Companies across all industries store, share, and use valuable information to complete essential business tasks. However, the information that keeps your business running also serves as a powerful attractant for cybercrime. To maintain the responsibility of protecting organizational and customer information, most companies are obligated to follow specific government regulations. For many businesses, this means following the complex requirements of multiple frameworks and regulations.
Regulatory non-compliance leads to steep fines and penalties. Perhaps more importantly, it can lead to expensive breaches and attacks that cost businesses thousands of dollars in damages and reputational deterioration. This whitepaper outlines the various regulations across different industries and offers best practices for maintaining compliance.
Professionals in the healthcare industry are tasked with protecting the privacy of sensitive medical and personal information. Most businesses in the industry are required to maintain compliance with HIPAA and HITECH regulations.
The Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (also called the privacy rule) outlines the use and disclosure of individuals' health information to maintain patient privacy. The privacy rule is designed to assure individuals' health information is protected while allowing the flow of information needed to promote high-quality healthcare. It applies to health plan providers, health care providers, healthcare clearinghouses, and business associates. HIPAA protects individually identifiable health information.
To comply with HIPAA, all covered entities must:
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 was enacted to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information and technology. It addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information. The HITECH Act applies to healthcare organizations and medical practices that benefit from Medicare and Medicaid programs. It also applies to covered entities and business associates as well as software developers and vendors of personal health devices.
To comply with HITECH, organizations must:
Higher education institutions house sensitive student and employee information, research data, and information from government agencies. To protect this information, organizations are required to maintain FERPA compliance.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It gives parents and eligible students more control over their education records and prohibits educational institutions from disclosing personally identifiable information in education records without written consent. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
To comply with FERPA, educational institutions must:
As a highly targeted industry, financial regulatory compliance typically includes stricter restrictions than those imposed on other industries. Regulations for finance, fintech, and software typically fall under PCI DSS, GDPR, and CCPA regulations.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. It applies to any entity that stores, processes, and/or transmits cardholder data. If your business accepts or processes payment cards, it must comply with the PCI DSS.
PCI DSS requirements include:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the toughest privacy and security law in the world. The regulation was put into effect in 2018 to protect the privacy and security of citizens in the EU. GDPR applies to any organization that processes the personal data of or supplies goods and services to EU citizens or residents.
GDPR compliance requirements for U.S. companies include:
The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) gives California consumers more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them. The CCPA applies to for-profit businesses that do business in California and do any of the following:
It's important to note that CCPA applies to businesses outside of California if they collect or sell PII of CA residents, conduct business in the state and meet any of the applicable standards above.
To comply with CCPA, organizations must:
Manufacturing companies are tasked with protecting government data, organizational data, employee data, and customer information. Regulations to protect this information typically fall under NERC CIP, ITAR, and EAR regulations.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) Reliability Standards are designed to safeguard the integrity of the utility infrastructure across North America. All bulk power system owners, operators, and users must comply with NERC-approved Reliability Standards. These entities are required to register with NERC through the appropriate regional facility.
To comply with NERC CIP, organizations must:
The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) governs the manufacture, export, and temporary import of defense articles, the furnishing of defense services, and brokering of a defense article or service. Its purpose is to prevent military and defense-related items and information from falling into the wrong hands. ITAR applies to all manufacturers, exporters, temporary importers, brokers, or providers of defense articles, services, or technical data.
To comply with ITAR, organizations must:
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) regulate the export, reexport, and transfer of some less sensitive military items, commercial items that also have military application, and purely commercial items without an obvious military use. License requirements are dependent on the technical characteristics of an item, the destination, the end user, and the end use.
To comply with EAR, organizations must:
Certain frameworks exist to help organizations across all organizations achieve improved cybersecurity posture. These frameworks are not industry-specific, but they support the regulations of most industry-specific regulations.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework helps businesses of all sizes better understand, manage, and reduce cybersecurity risks. The framework is voluntary. However, it gives businesses an outline of best practices for effective cybersecurity.
