Cybersecurity compliance is growing more complicated by the day. Between industry rules, customer requirements, security standards, and privacy laws, there’s a lot to keep track of. The right cybersecurity compliance services can help you identify which requirements apply to your organization, find security gaps, and build practical controls to address them. The time you save and the compliance fines you avoid make these services much more valuable than you might think.
What are cybersecurity compliance services?
Cybersecurity compliance services are delivered by experts to help you understand and meet the complex regulatory requirements that apply to businesses in your industry.
These services include, but are not limited to:
- Assessing your IT environment
- Identifying gaps
- Conducting risk assessments and penetration testing
- Recommending improvements
- Implementing security controls
- Helping you prepare documentation and evidence for audits or reviews
The goal of these services is not simply to ensure audit readiness. Effective compliance services help reduce your exposure to data breaches, ransomware, unauthorized access, regulatory penalties, and business disruption. After all, the best way to avoid compliance fines is to prevent the incidents that cause them.
The dangers of trying to handle compliance alone
Trying to manage all of your compliance frameworks internally can leave important gaps unnoticed. Your team may focus on obvious technical protections while overlooking policies, documentation, testing, risk assessments, or continuous monitoring.
What’s more is that compliance requirements can be difficult to interpret, particularly when you have multiple obligations that are updated regularly. You may also need to maintain evidence showing that your security controls actually work, adding to your team’s workload.
Without expert guidance, you risk spending money on controls that do little to reduce your actual risk. A cybersecurity compliance provider can help you prioritize the most important gaps instead of treating every requirement as equally urgent.
Which compliance frameworks apply to your industry?
The framework that applies to you depends on several factors, including your industry, the information you handle, your customers, where you operate, and the contracts you accept. Some requirements are legally mandatory, while others may be required by business partners.
To help determine which compliance frameworks your business must abide by, start by asking yourself:
- What types of sensitive information do we collect, store, or process?
- Do we accept credit or debit card payments?
- Do we handle health information or financial information?
- Do we work with government agencies or defense contractors?
- Do we collect personal information from people in outside jurisdictions?
- Do any of our major customers require a particular certification or security report?
Then, check your answers against major cybersecurity frameworks and standards. These are among the most common ones you may encounter.
PCI DSS
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) applies to organizations that store, process, or transmit payment card information. These standards focus on protecting cardholder data through measures such as access controls, secure systems, vulnerability management, monitoring, and regular testing.
If your business accepts credit or debit cards, PCI DSS should be on your radar. Even if you outsource payment processing, do not assume you have no compliance responsibilities.
A compliance services provider can help determine your specific requirements, which vary depending on payment processes and transaction volumes.
SOC 2
SOC 2 is commonly associated with technology companies and service providers that store or process customer information. It evaluates your cybersecurity controls related to:
- Security
- Availability
- Confidentiality
- Processing integrity
- Privacy
SOC 2 is not automatically required simply because you operate a technology company, but your customers or partners may expect a SOC 2 report before they trust you with their data.
If enterprise customers are asking you to complete detailed security questionnaires or provide independent assurance of your controls, a compliance solutions provider can help quickly generate the required documentation.
ISO 27001
ISO 27001 provides a structured approach for creating and managing an information security management system. This standard is focused on security risks across your organization, and not one kind of data, such as financial or medical information.
As a global standard, ISO 27001 can be particularly useful if you operate internationally. Consider it if you need to demonstrate that your organization has a high standard for information security that’s recognized worldwide.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) applies to covered entities and certain business associates that handle protected health information, which has a broad and far-reaching definition.
If your organization operates in healthcare or provides services to healthcare organizations in any capacity, you need to understand whether HIPAA applies to your activities. There are many requirements that address administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for protecting health information.
As with PCI DSS, requirements vary and depend on your specific role and the type of information you handle, so engage with compliance specialists to get a clear picture.
CMMC 2.0
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 applies to organizations in the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain that must meet specified cybersecurity requirements.
If you are a defense contractor or subcontractor, determine whether your contracts involve federal contract information or controlled unclassified information. Your contract requirements and the type of information you handle can determine the level of CMMC requirements you need to meet.
Cybersecurity compliance services are particularly valuable for businesses that do work for the DoD, as CMMC 2.0 certification is mandatory to win lucrative government contracts.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs the processing and protection of personal data under European Union law.
Even if your company is based in the United States, if you offer goods or services to people in the EU and collect any information, GDPR likely applies to you.
A compliance services provider can help you review how you collect information from international customers and your data practices to determine your GDPR requirements and avoid costly fines.
Others
The frameworks above are only part of the compliance landscape. Depending on your industry and customers, you may also encounter:
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF): A flexible framework for managing and reducing cybersecurity risks
- Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA): Applies to certain financial institutions and includes requirements for protecting customer information
- Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP): Applies to cloud service providers seeking authorization to serve federal agencies
- Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA): Establishes security requirements for federal information and systems
- Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls: Provides prioritized security safeguards that can support a broader cybersecurity program
- State privacy laws: Requirements such as California’s privacy laws that may apply based on where your customers or employees are located
You may also need to satisfy multiple frameworks at the same time.
Professional cybersecurity compliance consulting and assessment services
If you have any doubts about your compliance requirements or your ability to meet them, contact Soteria. We’re a cybersecurity services provider that’s helped enterprises achieve and maintain compliance for decades. We’ll help you avoid getting fined for compliance requirements you didn’t know applied to you and strengthen your security posture to ensure you can pass any audit.
Schedule a consultation with Soteria’s compliance specialists today.