How well you comply with your industry’s cybersecurity standards has a big effect on your company’s safety and reputation. Cybersecurity frameworks like NIST’s (National Institute of Standards and Technology) are designed to help you create cybersecurity protocols that comply with federal and state regulations. But NIST CSF itself is difficult to parse, especially for small businesses. IT providers offer Compliance as a Service (CaaS) to help business owners move towards compliance with clear and comprehensive steps.
Cybersecurity Standards
Cybersecurity standards and regulations vary across industries. Some are enforced by federal and state agencies, others are imposed by professional organizations, and some are required for most types of cybersecurity insurance. Part of an initial CaaS consultation involves figuring out which regulations apply to your business and what framework makes the most sense to follow. In most cases in the U.S., that framework will be some variation of NIST.
Compliance as a Service (CaaS)
In addition to helping you identify your legal cybersecurity responsibilities, CaaS can help you create compliant cybersecurity policies and procedures, perform maintenance and archiving responsibilities for compliance, and complete regular technical audits required in some industries. It is best to use the same provider for your IT, cybersecurity, and CaaS. That way the appropriate audits and inventories can be taken, and your CaaS provider has full insight into your systems.
Documentation and Implementation
Compliance requires the implementation of appropriate cybersecurity protocols, like: MFA, network firewalls, encryption, and so on. It also requires detailed documentation, in the form of written policies and procedures as well as network diagrams and organizational charts. This documentation must be kept up-to-date, and outdated documentation must be archived for several years before it is destroyed. Both of these processes are time consuming. Your CaaS provider will give you a roadmap of prioritized steps for how to achieve full compliance over time.
Getting Started with Compliance
Cybersecurity compliance is tricky, especially since no one can give you a fool-proof, 100% guarantee that your company is compliant unless and until you suffer a cyberattack that triggers an official investigation and audit. That is the worst time to find out that your company isn’t compliant, because it will likely land you at-fault for many of the damages of that cyberattack. Be proactive about your cybersecurity, for your and your clients’ sakes. Schedule a CaaS consultation and start on the road to compliance before disaster strikes.
Kate Lewis
Technical Writer & Content Strategist
Digital Agent
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