Requirements for NIST compliance include:
The ISO/IEC 27001 standard provides companies of any size and from all sectors of activity with guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system. It helps organizations become risk aware and proactively identify and address weaknesses. ISO/IEC 27001 certification is one way to demonstrate that you are committed and able to manage information securely and safely.
Requirements for certification include:
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) critical security controls are a prescriptive, prioritized, and simplified set of best practices that you can use to strengthen your cybersecurity posture. They can help you simplify your approach to threat protection, comply with industry regulations, and achieve essential cyber hygiene.
The CIS critical security controls include 18 controls:
Voluntary frameworks are developed by government agencies and cybersecurity professionals to establish best practices to protect all businesses. Since these frameworks establish a set of controls that all companies can share, they're often used as a guide for industry regulations. When companies begin their cybersecurity journey by establishing effective cybersecurity hygiene outlined in accepted frameworks, they're more likely to meet industry requirements.
An effective compliance strategy will help you maintain industry regulations and protect your business network against expensive and damaging cyberattacks. With a firm understanding of the different regulatory compliance requirements, you can take steps to build a comprehensive compliance strategy that meets your industry requirements and cybersecurity goals. Take these steps to get started.
Your compliance needs will be defined by the sensitive data your organization stores and shares and by industry requirements. Begin by identifying sensitive data and the systems on which they're stored. After listing this information, determine whether you're required to follow specific industry regulations or other security frameworks.
A comprehensive compliance program identifies what data you'll protect, the steps you'll take to protect sensitive data, and who is responsible for establishing and maintaining compliance. Identify all data that must be protected and the employees who need access to sensitive data. Use the information to develop written policies and procedures that define organizational cybersecurity practices. Assign responsible individuals or teams to carry out specific tasks and center data accessibility around role-based permissions.
While people are a crucial part of cybersecurity, the massive amount of data created by modern enterprises demands automated systems to keep up with the flow of information. Tools that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning can collect, parse, and analyze data in real-time. Modern tools can even detect suspicious behavior and alert security professionals to relevant threats. Your organization's cybersecurity stack should provide a layered security system that monitors external and internal threats.
Most businesses can't afford the cost of maintaining an in-house SOC that includes company-owned infrastructure and 24/7 oversight by cybersecurity professionals. Managed security service providers (MSSPs) and managed detection and response (MDR) are options that supply businesses with remote cybersecurity programs that can help improve regulatory compliance. Managed cybersecurity services offer companies across all industries the best of both worlds by providing highly effective cybersecurity tools along with assistance from experienced cybersecurity professionals.
By investing in managed cybersecurity services, businesses can develop an effective cybersecurity program that automatically includes compliance management. Good cybersecurity and compliance go hand in hand. Managed security and MDR providers have the tools and knowledge to incorporate your compliance requirements into your cybersecurity plan. As a result, you can eliminate many of the manual tasks associated with compliance maintenance and reporting and avoid non-compliance fines and penalties.
It's important to note that MSSPs and MDR services can vary significantly by provider. To choose the right partner for your organization, it's essential to have a firm understanding of what you expect to achieve and which services will work best for your organization. Before vetting providers, learn the difference between MDR and MSSP. Seek a provider with services most likely to satisfy all your cybersecurity needs. Consider whether each provider has a successful history and experience in your industry. Most importantly, take the time to get to know your potential cybersecurity partner. Ask questions about every aspect of the services they provide and make sure the company is up to the task of providing you with the security you need to maintain compliance and prevent attacks.
Cybersecurity compliance is a vital requirement for your business. Failure to follow industry regulations can lead to fines and penalties that can significantly affect your business options. More importantly, maintaining compliance can help you take steps that will naturally improve your cybersecurity posture and help you avoid expensive cyberattacks. Still, navigating complex compliance regulations can be challenging. Using this guide can help you get a better understanding of your compliance requirements and the steps you need to take for effective maintenance.
If you're still unsure about your ability to maintain compliance, we can help. Strengthen your organization's cybersecurity compliance with the help of our expert services. Contact us today to learn more about our tailored compliance solutions for your industry.