As cybersecurity issues become a daily struggle for businesses of all sizes, it’s important to understand the security vs. compliance distinction so you can vigorously protect your assets, data, employees, and customers. The two terms are often used interchangeably, but in the security vs. compliance conversation, they describe very different goals. Knowing where one ends and the other begins is the first step toward building a truly resilient business.
What Is IT Security?
IT security can be defined as an assortment of cybersecurity services and strategies aimed at preventing unauthorized access to a company’s assets, including computers, networks, and data. IT security works to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information and block hackers’ access to it. This is accomplished by implementing methods like firewalls, antivirus software, employee security training, and multi-factor authentication.
What Is IT Compliance?
On the other hand, IT compliance is a series of regulations that businesses must fulfill to meet a third party’s requirements. This permits businesses to operate in a target market or align with laws or specific customers. Compliance includes industry regulations, government policies, and contractual terms. Understanding this is central to the security vs. compliance debate, because compliance is about meeting external standards rather than defending against threats.
Why Is IT Compliance Necessary?
Compliance is essential to decrease your risk of fines, penalties, lawsuits, or a complete business shutdown. For certain violations, you may receive a fine; for more serious violations, you risk costly sanctions that can prove detrimental to your business. Having a clear, effective program makes it crystal clear to stakeholders and consumers that your company is focused on compliance, which shows your commitment to doing business fairly and ethically. It also helps establish customer trust and brand loyalty. Compliance differs by industry, and some examples include:
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): A strict set of regulations defining how healthcare businesses, and all businesses that partner with the healthcare sector, should protect and share personal health information.
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS): A group of security regulations aimed at protecting consumer privacy when personal credit card information is transmitted, stored, and processed.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework (NIST-CSF): Any business working with a government agency needs to comply with NIST’s cybersecurity standards. The most common are NIST 800-171 and NIST 800-53, as they deal with unclassified information.
- Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC): Ensures that organizations take measures and implement controls to consistently meet compliance requirements.
Key Differences in the Security vs. Compliance Debate
Although compliance can overlap with security, their ultimate goals are slightly different. This is the heart of the security vs. compliance comparison.
Security
- Practiced by businesses for their own interests, not to satisfy the needs of a third party.
- Driven by the need to protect against constant threats to a business’s assets.
- Never finished—it must be continuously maintained and improved.
Compliance
- Practiced to satisfy external requirements and support business operations.
- Driven by business needs.
- Considered “complete” when the third party is satisfied.
Even though security and compliance go hand in hand, compliance alone will not completely protect businesses. Cyberattacks are on the rise. In 2019, more than 31,000 cases of cybercrime against businesses took place globally—the majority targeting small businesses. That statistic is exactly why the security vs. compliance question shouldn’t be framed as “either/or.”
This is why it’s important to take a multi-pronged approach that ensures your business is both compliant and secure. While compliance establishes a comprehensive baseline for your company’s security, diligent cybersecurity services build on that baseline to cover the organization from every angle.
How ThrottleNet Can Help You Win the Security vs. Compliance Balance
The truth behind the security vs. compliance discussion is that you need both, and a strong blend of cybersecurity and compliance is the best protection available. By working with cybersecurity experts like ThrottleNet, businesses can become technologically secure and fully compliant at the same time. Work with ThrottleNet’s cybersecurity experts to discover a solution built for you.
Contact us today to learn more!
