Protecting sensitive data and the privacy of both your business and your customer’s information is crucial to your organization’s security. Staying compliant with industry-standard regulations can be a complex, time-consuming task best performed by cybersecurity experts who stay updated on the latest technology, laws, and threats.
Cybersecurity vs Compliance – Is There a Difference?
Although they go hand-in-hand, the key difference is compliance satisfies the request of a third party, whereas cybersecurity protects the interests of the business directly, without the influence of a third party.
To better understand this topic, read our article on Security vs. Compliance: What’s the Difference?
Compliance Varies by Industry
IT compliance regulations are set by the type of industry you’re in. Let’s take a closer look at a few common regulations and cybersecurity services for some of the biggest U.S. industries.
Regulations for the Healthcare Industry
The health of any medical facility starts with strong, secure protection of patient information.
HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
HIPPA is a federal law enacted in 1966, making it easier for people to keep their Health Insurance when changing jobs and protecting the confidentiality and security of patients’ healthcare information.
HIPPA’s Privacy Rule regulates the disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).To form compliant partnerships with other organizations, healthcare facilities must also use a HIPPA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) to maintain the security of PHI.
The Security Rule is a national set of security standards for protecting certain health information that is held or transferred in electronic form.
IT Compliance Regulations for the Legal Industry
Law firms are regulated on the state, federal and international level, depending on the specialization of the practice. Lawyers must also abide by strict professional codes of conduct for ethical behavior, in addition to handling sensitive financial data and medical records for clients, which requires HIPPA compliance and the use of a BAA.
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Developed by the U.S. Dept of Commerce, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework helps businesses of any size understand, manage and reduce cybersecurity risk and protect their network and data. Use this voluntary framework to determine where you should focus your time and money on cybersecurity services.
CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
Any business that operates in California and collects consumers’ data needs to be aware of CCPA. Businesses are required to give consumers notices that explain their privacy practices.
IT Compliance Solutions for the Financial Industry
The financial industry includes a wide range of businesses such as commercial banks, insurance companies, mortgage brokers, financial advisers, and credit unions. Common regulations for financial entities include:
GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)
This act allows insurance companies, commercial banks, and investment banks to be within the same company. It mandates that private client information is kept secure.
PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
This set of 12 regulations is designed to reduce fraud and protect customer credit card information. It was developed by The PCI Security Standards Council, which was founded in 2006 by American Express, Discover, JCB International, Mastercard, and Visa Inc.
IT Compliance Regulations for Educators
If you run a facility such as any post-secondary institution, including, but not limited to, academies, colleges, seminaries, technical schools, and vocational schools, you need to know about FERPA.
FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974)
FERPA is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to all schools that receive funding from the U.S. Dept of Education.
Parents and eligible students can request a review of the student’s educational records maintained by the school and ask for amendments of inaccurate or misleading information.
IT Compliance Regulations for Government
If you work for the Federal government and need cloud-based services, a special program was developed in 2011 for this exact purpose.
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program)
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program was established to provide a cost-effective, risk-based approach for cloud-based services for the Federal government. Federal agencies can now access the modern convenience of cloud services that are designed with extra security to protect sensitive Federal information.
Stay Compliant by Working with Cybersecurity Experts
Don’t let the complexities of cybersecurity services and compliance overwhelm you. Keep your focus and attention on running your business. Work with ThrottleNet’s cybersecurity experts to get your business compliant with the regulations that affect your industry.
