CIS compliance software: What to look for

Wendy Gittleson headshot

Wendy Gittleson

Jan 28th, 2025

4 min read

CIS, or Customer Identification Program, is a regulation mandated by the USA PATRIOT Act that requires financial institutions to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. The purpose of CIS is to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes by ensuring that individuals are who they claim to be.

Under CIS regulations, financial institutions must collect certain identifying information from customers, such as name, date of birth, address, and identification number. This information is used to create a customer profile that can be used to monitor for suspicious activity and report any potential red flags to authorities.

Failure to comply with CIS regulations can result in significant fines and penalties for financial institutions. Therefore, it is crucial for banks and other financial institutions to have robust CIS procedures in place to protect against financial crime and ensure compliance with the law."
A company may use a Customer Information System (CIS) to store and manage customer data such as contact information, purchase history, and preferences. This system allows the company to effectively track and analyze customer interactions, provide personalized services, and make informed decisions to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. For example, the company may use the CIS to send targeted marketing messages to customers based on their past purchases or offer special promotions to loyal customers.

What’s involved with CIS compliance?

1. Questionnaire Generation: Automatically generate tailored questionnaires based on factors such as industry, compliance requirements, and the specific needs of the organization. For example, generating a questionnaire specifically designed to assess CIS compliance based on the organization's industry and regulatory requirements.

2. Reminder and Follow-up: Send automated reminders to participants who have not completed or submitted their security questionnaires within a specified timeframe. For instance, sending reminders to employees or vendors who have not completed their CIS compliance questionnaire within the deadline.

3. Response Collection: Automatically collect and consolidate responses from participants into a centralized database or platform for analysis. This can help streamline the process of gathering information for CIS compliance assessments.

4. Scoring and Analysis: Utilize AI algorithms to analyze responses, score questionnaire submissions, identify potential risks or gaps, and generate reports highlighting areas that need attention. For example, using AI to analyze responses to the CIS compliance questionnaire and identify areas where the organization may be at risk of non-compliance.

5. Reporting and Documentation: Automatically generate comprehensive reports summarizing questionnaire results, highlighting key findings, and providing recommendations for improvement. This can help organizations track their progress towards CIS compliance and identify areas for improvement.

What to look for in a CIS compliance tool

Look for software that automates repetitive tasks, such as generating questionnaires, distributing them, collecting responses, and sending reminders. This reduces manual effort and speeds up the process.
Software with AI capabilities can recommend answers from a well-maintained content library, validate responses, and analyze risks or gaps. This ensures accuracy and streamlines the review process.

Acquire tools that empower field teams to proactively share up-to-date security and compliance information via profiles or trust centers Integration with your existing tech stack, including CRMs, cloud storage, Microsoft Office, and collaboration tools like Slack or Teams.

A centralized content library or knowledge base that stores accurate, reusable answers helps streamline responses and ensures consistency in addressing compliance requirements.

Opt for software that supports team collaboration with features like task assignments, workload visibility, in-app comments, and e-signature collection. This ensures everyone stays aligned and projects move smoothly.

Detailed reports highlighting key findings, compliance status, and areas for improvement. An audit trail is also essential for regulatory compliance and internal tracking.

Case studies

A lot of the tasks above can be automated with the right software. See how Responsive brings your teams and content together to produce standout responses that seal deals with speed.