecard summarizing strengths, weaknesses, and final risk level.
- Write a one-page Vendor Assessment Report with recommendations.
Key learning outcomes:
- Vendor risk assessment and scoring
- Security questionnaire design
- Understanding SaaS security models
- Providing risk-based recommendations
This project is valuable because third-party risk is one of the fastest-growing areas in GRC.
4. Create an Incident Response Plan and Test It
Incident response planning is a critical compliance requirement under frameworks like ISO 27035 and SOC 2. This project teaches you how to write an IR plan and simulate a real incident scenario to test readiness.
You document roles, communication steps, detection procedures, and remediation activities, then run a tabletop simulation such as a phishing incident, credential leak, or ransomware scenario.
Quick setup steps:
- Create a lightweight IR plan covering Purpose, Roles, Detection, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, and Lessons Learned.
- Choose a realistic scenario like a phishing email leading to unauthorized access.
- Document every step you would take from detection to final remediation.
- Create an “Incident Timeline” including timestamps, actions taken, and communication steps.
- Write an Incident Report Template and fill it out based on your simulation.
- Map actions to compliance frameworks (Annex A, SOC 2 CC7.x).
- Highlight improvement areas and required policy updates.
Key learning outcomes:
- Incident response workflow
- Documentation and reporting
- Communication planning
- Scenario-based testing and analysis
This experience prepares you for compliance audits and real organizational incidents.
5. Map SOC 2 Controls to a Sample Cloud Environment
This project teaches how technical cloud settings map to SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria (TSC). You analyze an AWS or Azure sandbox environment, configure basic security features, and document evidence that aligns with audit controls.
This builds technical compliance understanding — a key advantage for GRC analysts working with engineering teams.
Quick setup steps:
- Create an AWS Free Tier or Azure test account for hands-on practice.
- Retrieve SOC 2 criteria (CC1–CC9) from AICPA public summaries.
- Enable features like MFA, S3 encryption, CloudTrail logs, IAM role policies, and backup settings.
- Take screenshots of each configuration as mock evidence.
- Create a control matrix mapping SOC 2 criteria to cloud implementations.
- Store screenshots as “SOC 2 Artifacts.”
- Write a brief summary explaining how each control is implemented.
Key learning outcomes:
- Technical control validation
- Cloud security architecture basics
- SOC 2 control alignment
- Evidence collection for audits
This project builds rare hybrid skills: compliance knowledge plus cloud security understanding.
6. Build a Compliance Dashboard in Excel or Notion
Compliance dashboards are used by executives and auditors to quickly assess the current security posture. This project teaches you how to visualize risk scores, control maturity, and remediation progress.
You build a dashboard that aggregates your earlier work: control matrices, risk registers, and audit findings.
Quick setup steps:
- Import your risk register and compliance matrix into Excel or Notion.
- Add columns for control status such as Implemented, In Progress, and Planned.
- Create color-coded charts showing risk trends, control coverage, and open actions.
- Build a summary widget highlighting top risks and overdue remediation items.
- Export a screenshot to include in your portfolio.
- Document how the dashboard helps decision-makers understand compliance posture.
Key learning outcomes:
- Data visualization for compliance
- Tracking risk and control maturity
- Dashboard creation for executive reporting
- Understanding KPIs in governance programs
This project demonstrates your ability to communicate complex information clearly.
7. Conduct a Mock Internal Audit
This project simulates how organizations perform internal audits before external certification. You review a selection of controls, evaluate evidence, identify non-conformities, and write an audit report.
Auditing is a core responsibility for many GRC roles, making this project highly valuable for resumes and interviews.
Quick setup steps:
- Create an Internal Audit Checklist listing each control, evidence, findings, severity, and remediation steps.
- Select 10 controls across your mini compliance program.
- Gather screenshots, documents, or simulated evidence.
- Mark controls as Compliant, Non-Compliant, or Partially Implemented.
- Identify gaps and categorize them by severity.
- Write a 2-page Audit Report summarizing findings and lessons learned.
- Propose a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) with deadlines and responsible owners.
Key learning outcomes:
- Internal audit methodology
- Evidence review and validation
- Gap identification and severity scoring
- Corrective action planning
This project mirrors real audit workflows used in ISO 27001, SOC 2, and regulatory environments.
