As almost every business uses technology and the internet for some kind of task in today’s digital age, thorough knowledge of the twin pillars of modern cyber protection and digital governance — compliance and security — is paramount for every business with a digital footprint.
IT security acts as the guardian of digital integrity. And, automated and human personnel alike use advanced tools around the clock to ensure organizational operations remain within the bounds of their accepted rules and guidelines.
Compliance with these guidelines and the security designed to operate within them are equally vital. The dynamic between the two aspects of online protection effectively controls any organization’s ability to navigate the modern digital landscape.
Principles of IT Security
Updated and iterated upon through decades of study and discussion, modern IT security comprises a selection of core concepts, each of which shares equal importance and should drive how an organization designs its internal systems and external protections:
Confidentiality
A confidentiality breach occurs if anyone can access data they otherwise shouldn’t. Data that moves from one place to another, especially sensitive data, should employ up-to-date encryption methods and only travel to the workstation or account designated by the send order.
Integrity
If malicious actors modify data or transfer servers make a mistake, then that data loses its integrity. Transmitted information must remain in its original state, so the system should take careful steps and establish redundancies to ensure accuracy. The sender and receiver, whether human or machine, should have the same information to preserve consistency across systems.
Availability
Authorized parties — and only those parties— should have the ability to access data immediately. Protection against external threats, such as phishing safeguards and multifactor authentication, can keep hackers from valuable data. But, availability protocols should also keep unnecessary or sensitive information out of internal users’ hands.
For example, no employees outside HR departments should have access to payroll, hire/fire dates, insurance, leave, and other benefits. That private information should remain between relevant parties; in this case, human resources and the employee in question.
Rules of IT Compliance
Compliance refers to the design and implementation process of security protocols, including those listed above, with established rules in mind.
Where IT Compliance Rules Come From
IT compliance rules exist to ensure the data security of all parties involved. So many organizations use data and gather sensitive information, such as:
- Payment and card information
- Credit information and Social Security
- Addresses
- Health information
As such, many rules exist to govern many types of data, and these rules may overlap or enhance the requirements of another set of standards to create an overarching security net.
Regulatory
Regulatory rules, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), are derived from government entities. They target customer protections and rights to ensure that large-scale organizations handle their data securely and ethically.
These rules often vary by region, but cross-region and international organizations should establish guidelines to monitor changes and variations between locales to ensure a change in one area does not violate the rules of another.
Contractual
Vendors and clients often handle one another’s data. Data integrity in client-vendor communications is critical at this stage, so a contract between parties may dictate additional, agreed-upon conditions for the duration of their business relationship, such as specific data storage solutions, security, access, and use handling.
Industry Standards
Though industry standards are not laws, additional certification by the authority of peers indicates to both clients and other businesses that an organization can maintain the same protections as its rivals.
For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) has no legal definition, but it outlines the best ways for companies to process ubiquitous payment methods such as credit and debit cards.
Internal
Members of the organization (such as its IT teams) and C-suite members (such as CIOs and CTOs) establish internal rules and regulations to support their business needs. They either align with long-term strategy and internal company operating principles, or they imitate temporary contracts or industry standards that the organization finds beneficial.
Interactions Between IT Security and IT Compliance
IT security and IT compliance have a dynamic and symbiotic relationship, given how the developments of one continue to shape the other. The stringent demands of ever-changing regulations often shape principles used to establish tangible IT security procedures.
In addition, changes in security requirements in response to new and improved cybersecurity threats — or decisions about customer rights — often drive changes in compliance. For example, the GDPR’s 2018 effective date spread led to sweeping changes in the online advertising and marketing space and how organizations within the industry gather and handle their customers’ data.
Future Trends
The human element will continue to cause the most security breaches, so additional training programs and higher-quality materials will continue to emerge as the costs of data breaches, in terms of fines, business losses, and the loss of consumer trust, continue to rise.
The number of cyberattacks and the attack surface increased over the last few years and will continue to do so. The target-rich environment for cybercriminals will continue to threaten businesses and their longevity in the technological world unless they continue to iterate in the war against hackers.
Ransomware attacks have increased in scope and severity over the last few years, as well, so security for critical systems to protect customer data and continue business operations will become more important than ever.
A Quick Summary of Security and Compliance
Organizations of all kinds — be they governmental, private sector, or nonprofit — must consider IT security and compliance as priorities of the utmost importance. IT security maintains digital integrity with the most advanced tools available to ensure adherence to accepted (or required) standards.
That compliance can come from governments, partners, or even the organization’s own operating principles. Shifts in the cybersecurity world guide policy formation to adjust, which in turn changes the nature of IT security systems.
These two pillars of security — though remaining separate operations — are intertwined and inseparable. Their dynamic relationship will only continue to develop, with the need for additional human training and defense against forms of attack, both new and old, at the forefront.
How ITSG Can Help
If your organization needs help navigating the complicated and mercurial world of IT compliance to create the right IT security systems, then feel free to reach out to ITSG. Our team of experts is here to ensure that you have the tools and information necessary to defend your systems from attacks in a legally compliant and secure way.
