What do you mean by IT and Cybersecurity compliance?

Cybersecurity Compliance entails adhering to numerous cybersecurity measures that are usually implemented by a regulatory authority, government, or industry association. They try to safeguard data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Compliance standards and frameworks differ by business and sector.

How does implementing & complying with various cybersecurity compliances benefit organizations?

Beyond the legal necessity to secure sensitive data, meeting regulatory compliance standards and criteria provides benefits for businesses. Implementing appropriate safeguards and security measures to protect sensitive customer and employee information strengthens the security posture. Also, intellectual property like trade secrets, software code, and product specifications can be secured as well.

How can organizations start implementing a Cybersecurity Compliance program?

It is critical to first determine the regulations or legislation companies must follow before they can start working towards establishing a compliance program. Some of the ideal steps are as follows: -

A.    Determine the type of data being dealt with and any applicable regulations

Compliance rules differ greatly state-by-state and nation-by-nation. However, a few of them are universal as well. The CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and the NYDFSCR (New York Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulation), for example, set rules that apply to any company set up in any state across the US. Many rules impose extra controls on certain types of personal information. PII (Personally Identifiable Information) refers to any information that may be used to identify a person and is also a crucial data: -

• Unique Numbers present within National and/or Government-issued IDs
• First and Last Names
• Date of Birth and Age
• Resident and Correspondence Address
• Mother’s/Father’s Maiden Name

PHI (Personal Health Information) refers to any information that can be used to identify a person with their medical care. The following data is considered as PHI: -

• Doctors’ and Clinical appointment information
• Medical history of past and present acute and chronic diseases
• Admissions records, hospital bills, receipts
• Prescription records with medicines and dosage
• Personal and Family Health and Life insurance records

B.    Build a cybersecurity team by appointing a CISO

Any person with the necessary skills and work ethic might be assigned to handle cybersecurity on a part-time basis. To determine what compliance obligations may apply to the business, the CISO may wish to speak with a cybersecurity firm or an attorney. Some jobs that might be used as a dual CISO include: -

• CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
• CIO (Chief Information Officer)
• COO (Chief Operating Officer)
• IT Manager

C.   Assess the risks and vulnerabilities

Risk and vulnerability assessments are required for almost every significant cybersecurity compliance obligation. These are crucial in assessing the most severe security issues in your firm, as well as the controls you currently have in place. It is also important to consider the likelihood of ransomware attacks while performing vulnerability evaluations.

D.   Tolerance and requirements-based technical controls should be implemented

The next stage should be to start putting technological controls in place depending on your risk tolerance. A cybersecurity framework comes in handy to determine the starting point. Additional technical controls can be configured once the baseline is met.

E.    Policy, procedure, and process controls should be implemented

It is not only about the technology when it comes to cybersecurity compliance. It is also critical to have risk mitigation policies and procedures in place for both compliance and safety. Technical precaution may not prohibit an employee from accidentally downloading malware onto work systems or visiting dangerous websites. Non-technical controls include: -

• Mandatory end-user and staff security awareness training and security advisories
• Policies, and procedures that are well documented
• Processes of security controls and the accountability of the personnel manning them

F.    Continuously test, monitor, revamp and update

Examine any applicable criteria and make sure to test the controls regularly. It is easy to ignore cybersecurity as firms grow and develop, but companies can stay compliant by conducting frequent testing. It is a good idea to test both technological and process controls frequently when new requirements emerge and the old ones have to be revamped.

Protecting critical data is what security is all about and documenting those steps is what compliance is all about. Security personnel cannot establish control efficacy without documentation, even if the systems, networks, and software are protected. The internal or external auditors will have the information they need to verify control if the continuous monitoring & response efforts are documented. Furthermore, the documentation process facilitates discussions with senior management and allows the appropriate personnel to conduct a more thorough assessment of cybersecurity risk.

Centex Technologies helps businesses in understanding & implementing cybersecurity compliance in their organization. To know more about cybersecurity solutions, contact Centex Technologies at Killeen (254) 213 - 4740, Dallas (972) 375 - 9654, Atlanta (404) 994 - 5074, and Austin (512) 956 – 5454.