What You Need to Understand About Compliance

To meet compliance requirements for technology an organization will need to understand the regulations they operate under. New entrepreneurs may find it startling when they realize that they have a lot more people/organizations to answer to than they thought. This week, we aren’t going to go through individual regulations, but how IT generally fits into compliance and how not staying up to date can cost your business dearly.

What You Need to Understand About Regulations

When we talk about compliance, we talk about meeting the requirements they operate under. Sometimes business owners may think that these regulations are intrusive, but the reality is that every single regulation is enacted with the thought of protecting a business and their customers; especially the data that is created and stored on a business’ IT infrastructure. If an organization does not comply with these standards, there is a good chance that they are facing significant security risks.

The first thing that will keep regulators happy is if an organization has the cybersecurity controls, policies, and procedures in place that create an environment that improves security, lowers the risk of customer reputations souring, and especially reduces the risk of a data breach.

The Difference Between IT Security and IT Compliance

For your organization to be compliant, IT security is imperative, but not necessarily synonymous. IT security is about doing the right things to keep threats from unauthorized access, patch vulnerabilities, and have the general oversight of organizational information systems. IT compliance, on the other hand, is only a concern as it pertains to the regulatory mandates that govern the business’ operations. While both will support each other, the thought behind each has to be its own. 

Why You Need to Pay Attention

Simply put, compliance matters. This is true not just for huge enterprises, financial institutions, and healthcare providers. With the threat landscape covered with the carcasses of businesses that weren’t deliberately staying up on their IT security, and more and more customers taking more control over their data, compliance regulations are there for your business’ own good, regardless if they tend to cost more than the alternative. Furthermore, businesses that don’t meet compliance standards face large, public fines that can set the whole organization back. 

If you would like to have a conversation about the regulations your organization operates under and how you can get and stay compliant, give the IT compliance experts at EdgeTek a call at (719) 644-6789. Our team works for all manners of organizations that need to meet a wide variety of compliance requirements. Let us help you stay compliant.