Compliance monitoring regulations
PCI DSS: The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of industry regulations for organizations that accept payment through credit card that aims to reduce fraud. Every year the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council checks to make sure businesses comply. These expectations for businesses include:
- Building a secure network and using a secure firewall and strong passwords
- Using a vulnerability program to protect against malware
- Updating your anti-virus regularly
- Limiting access to sensitive client information
- Creating and maintaining your own security policy
HIPPA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) is a set of regulations covering electronic healthcare transactions. The Office for Civil Rights can audit you at any time, and the fines can be as high as $1.5 million per year per violation category. To be compliant:
- Your client’s data must be private and confidential
- Your client’s data must be secure, and you must report breaches that affect more than 500 people
DFARS 7012: The DFARS 252.204-7012 clause is a set of security regulations for contractors. To comply you must:
- Report cyber incidents when they occur and preserve all relevant information
- Use approved cloud-based systems
- Make sure that all vulnerability information (like anti-virus or operating system levels) and backup information are also compliant
- Ensure that no one person has complete access to your accounts
- Have individual accounts rather than shared accounts
- Keep records of remote access
- Use multifactor authentication
Microsoft SAM: This is an optional audit used to make sure you meet Microsoft licensing requirements. For example, every workstation should have its own Microsoft license so you do not violate intellectual property rights.
The dangers of non-compliance
Protect yourself with a compliance monitoring Managed Service Provider
Documentation: Managed service providers document all performed risk assessments to ensure compliance monitoring. Moreover you can use this documentation as evidence in the event of an audit. It will include a list of security risks and actions taken to prevent those risks.
Risk Assessment: Managed service providers will do regular risk assessments and will fix potential issues before they cause problems. The Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONH) has a guide on how to identify and mitigate risks.
Encryption: Managed service providers encrypt sensitive data like transmissions between machines and communications between employees. They manage encryption keys and set up identity-based security. They also make sure that servers are physically secure.
Compliant Staff Members: Managed service providers hire qualified staff members. Sometimes regulations have intense requirements to qualify staff. For example, HIPPA may require that employees have a background check and drug test. Furthermore, managed service employees may also have specialized certifications, they do yearly Security and Awareness training as required by NIST 800-171 and finally, they secure their facilities so your data remains secure.
Expertise: Regulations can be confusing. For example even the United States government admits that DFARS can be confusing to small business owners. Managed service providers provide you with the expertise you need so you can focus on your business. To continue, managed service providers save you money. It costs a lot to make sure that in-house employees have the most up to date expertise they need. For example, they constantly play catch up instead of being proactive. Partnering with a managed service provider is more affordable and effective.